It is not easy, perhaps not feasible, for SwissMicros to produce cheaper calculators. What they can do is produce calculators on the same premium platform with a different set of functions. Following such reason and the above analysis of the Pioneer line, it would make a lot of sense for SwissMicros to produce a 17b-alike and a 27s-alike. Given that the 17bii+ is still sort-of-available and that the do-everything models have come up in the discussion a few times before, I lean heavily towards the latter.dlachieze wrote: ↑Thu Sep 29, 2022 12:14 amAnd different budget ! When I purchased my 32S in 1989 I considered the 42S but at that time couldn’t justify spending for it.
The Pioneer family was segmented following the traditionally good / better / best approach.Walter wrote: ↑Wed Sep 28, 2022 10:50 pmNow, OTOH, the people discussing the DM41X, DM32, and DM42 and their features here are all the same. What SwissMicros didn't succeed so far (observing this forum) is directing their three DM models to separate target groups: DM42 for power users, DM41X for nostalgic, and DM32 for menu haters, for instance.This was working with the calculator market at that time. Nowadays the RPN calculator market is a very small niche. And as you noticed such segmentation does not exist anymore, we are all RPN nostalgic, and can afford a pretty high priced RPN toy (serious people do serious calculations on computers). Furthermore there is no economy of scale possible that could lead to a low priced RPN scientific calculator (the latest one was the 35s introduced 15 years ago) to target new users and divert them from TI/Casio.
- People on a budget would pick a good calculator (10b for finance, 20s or 21s for science/statistics).
- People wanting a better one (either because they need it or to show they can afford it) would choose a mid range one (14b for finance or 22s for science on the algebraic side - 32s/32sii for the already declining RPN side).
- People wanting the best pocket calculator and/or show they deserve one would pick the 17b/17bii for finance, 42s for science and RPN or the 27s if they are or want to be technical managers.
But the 27s is not RPN, and that was the end of the discussion. But I strongly believe that not all SwissMicros calculators should be clones, and an RPN calculator with a similar - not necessarily the exact same - set of features and the same target customer (the technical manager) is a very logical place to start creating fully new calculators.