Review:
Canon F-730SX Calculator
General Information
Company: Canon
Type: Scientific
Memory: 5 Registers A, B, C, D, E
Battery: Solar with battery back up (LR 44)
Years: 2017 - present
Original Cost:
retail price is currently $13.95
Operating System: Algebraic, Infix notation
Product
Page: https://www.usa.canon.com/internet/portal/us/home/products/details/calculators/scientific-calculators/f-730sx
Features
This Canon F-730SX
calculator is a two-line display scientific calculator which offers a basic
array of functions: trigonometry,
logarithms, exponents, polar and rectangular conversions, degrees and
degrees-minutes-seconds conversions, and fraction calculations. The F-730SX has base conversions functions
and Boolean functions AND, OR, XOR, and XNOR available only in Binary, Octal,
and Hexadecimal modes. The Decimal mode
works both for decimal integers and normal computation mode.
The F-730SX
offers 1 and 2 variable statistics, along with linear regression using the
regression equation y = a + b*x.
The F-730SX has
a two line display, the top line where you enter your expressions and the
bottom line is where the results of all calculations are displayed.
So this is a clone of the
TI-30X IIS then?
 |
| Left: Texas Instruments TI-30X IIS, Right: Canon F-730SX |
Not quite? If you look at the picture above, they both
look very similar. However, there are
few differences, most noticeable that the F-730SX has base conversions while
the TI-30 XIIs doesn’t, and I also think the display is a bit larger on the F-730SX.
Here is a
breakdown of some of the features for both calculators:
|
Texas Instruments TI-30X IIS
|
Canon F-730SX
|
|
Display: 2
lines: 11 character top line; 10 digit
accuracy
|
Display: 2
lines: 11 character top line; 10 digit accuracy; larger display
|
|
Expressions
can hold up to 88 characters (47 in Statistics mode)
|
Expressions
can hold up to 87 characters (47 in Statistics mode)
|
|
Angle
indicator (DEG/RAD/GRAD) is on the right side of the screen
|
Angle
indicator (DEG/RAD/GRAD) is on the left side of the screen
|
|
5 Memory
Registers: A, B, C, D, E
|
5 Memory
Registers: A, B, C, D, E
|
|
K constant
operation
|
K constant
operation
|
|
Random
numbers and integers
|
Random
numbers and integers
|
|
Linear
Regression
|
Linear
Regression
|
|
No Base
Conversions or Boolean operations
|
Base
Conversions (BIN/OCT/DEC/HEX) and Boolean operations (NOT, AND, OR, XOR,
XNOR)
|
|
Backup
battery: CR2025, must take the entire
back compartment off
|
Backup
battery: LR44, has a small battery slot
|
My only real
gripe with both of these calculators is on how memory is accessed. The variables are menu based, hence it takes
extra keystrokes to access variables B, C, D, and E than it would with
installing an ALPHA key. The speed of
both calculators are comparable.
Verdict
The reasons why
I would recommend a Canon F-730SX are these:
the F-730SX is usually sold at a lower price than the TI-30X IIs, and
you get base conversions. I would also
argue that the screen is nicer, but the difference is not great, since the
screen of the TI-30X IIs is still readable.
In Southern California (and maybe the United States), the F-730SX is
currently sold at Fry’s, or you can get this calculator online too.
Eddie
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