Customers love the Prime Portable Graphing Calculator's ease of use and intuitive touch screen. Many appreciate its features and the value for the price. Positive feedback also highlights the calculator's long-lasting battery and the option to program custom functions. The RPN functionality is also praised by some users for its efficiency.
This summary was generated by AI based on customer reviews.
The vast majority of our reviews come from verified purchases. Reviews from customers may include My Best Buy members, employees, and Tech Insider Network members (as tagged). Select reviewers may receive discounted products, promotional considerations or entries into drawings for honest, helpful reviews.
Page 1 Showing 1-20 of 125 reviews
Pros mentioned:
Touch screen
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Highly customizable
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Posted .
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
I am an owner of the TI Nspire CX CAS. I loved it. The HP Prime is my new favorite though, the touch screen can't be beat. The active community adds to it's charm, with so much customizing available, games, 3d graphing, periodic table, on screen qwerty (why isn't this already loaded?), Etc...
The calculator is lacking in functions when compared to the Nspire, however it is superior in hardware in every way. Also it's easy to compensate for the lack of functions by downloading some programs. Build quality is excellent and it is much more enjoyable to hold verses my Nspire. I use them both right now, the transition between User Interfaces can be a little difficult, it is lacking in the functionality overall, wish it wasn't limited to 10 of everything. The TI can go all the way up to 99 equations to graph. I know the HP can do better, so why isn't this changed in the software yet? That's about it. I still love the Nspires PC layout though, can't beat the spreadsheet and list mix, HP should take a real hard look at their competition, but the community still compensates for it. For now anyway they are super active compared to the Nspires.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Ease of use, Touch screen
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
Great calculator, but not a clear winner over ti
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This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
it was a difficult choice between this and the ti-nspire cx cas. i ultimately went with the HP because i really dont like the menu based interface on the TI. the HP feels more like a calculator and i was able to much more easily do basic everyday calculations on it. and thanks to the easy to use help system, i was much more quickly able to figure out more advanced functions as well. The cas system works well for both, but im not sure if the TI has Laplace and Fourier transforms. however, the HP doesnt have good 3D graphing either (despite what appeared to be a promising 3d graphing app online) while the ti does. it also took me a while to figure out how to properly create and use custom functions. once i had it figured out, however, ive found custom functions to be incredibly useful and easy to set up on the HP once you know how. i would also appreciate a bit more info on defining custom user keys, as the system doesnt appear to be as extensive as i'd hoped. so far ive only been able to define custom user functions onto number keys. I also havent delved much into programming this thing, but it does look like it may have more potential in that field, especially since ti started locking theirs down. however, available software is limited and ive found that downloading and installing other users programs is a far more complicated and buggy process than i would have liked. if not for TI's crackdown on their own programming capabilities, i would say they have the better system, but since i plan on learning to program this thing myself anyway, i decided to go with HP. The HP also seems to provide clearer answers in terms of roots or pi more often, and is easier to switch between numeric and symbolic representation with these answers. however, the ti was more intuitive when it came to using complex(imaginary) number conversions in exponential or trigonometric forms (still possible on hp, just less intuitive), and neither calculator performed well when taking limits at infinity. my recommendation would be to thoroughly test both out using the emulators (30 day trial for the TI) before making a decision. also keep in mind that as nice as the mouse is on the ti emulator, the touchpad on the actual unit is absolute garbage, while the touchscreen on the hp is actually pretty nice. that said, probably one of the bigger deciding factors for me was the emulator itself. i really like the emulator for the HP a lot more than the ti. and its very easy to do work on the emulator, or take notes, or design a program or function or user key definition, on the emulator, and then transfer it to the actual unit. i actually decided to get the HP when i decided that i would be using the HP emulator a lot more than i would the ti. even though the HP emulator was free, i wanted a handheld unit for exams that would sync with it and that would allow me to use the same interface in both environments. either way, both calculators are way overpriced and unless you need it for exams in college, i wouldnt get either. ultimately, i still think its a great calculator, but its not a clear winner over the ti.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Battery life, Touch screen
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
A Marvelous Machine
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Posted . Owned for 1 year when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
For users of older model HPs, this calc really takes getting used to. The trick is watching online tutorials, which are essential. Once those are done, this machine has neat features:
(1) Lightning fast execution of commands and plots.
(2) Statistics, hypothesis tests are well-done.
(3) The CAS, a subset of Xcas (by Dr Bernard Parisse, Univ of Grenoble) is outstanding. Limits, derivatives, integrals, difeqs, laplace/inverse laplace are returned instantly. This is the fastest handheld CAS available, period.
(4) Programming use-defined functions with the Python variant is straightforward.
There are a coulple downsides.
(1) To appeal to a younger generation, it has a touch screen. It's fun, but like a phone, you have to clean the streaks off every so often.
(2) The rechargable battery has a decent life, but you must keep an eye on it. If you're a student, the last thing wanted is a dead battery in the middle of a test. There's no changing of batteries with this machine.
All total, this is a marvelous machine worth trying if you want to upgrade a graphing or CAS calculator.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Battery life, Ease of use, Touch screen
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
This Calculator Can Do It All
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Posted .
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
I am very happy that I bought this calculator. It does everything from graphing complex functions to unit conversion, solving quadratics to simplifying integrals. You can create notes (I’ve made a note with a list of integral formulas). The fact that it has a touch screen makes the user interface so easy to use. Also, the battery lasts quite a while between charges. (I use my calculator every day for about two hours and charge it every other week.) Overall, just a really well made, easy to use (once you’ve learned the syntax of different tools.)
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Ease of use, Touch screen
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
Amazing calculator, had some issues though
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This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
This is definitely my favorite calculator so far, much easier/faster in my opinion for doing vector math than the TI’s, the TI’s do seem to have more content and I like the documents in the Nspire, but the Prime is much more intuitive to use and has the majority of necessities assigned to a button, where they’re in a list for the Nspire. There are a couple of downsides, first I had to return this calc twice, to receive new ones due to issues... if it wasn’t this good I would have stopped trying after the 1st replacement. I think it would be excellent to see them integrate a full keyboard like the Nspire but it is what it is. I still own and use my Nspire, but the prime has taken the spot for my go-to use all of the time workhorse... just had to find one that was reliable.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Ease of use
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Steep learning curve, excellent performer
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Posted .
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
The features for this calculator seem limitless. There are plenty of videos online to teach you some of the tricks to this calculator. I particular like the ability to take notes on my computer in class direct to the notes section of this calculator
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Battery life, Ease of use
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Great calculator with easy to read screen
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Posted . Owned for 3 weeks when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
I have the emulators of this calculator on my Android phone and PC. The calculator provides an easier to use standalone product. I like the backlighted screen which is like a smart phone display--it is much easier to read than my old TI-89 Titanium.
Graphing and CAS are intuitive and easy to use.
The feature that I use most is the scrolling screen that holds a lot of previous calculations and allows verification of input and copying of results with just a double tap of the number.
It uses a rechargeable battery that seems to last a long time with intermittent use.
Only wish is that the blue and orange alternate characters were darker and higher contrast for my aging eyes.
I would recommend this to a friend
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Very happy so far
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Posted .
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
I have the HP 50g, and really like it, wanted this one because it’s backlit and to try out some of the different features. Haven’t had a chance to utilize it a whole lot yet, but looks very promising. I panicked at first because I didn’t think it had RPN, but it does, you just have to set it up in the config. The RPN is only for the calcs, but I’ll continue to work with it. Big reason for the purchase was a larger screen and backlighting. The HP 50 g doesn’t have either of those. I wish there’d make a new 50 g with added back lighting and larger screen. This might be fine. But, it’s hard to beat the computational power of the 50 g. Check out YouTube as well, some very good comparisons.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Ease of use
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Great calculator for beginners, college, or work.
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Posted .
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
This calculator is great for engineering classes, I am currently taking in college. It is quick and easy to get to commonly used formulas with the touch of a specific button. It does take a little time to become familiar with the layout and location of certain functions. This calculator also have the option to program specific functions that are not preloaded on the calculator. Therefore it can be used for more advanced classes as you progress through college.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Touch screen
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
A Great Calculator
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Posted .
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
A great scientific graphic calculation that work in both RPN and algebraic notation. It has an excellent interactive color display screen. A great tool for secondary education.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Touch screen
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Great calculator
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Posted .
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
This calculator does everything you need it to do and then some. The touch screen makes it very fast and easier to use. The highlighted curser is downtime a hard to see unless you have it right in front of your face.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Touch screen
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Great for solving complex math problems
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Posted .
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
My son has found this calculator very useful for solving problems in his high school math and science classes. Its built-in functions are convenient for solving repetitive problems like quadratic equations. The RPN capability facilitates quicker computations for multi-step problems. My son especially likes the bright color touch screen and plans to take it to college. His only complaint about this calculator is that it is not easy to program.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Ease of use
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Excellent Calculator - Complex but powerful
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Posted .
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Very impressed with this calculator although it will take me a while to figure out everything it can do. It has built-in help which is certainly useful. The only real criticism I have is a lack of documentation. A user guide can be downloaded from HP, but aside from that there is not a lot of material out there, unlike the TI models. There are some youtube tutorials if you look though. Very happy with this machine.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Ease of use
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Excellent Calculator
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Posted .
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
This is a perfect calculator for the person who needs a more technical machine. Perfect for the engineer. I am a college level math professor and am enjoying this calculator very much.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Touch screen
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Great Scientific/Graphing Calculator
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Posted .
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
I think the HP Prime is the finest graphing calculator available today, regardless of price! I have owned and used the TI NSpire, TI 84, TI 89, Casio Classpad and Casio FX9100 calculators and they don't come close! The touch screen is perfect in sensitivity to touch and the user interface is superb. Much better than the TI NSpire. I recommend this calculator to all of my students if they want the best. It is incredibly fast on graphing and functions related to graphing (finding roots, max/mins, areas). The included apps are superb. The user interface is different from other calculators, but if you use the user guide and tutorials, you quickly get used to it and appreciate it. There is also a free emulator program for your computer or tablet. It has powerful programming features if you wish to use them. It evaluates rational numbers in operations with exact rational answers. It evaluates standard trig angles with their exact values. I love this calculator!
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Ease of use, Touch screen
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Great calculator
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Posted .
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
At the beginnings I bought it to help me through a math placement exam for engineers. It helped me a lot in drawing exactly my linear equations, trigonometric operations and polar points in the plane. I like the switch from B&W platform to a new multicolored one. It comes loaded with a lot features and apps for science, math and engineer majors. It is my go to calculation machine on the go.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Touch screen
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
Hp Calculator
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Posted .
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
The HP - Prime Portable Graphing Calculator is a good calculator. A few things, it doesn't support all picture types. So this is frustrating. Pairing it with a macbook is also frustrating, however there is some ok third party software you can find for free. Lastly updating the software on the calculator makes older software downloads not work. The touch screen is great, it is faster and has a better zoom than the TI-Titanium. Overall I like the product, but would suggest not updating the software and compressing all images before uploading.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Price
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Great value on calculator
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Posted .
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Purchase for family member to help with math in high school. Good value.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Touch screen
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Great Engineering / Advanced Math Calculator!
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Posted .
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
This calculator is great for graphing and engineering applications. The display is quite impressive.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Ease of use
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Easy to use calculator
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Posted .
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Buttons feel great and is very easy to use even in low light areas.