10 out of 10 people found this review helpful.
A step backward (or two) from the 10B
Date of Review: Jul 24, 2003
The Bottom Line: If you can find the original 10B on eBay, buy it. Buy the 10BII only as a last resort.
I've been using an HP 10B for about eight years now and have been quite pleased with it. I work in commercial banking so my calculator gets a LOT of daily use. Recently I decided to keep the 10B at home and picked up a 10BII for use at work.
What a disappointment. Sure, the 10BII has all the functionality of the 10B, but that's about it. HP's cost-cutting measures are readily apparent, from the cheap plastic housing to the flimsy carrying case. The only improvement I can see over the 10B is that the display provides a bit more information.
The keys on this calculator are vastly inferior to the 10B. They are "clicky" and require substantial, but inconsistent pressure to activate. In general, if you aren't looking at the display, then you can't be sure if it registered a key press. This leads me to question nearly every calculation I perform...not the most efficient use of time.
If it adds any credibility, I have numerous co-workers that share the same opinion.
