craig-aurora

[ Originally pubished in Datafile, Vol 22 No 6, Nov/Dec 2003, page
24. ]

     Initial Impressions of the Aurora FN 1000 Financial Manager
		      by Craig A. Finseth, #745

This is a newly-released clone of the HP-12C (but not HP-12CPt).  I
first heard about it on Comp.sys.hp48, then located it at
www.outpost.com (Fry's) web site.  Price is $24.95.

The calculator comes in a blister pack along with a hefty manual.  The
manual turned out to be 160 pages printed thrice: in English, Spanish,
and French.  There is no keystroke reference, but with the HPDATAbase,
who really needs one?

The calculator itself is your basic cheap plastic unit with cheap
keys.  Do not expect the quality and feel of the original HP-12C! It
is in a beige clamshell case and measures 160 mm wide by 138 mm high
by 9 mm thick open and 82 mm wide by 138 mm high by 12 mm thick
closed.  Mass is 94g.  A picture appears at:

	http://www.finseth.com/hpdata/aurora_fn1000.jpg

It has all the same functions as the HP-12C.  Although all of the
functions are there, the layout is quite different.  There are two
shift keys, labeled "SHIFT" and "ALPHA"(!).  The base keyboard is laid
out as:

SHIFT	ALPHA			ON/OFF	EPX
n	i	PV	PMT	FV	COM
 x
y	1/x	%T	\GD%	%	DATE
R/S	SST	GTO	x<=y	x=0	\GDDAYS
7	8	9	+	-
4	5	6	x	\:-
1	2	3	CLx	STO
0	.	+/-	Rv	ENTER

SHIFT keys are: 

[]	[]			[]	FIN
AMORT	INT	SL	SOYD	DB	PRGM
PRICE	YTM	NPV	IRR	RND	\GS
PSE	BST	P/R	INTG	FRAC	REG
MDY	DMY	MEM	\GS+	\GS-
BEG	END	x~	[]	[]
x-,w	x^,r	y^,r	LSTx	RCL
n!	s	[]	x<>y	PREFIX

and ALPHA keys are:

[]	[]			[]	-|
12x	12\:-	CFo	CFj	Nj	-|
	 x				 |
\v/	e	ln	[]	[]	-|
[]	[]	[]	[]	[]	CLEAR
[]	[]	[]	[]	[]
[]	[]	[]	[]	[]
[]	[]	[]	[]	[]
[]	[]	[]	[]	[]

The "EEX" keys is named "EPX" for unknown reasons.  It is also placed
way on the top right corner.  The HP-12C's STO+EEX mode is on the COM
key.

The layout was clearly not done by someone familiar with the
calculator.  For example, the "GTO", "x<=y", and "x=0" keys are on the
base keyboard, yet the "RCL", "\GS+", and "x<>y" keys are now shifted.
Go figure.  Also, the "clear" keys take an extra keystroke: the
sequence is ALPHA, then CLEAR, then FIN, PRGM, \G+, or REG.

I was not able to detect any operational differences in my quick use.
However, program steps are numbered according to the place on the
Aurora, not the HP-12C.  For example, "DATE" is 36 instead of 43 7.

Continuing the example presented in "Impressions of the HP 12C
Platinum" by Jordi Hidalgo in DATAFILE V22 N3, I performed the same
speed test:

	CLEAR FIN
	n	10
	PV	100
	FV	0 (implied  by clear)
	PMT	-20

Then calculate i.  The Aurora came up with the exact same answer as
the 12C: 15.09841448.  It was a little faster, with the first time
through taking 12 seconds and the re-calculate about 2-3 seconds.  The
display shows a "BUSY" indicator when calculating.

There is a gold label with an instruction summary on the inside of the
cover.  As the printing is too small for me to read comfortably, it is
a moot point as to whether there are any errors on it.

In summary, it is exactly what it claims to be: an inexpensive HP-12C
clone and I think it is a great offering.  Maybe this machine will
encourage Aurora (or others) to clone the HP015C and/or the HP-16C...

BTW, this is NOT the first clone of an HP calculator.  For 15 brownie
points, does else anyone out there know of an earlier one?