The HP Prime (including HP Prime G2 graphing calculator) is a graphing calculator introduced by Hewlett-Packard in 2013 and currently manufactured by HP Inc. It was designed with features resembling those of smartphones, such as a full-color touchscreen display and the ability to expand functionality by means of downloadable applications. It claims to be the world’s smallest and thinnest CAS-enabled calculator currently available. The functionality of the HP Prime is also available as emulation software for PCs and Macs, as well as for various smartphones.
HP Prime G2 graphing calculator review
Design and software
The HP Prime G2 graphing calculator’s graphical user interface features two separate home screens, one of which contains an integrated computer algebra system (CAS) based on the free and open-source Xcas/Giac 1.4.9 engine, which evolved from that of the HP 49G and its successors. Both the standard and CAS modes function independently of each other and the calculator can quickly switch between the two, unlike some of its competitors, such as the TI-Nspire series by Texas Instruments, which comes in either CAS-supported models or non-CAS models.
The G1 model calculator has a 1500 mAh battery, which is expected to last up to 15 hours on a single charge. The G2 model comes with a battery with a capacity of 2000 mAh.
Exam Mode
The HP Prime G2 graphing calculator has a feature called Exam Mode. This enables various features of the calculator (such as CAS functionality, user-created apps, notes, etc.) to be selectively disabled for a specific time, from 15 minutes to 8 hours. This can be done manually within the calculator’s menus, or by using a computer with HP’s connectivity software. LEDs on the top of the calculator blink to let the instructor see that the calculator is in this mode. Despite this feature, the Prime is still prohibited in many examinations, such as the US’s ACT college-entry test. It is however starting to be accepted in other examinations, like those run by the Dutch CvTE, the Swiss IB, or Alberta (Canada) education authorities.
Programming
The HP Prime’s non-CAS home-screen supports textbook, algebraic and 128-level RPN (aka Advanced RPN) entry logic. However, it uses a new operating system unrelated to HP’s legacy Saturn and Saturn-emulated systems, which were used on HP’s previous RPN/RPL graphing calculators; therefore, it is not compatible with any User RPL or System RPL, or with programming in Saturn or ARMv4T assembly language.
The calculator supports programming in a new, Pascal-like programming language now named HP PPL (for Prime Programming Language, but originally also referred to as HP Basic) that also supports creating apps. This is based on a language introduced on the HP 38G and built on in subsequent models.
How to use HP Prime G2 graphing calculator
Which one is better – CAS Calculator vs. Non-CAS Calculator
So what is a CAS calculator? A CAS is a computer algebra system. CAS calculators can solve equations, manipulate variables, factor, and more. Basically, these calculators are capable of solving problems with x and y, like x + x = 2x. Once you get into sophisticated calculations involving variables, this is a lot of power. They are welcomed in some circles, such as AP calculus, the SAT, and many high school and college classrooms. However, they are banned by the ACT and some teachers who feel they can do a little too much. Consider your college testing plans and your school’s math department policies before deciding on a CAS vs. non-CAS calculator. My list includes both kinds of calculators.
What is the other best Graphing Calculator of 2020
1.Best Graphing Calculator for the SAT / Calculus – TI-Nspire CX CAS II
For several years, I’ve just named a “best graphing calculator for school,” and it had been the TI-Nspire CX several years running. Nowadays, I have several different categories of “best calculator,” but as my personal favorite, the TI-Nspire always seems to find itself getting the first mention. This year, Texas Instruments brought a hardware and software update to the table with their new TI-Nspire CX II. The new model brings a faster processor as well as new software features including tick-mark labels when graphing, animated path plotting, and dynamic coefficient values.
Why do I love the TI-Nspire so much? There are many situations where it really shines. For example, if you know your situation involves the ACT or non-calculus classes like AP Statistics or Algebra II, the TI-Nspire CX II is where it is at. It has computer like features including drop down menus, point and click interface, and file/folder features. Graphing features were tremendously simplified over most other graphing calculators. The screen resolution is also high, making it easy to see the math operations that look exactly like they do in your textbook.
I love the features its statistics and geometry software offer, and feel they enhanced my classes greatly. As a long time teacher, I also feel like recent TI-Nspire OS updates (released about once a year) brought this calculator to another level, giving it the ability to graph equations written in “x=” form from simple lines to advanced conic sections. Am I biased? Sure! Can you blame me? My students used the TI-Nspire platform on their way to the Illinois state math team championship and while putting up AP Statistics that dramatically exceeded the national average.
There are additional features on the TI-Nspire CX II CAS that will make you want it for the SAT or AP Calculus. This calculator has a computer algebra system, so it can do symbolic integration and differentiation. It has the ability to factor find summations algebraically and much more. While these features aren’t allowed on the ACT, they are perfect for the SAT and AP Calculus.
Keep in mind, that if you see the slightly older TI-Nspire CX models out there without the “II” on Amazon or other retailers, while they are still great calculators, it looks like they won’t be getting any more software support. Texas Instruments has released Nspire OS version 5.0 and 5.1 for the CX II already, and neither one has come to the older CX. I’d definitely recommend picking up a CX II.
2. Most Popular Graphing Calculator for High School – TI-84 Plus CE Silver Edition
Texas Instruments continues to update their most popular graphing calculator of all time, the TI-84 Plus. The newest model, the TI-84 Plus CE, gives the Nspire a run for its money with a very thin, light design, a color screen, and a battery than can literally go for months without charging when in “sleep” mode. Like many of the models on this list, the new TI-84 Plus CE can now graph on images as well. It is a big step up from older, black and white versions of the TI-84 Plus, and it doesn’t cost much more. Texas Instruments has introduced many fun new colors for the TI-84 Plus CE that are available on Amazon.
While I still consider the TI-Nspire CX II models to be the premiere graphing calculators made by Texas Instruments, the TI-84 Plus CE is a big improvement over older models in the series. And here’s a big consideration: Many teachers have been teaching on this ever evolving family of calculators (TI-82, TI-83, TI-84, etc) for 20 years or more. If your school or teacher is a long time TI-84 fan, then they’ll be able to give quicker assistance on it when things get tricky. The TI-84 family continues to be a very popular model in high schools across the country.
3. Most Popular Graphing Calculator for College – TI-89 Titanium
The TI-89 Titanium has been around for a long time. It predates the TI-Nspire line by many years and is a rock solid calculator. For many years this was my favorite graphing calculator. It has an intuitive menu system, 3D graphing, the ability to add apps, a CAS. It has been a “go to” for calculus students and SAT students for more than 10 years. In recent years the TI-Nspire CX CAS has passed it up for me as my favorite overall calculator. However, the TI-89 Titanium still has wide acceptance in many college math departments, and you want to pick a calculator that your professors are going to be on board with.
A word to the savvy shopper: Be sure you are getting the TI-89 Titanium, NOT the original TI-89. That is a much older relic and does not keep pace. It does not have some of the nicer features that the Titanium model has like the ability to add official apps from the Texas Instruments website and MathprintTM. On the TI-89 Titanium, Mathprint will reformat your calculator code after you press enter to look like a math equation in a text book. Without it, it is harder to know if you have entered your calculations correctly.
4. Best Cheap Graphing Calculator – Casio Prizm
The Casio Prizm continues to be the most underrated graphing calculator on the market today. I consider it the easiest graphing calculator to use. This non-CAS calculator offers a lot of easy to use features that you won’t find in most other non-CAS graphing calculators. It simplifies radicals, finds exact trig values, and uses textbook format for it’s math symbols, meaning you don’t waste a lot of time learning calculator syntax. It’s graphing features are also very cool, as the Prizm will find y-intercepts, solve for x values given a y value, even integrate between two curves.
Much like the TI-Nspire CX, the Prizm has a full color screen and the ability to load images. Casio has also been good about issuing OS updates, including a recent one that gave the Prizm the ability to do the periodic table of elements. Since it doesn’t have a CAS, it’s also a terrific calculator for the ACT.
This calculator is usually more affordable on Amazon than its rivals from Texas Instruments and Casio, and yet it’s still incredibly capable. One piece of advice: Casio switched over from an older version of the Prizm, the fx-CG10 to a newer version, the fx-CG50, which brings some nice enhancements like 3D graphing and a more modern look and feel.
You’ll want to make sure you are picking up the latest model. If you’re looking for a cheap graphing calculator but still want a top level feature set, the Casio Prizm is the way to go.