HP 10bII Financial Calculator

I can say categorically that if you want a Time Value of Money calculator, you should definitely pick up [different calculator] they are definitely the easiest and most intuitive to use ...

This calculator is a great deal. It does most all of the substantial functions of the other calculators and has much of the same power. It only allows 14 Cash Flow entries ..., but 14 is almost always going to be enough.

The look of the calculator is great with the buttons clear and easy to find. The back of the calculator has little rubber feet so thatit stays in place on your desk while you are working on it. It is very light - almost too light. Because it is so light, it almost feels cheap, but it can sit in your pocket without any notice.

I would have given it 5 stars, but it has some shoddy workmanship. The first one I bought I returned because the "6" had to be pressed hard to register (and if I wasn't paying attention, I wouldn't notice that the "6" was not entered). When I exchanged it, the "1" button on the new one did the same thing. The third one has worked fine, but beware of this problem before you purchase it somewhere that you cannot return it...


Best Financial Calculator Ever!   February 16, 2002
4 out of 6 found this review helpful

CALCULATOR REVIEW:

HP 10BII is the new, updated version to the old HP 10B version. This new version is the same as the old version, but with a new design. I personally prefer the old design, but I really like the way the important functions--Present Value, Future Value, Payment, Interest, etc.--on this new version are highlighted with a silver plating around these buttons. Also, it's a good thing that they didn't rearrange the buttons around too much; most of the buttons are still in the same place as in the old version.

What I really like about this calculator is that it can hold numbers with 12 digits! You can also set the calculator to display up to nine decimal places, so you can get the most accurate answer to your calculations.

What I don't like about the calculator is that for doing multiplications, you can't enter something like, 2(5) or (2)5. You have to enter the multiplication sign, or the calculator won't give you the correct answer, which is ten; this is the only thing I don't like about the calculator, because I'd like to be able to enter equations like, 7(40-15) or (40-15)7.

Still, I prefer this calculator over other financial calculators. I could've gotten some other calculator for a cheaper price (like the one my school recommended me to get), but I like this one, so I'm willing to spend the extra bucks for it. I liked the original HP 10B version, but it's starting to malfunction, so I got the new HP 10BII version; if Hewlett Packard comes up with a brand new, HP 10BIII version, I'll probably get that one if my HP 10BII stops working for me.


Prefect for school   January 26, 2002
1 out of 3 found this review helpful

This item is much more straight forward than the TI and since most professors will use this one as their examples it is even more understandable than the other business calculators.


Updated Version of the BEST FINANCIAL CALCULATOR   January 23, 2002
Fritz-The-Cat (In The South, USA)
144 out of 147 found this review helpful

This new "II" version is a newer style of the older HP-10B, which will now go out of production. The new style has a smoother case and a more 21st century look, but the calculator and its functions are still the same.

I have used (and own) many of the available financial calculators on the market. I "recommend" the HP-10B to my university finance students, both graduate and undergraduate.

The HP 10B-II is a directly positioned competitor to the TI-BA-II+, but HP's entry is superior. The keys feel more solid, the machine itself "seems" better made. Having worn out more than one of each, my experience has been that the HP has more staying power. And, the TI-BA-II+ often requires more keystrokes to accomplish the same tasks (i.e., NPV calculations). ...

The HP 10BII has a well written manual, including examples on using the function. HP has the manual available on-line on their website for the inevitable time that the user needs it and has lost the original.

While there are cheaper financial calculators, it seems that this particular level is the minimum I would recommend to professionals or students. Less expensive versions, while saving a few dollars, miss important features. As a general rule of thumb, if the calculator can perform the "IRR" function, as this can, it will be able to handle pretty much any calculation into which the finance student, professonal, or banker will run. Lesser machines do not have this function.

Ironically, even larger fancier calculators, such as the venerable HP-12C, are in my estimation inferior as well. The 12C uses RPN logic which, while saving even more keystrokes, is simply foreign to most students. More importantly, some functions, such as the Time Value of Money functions, on the 12C require interpretation. On the 12C, for example, solving for the number of periods in an annuity, the value gets rounded UP to the next integer.

Strongly recommended as the best value in inexpensive financial calculators.