CASIO fx-8200 AU - new calculator coming next year.

[tywebb]

Today I've been trying out the prototype of the new CASIO fx-8200 AU calculator coming out next year. Some CASIO people from Japan came to Tweed Heads to let people play with them. You see the AU suffix means they made them specifically for Australia.

The presentations are quite structured and you have to go along with it. But I was also able to do the inverse normal (given probability, find the z score). Current models only do it the other way, given the z score, find the probability. So that is a big improvement.

I'll have one more go at it tomorrow but then I probably won't see it again till next year. But one of the Japanese guys said that the web-based emulator will be ready in December this year even though the published material says July next year.

I saw the demo version of the emulator working today actually.

One thing I didn't like was the case cover. It was really hard to get on and off. But I think that's OK for a prototype. But they had better fix if for the public release.

But you don't have to come to Tweed Heads to see the calculators in action. There are brand new videos on youtube about it and you can see them here:

and

It also displays statistics on one screen so you no longer have to keep finding them separately.

They made a website for more information: https://casioeducation.com.au/fx8200au

One thing everyone was asking is this beast approved for the HSC exams - the answer is yes but for next year onwards.

 

[Life'sHard]

Never have I seen someone so invested in calculators. Just use your brain to do calculations Lol. Calculators pfft who even needs those.

 

[carrotsss]

Does it have all of the features of the fx-100au?

 

[tywebb]

Does it have all of the features of the fx-100au?

Mostly yes I think so and quite a bit more. But they would't let you take the calculators away for a more thorough workout so I couldn't really test every feature.

They did however make a comparison chart:


So you see measurement conversions is not on the new one, but was on the fx-100AU PLUS Second Edition.

 

[carrotsss]

Wow, those features are genuinely pretty cool. Do you think it will be out in time for the 2023 hsc?

 

[tywebb]

Wow, those features are genuinely pretty cool. Do you think it will be out in time for the 2023 hsc?

Well the physical calculators are suppose to be out by July 2023, so yes probably.

Actually what happened last time (for the second edition calculators) was they came out a few months early so that could happen again. So you may even see them in shops before July.

 

[Vall]

NESA mightn't approve this calculator for HSC use tho, it might have too many features.

 

[chilli 412]

Mostly yes I think so and quite a bit more. But they would't let you take the calculators away for a more thorough workout so I couldn't really test every feature.

They did however make a comparison chart:
View attachment 36355

So you see measurement conversions is not on the new one, but was on the fx-100AU PLUS Second Edition.

i had no idea my calculator could do prime factorisation, do you know how to get to that on the fx-82au plus ii

 

[tywebb]

NESA mightn't approve this calculator for HSC use tho, it might have too many features.

They already have but from 2023 onwards

 

[tywebb]

i had no idea my calculator could do prime factorisation, do you know how to get to that on the fx-82au plus ii

Lets say you want to find the prime factors of 60.

Type 60=

Then FACT (which is Shift and then the Degrees Minutes Seconds button)

You get this:

 

[yanujw]

NESA mightn't approve this calculator for HSC use tho, it might have too many features.

This is exactly what I'm thinking. Finding probability and z-scores, exact values, working with logs of any base, evaluating recurring decimals, calculating with series etc. are all supposed to be operations that you need to figure out, not have a calculator do for you.

 

[tywebb]

I was told today that samples of the new calculator will be sent to schools in term 1 next year. This will give schools time to prepare as it is quite different to the old ones.

 

[tywebb]

I made a photo of the prototype I've been using the last couple of days:



I think blue Shift functions is a terrible colour on a black background. Yellow or white would have been better.

What do you think?

 

[carrotsss]

Yeah I’m not really a fan of the aesthetics tbh

 

[tywebb]

Well it's just a prototype so the final version could look completely different. Regardless of aesthetics there are a few crucial buttons that I reckon will stay : Home, Settings, Variable, Function, Catalog, Tools.

These are completely new and will take some time to get used to.

 

[011235]

From that one photo;

The menu: looks significantly more intuitive - but looks a bit slower to navigate - I don't have to think about the numbers I need to use to navigate to do things quickly after using the FX-100AU for a while.

The blue is bad, largely cause of the contrast being poor.

Where is nPr, nCr, factorial at? That will be incredibly problematic if it isn't there. In a similar vein, Absolute value?
If these things are hidden behind a menu, that's also unfortunate - wastes a chunk of time in exams.

Quite interested to see what the "f(x) Function" button does. Watched the first video. Very very interesting...

I'm liking the lack of an ALPHA button. That thing is more confusing than helpful.

Wheres the S<-->D equivalent? That thing is really helpful. Disappointing if that's removed too. (FORMAT button maybe? That's quite unclear though)

The button directly to the right of SETTINGS - is that a back button, or an undo button? I would LOVE an undo button

Does anyone know the price point of this calculator (fx-82 level, or fx-100 level?)

 

[tywebb]

From that one photo;

The menu: looks significantly more intuitive - but looks a bit slower to navigate - I don't have to think about the numbers I need to use to navigate to do things quickly after using the FX-100AU for a while.

The blue is bad, largely cause of the contrast being poor.

Where is nPr, nCr, factorial at? That will be incredibly problematic if it isn't there. In a similar vein, Absolute value?
If these things are hidden behind a menu, that's also unfortunate - wastes a chunk of time in exams.

Quite interested to see what the "f(x) Function" button does. Watched the first video. Very very interesting...

I'm liking the lack of an ALPHA button. That thing is more confusing than helpful.

Wheres the S<-->D equivalent? That thing is really helpful. Disappointing if that's removed too. (FORMAT button maybe? That's quite unclear though)

The button directly to the right of SETTINGS - is that a back button, or an undo button? I would LOVE an undo button

Does anyone know the price point of this calculator (fx-82 level, or fx-100 level?)

Don't know the answers to most of these questions. But CASIO do have an answer to the last one:

So you can see that it is likely to be priced between the 82 and the 100.

Had you asked these questions yesterday I might have been able to try to answer them, but really - the presentations didn't allow much time for exploring beyond what they were presenting. The only extra thing I managed to do was to see how to do the inverse normal.

The Japanese guys are gone now so we probably won't know the answers to your other questions till next year.

Also if you notice the rrp for the new calculator is between those of the 82 and the 100 can you guess why they chose 8200 for the new calculator name?

 

[tywebb]

hmm- on the features list it seems like it has the most/best features but it's cheaper?

Well cheaper than the 100.

But exploring my question a bit more "can you guess why they chose 8200 for the new calculator name?" ..... at the moment there are 2 calculators - the 82 and the 100 sold concurrently. As from July next year there will be only one - the 8200.

The older 82 and 100 may also be sold concurrently with the 8200 for a while until stock of the older ones run out. But I doubt they will keep producing the older ones once the new one comes out. So I reckon pretty soon you will only be able to get the older ones on ebay or the like.

 

[tywebb]

NESA have now officially listed it in their list of approved calculators for 2023 HSC examinations onwards at

https://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/11-12/hsc/rules-and-processes/approved-calculators

and click on "Approved for 2023 HSC examinations onwards":

 

[tywebb]

I was also able to do the inverse normal

They have now made a new video for normal distributions.

When they do the question b it shows how to do the inverse normal which the older calculators couldn't do.