Has HP-30b been discontinued?

[LeopoldBloom]

Out of curiousity, I looked at hp.com/calculators to see if there was an update to the 30b, and could not find the calculator -- though I could find the unupdated support materials. Nor the 20b nor the 30b was otherwise listed as a product.

Has this lovely tool disappeared for good? And so soon after its release at that?

--Leopold Bloom

[HP-MACH]

Hi!, LeopoldBloom:

IMHO, yes. The WP34s, is apparently, your sucessor, but equal, you can encountered the HP30b, in the HP site ... http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/DocumentIndex.jsp?lang=en&cc=us&contentType=Support... and ... http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/manualCategory?cc=us&dlc=en&lc=en&product=4031712

See ... from Richard Nelson ... in first attached file, in clip.

See too, the video ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16TedDU_gV8

In other two files attached, the emulator WP34s and Owner's Manual.

[RRoss]

Please do better research Migeul.  You do offer lots of help, but sometimes you just offer a canned answer that isn't helpful.  This is one of those times. 

The WP34s IS a reflashed Hp 20b or Hp 30b calculator.  It was a proof of concept device that made use of Hp's release of the Hp 20b/30b that could be reflashed for specific use.  A couple of Hp calculator enthusiests with great knowledge and abilities took advantage of this and developed an alternate OS for the Hp 20b (and the successor, the Hp 30b) that made this Hp buisness calculator into the most powerful pocket calculator available today.  When Hp quits making the Hp 30b, that is the last potential WP 34s available. 

I don't know if Hp is discontinueing this calculator either.  I do suspect they won't offer it much longer.  Hp offers an Hp 10Bii+, an Hp 12c, an Hp 30b and an Hp 17Bii+. 

Four calculators.  I supsect the least popular is the Hp 30b. 

Why?

The Hp 10b is cheaper and is an algebraic only, people that buy this don't WANT an RPN calculator to confuuuuse them....(oh, my head hurts,,, tooo much to know...)

The Hp 12c has been sold for over 30 years and is the only Hp allowed for the CFA exam.  The longest length time an electronics item has ever been sold.  To much market demand to quit with an excellent mark up to boot.

Hp 30b, this dog sits next the Hp 12c and while superior, robs sales from the Hp12c and doesn't have nearly the profit margin, nor does it sell well enough to replace the Hp 12c.  The fact that it is reflashable is maybe only the reason it is still sold.

Hp 17bii+, this is the best calculator available and anyone who knows its capabilities can't understand why anyone would buy the Hp 12c over this.  Hp keeps it out there as its flagship financial.  However, it probalby only sells marginally better than the Hp 30b, but again has a better profit margin (2x more $$) and much better future potential out of the box with 32 K of usable RAM.

[HP-MACH]

Hi!, Ron:

Who do you think, perhaps the owner, of the truth?. Because you do not stop to answer that generated the post and to which I replied?.

[RRoss]

I only butted in as your answer implied that the WP34s is a replacement for the Hp 30b.  It is not.  It is simply an Hp 30b with a new OS developed by an independent team outside of Hp and loaded onto it.  Therefore, once the Hp 30b is no longer available, the Wp 34s will also cease to be available.

Hp currently makes 4 financial calculators and the least popular seems to be the Hp 30b.  That doesn't mean Hp will discontinue it, but if one of the four were to be discontinued, a good bet is that it would be the Hp 30b.  

But admittedly, that is speculation.

Regards,

Ron  

[HP-MACH]

Hi!, Ron:

I reiterate, it is IMHO, but with a reasonable basis to consider, as valid.

See ... http://sourceforge.net/apps/mediawiki/wp34s/index.php?title=Introduction and ... /t5/Calculators/The-20b-30b-has-been-repurposed-into-a-scientific-calculator-The/td-p/4807025#.Ul1K2...