(2013-11-02) An EL-W516XBSL is an EL-W516x and little more than an EL-W516.
In Sharp's product line, "EL-" denotes handheld calculators.
A "W" prefix before the model number indicates WriteView capabilities,which is Sharp's lingo for a dot-matrix screen capable of displayingup to 4 lines of text or a 2D layout for input and output of mathematical expressions. This type of capability is heralded as Natural Textbook Display or VPAM (visually perfect algebraic method) by Casio, MultiView by TI and SmartCalc by HP. It's also described generically as "textbook" or simply "4-line".
Sharp's line of WriteView calculators (i.e., dot-matrix screen) includes anice sturdy discontinued style previously sold either asEL-W506 orEL-W516and a slimmer design sold as EL-W516x (556 functions) used for this review,presenting little or no functional improvement over its predecessor.
Sharp may sell its calculators in different colors and designsidentified by suffix letters like B (black), W (white) or BSL (black slimline)independent of the calculator's functionality. For example, the above picture shows a calculator which can be ordered as EL-W516XBSL but it rightly shows EL-W516X on its faceplate to advertise its internals (if you hold the calculator, you don't have to be told that it's black or what its shape is).
This naming scheme confuses some online purchasers.
(2013-10-31) (no multi-taps ) Most keys have more than one use.
To restore the calculator to factory settings, gently shove the tip of a pen into the "reset" holelocated in the back of the unit.
In the top-left corner of its keypad,the calculator has two modifier keys which change the meaning of whatever key is pressedafter them. One is labeled "2nd F", in orange, and the other is labeled "ALPHA", in blue. Those colors are used on the faceplate above a key to indicate whatever function itcorresponds to with the color-matched modifier key.
To turn on the calculator, you push the "/C" key which also servesto cancel the current action during normal operation of the calculator. That same button turns the calculator off if used after the aforementioned orange modifier key. All this is pretty standard.
Sharp also allows cancellation of input dataon a character-by-character basis. The standard way to do this is to erase the character before the input cursor (which is usually the last character typed). On the EL-w516x, this is done by pushing the key marked "BS" (for back-space ) located below the top-right "/C" key, one spot down. There's also the lesser-used possibility of erasing the character on which the cursor stands. This is the secondary function of that same key, obtained by prefixing it with theorange modifier key. Sharp call it "DEL" (for delete ) which is the term often used by other manufacturers for the more common backspacing just described.
The calculator offers a total of 9 named variables (x,y,M,A,B,C,D,E,F) in which to store values (STO) to be recalled later (RCL). One of these (M) can be modified be adding to it or subtractingfrom it in one step, using the M+ and M- keys, in a way familiar to users ofnon-scientific calculators...
The names of standard functions always precedes and opening parenthesis. Unlike some other calculator manufacturers, Sharp doesn't provide thispatenthesis "free of charge"... The user always has to typeboth of the opening and closing parentheses.
User-definable Keys: D1, D2, D3, D4
Any predefined function can be assigned to one of those four keys. This is just a convenience to quickly access repeatedly a function whichwould otherwise require several key punches...
For example, the ANS function, which stands for the value of the last resultreturned. can be assigned to the D1 key (it normally requires twokeystrokes; the ALPHA prefix followed by the "=" key). To do that, simply type the following, once and for all:
[STO] [D1] [ALPHA] [=]
In the 1970's HP applied this basic idea of recording keystrokes and playing them backto turn its earlier RPN scientific calculators into programmable ones. This was made possible by the fact that the RPN philosophy allowsoperations to be chained effortlessly... The EL-W516 isn't an RPN calculator and it can't be made programmable this way.
(2013-11-02)
For better or for worse, the EL-W516 is a multimode calculator. To go back to the normal mode of ordinary calculations with real numbers after venturing intoany other mode, press the MODE key (top-right, below the "/C" key) followed by the "0" key (a less powerfull escape alternative is the cancel operation, obtained by punching the orange key followed by MODE).
To enter a specialized mode, press [MODE] to view a screen showing 6 possible choices numberedfrom 0 to 5. There's another screenful, accessible with the downward navigation keywhich gives a 7th choice (numbered 6) corresponding to theequationsolver. You may select a number even if it's not displayed on the currentscreen. (Sharp could have displayed all modes on a single screenful if they hadn't chosento waste the top line on a useless title. Small mistake there.)
(2013-11-02) Cubic equations can be solved easily.
Unfortunately, the calculator doesn't properly handles multiple roots. For example, try to solve this equation:
x3 + x2 8 x 12 = 0
To do that, you punch in [MODE] [6] [3] to bring up the screen for cubic equationsand input the proper values of the a,b,c,d coefficients by typing:
[1] [=] [1] [=] [(-)] [8] [=] [(-)] [1] [2] [=]
Without the bug, that would give you the following screenful:
X=1: 3.2: -2.3: -2.
Instead, the last line is omitted by the calculator (in a misguided effort to "simplify" things). So, you've no way to tell which of the two roots (3 or -2) is a double one. According to thefundamental theorem of algebra,a cubic polynomial always has three roots, real or complex, distinct or not. It would be nice if an educational calculator stressed that point correctly.
(2013-11-02) Complaints and congrats about the EL-W516 / EL-W516x calculator.
These lists may grow as this in-depth review of the calculator progresses...
