Royal 29305Y Standard Function Calculator

Based on the images and the one positive review, I thought I had found the right calculator at the right price. Alas, my copy of the calculator,new and tightly sealed up, only flops fully open. The hinge is very loose. That would sort of be ok, but there was one other flaw. The battery came as dead as a doornail. The calculator works fine if I place it about 8 inches below a natural daylight (Ott) lamp. Return would be hard as it is open, and packaging damaged beyond use. And simply buying a new battery is not all that easy as it's an oddball button type. Amazon sells them, but with shipping and shipping time (I needed this calculator now), it's not worth the it. Since it was cheap, I'll probably just toss and buy a far less useful calculator locally tomorrow morning. I guess Royal's Chinese quality control is a bit lacking.

I bought this calculator for my wife because she is legally blind so she needs something that she can read.This calculater has huge numerals yet the unit folds in half so that it fits nicely in her purse and is no larger than a makeup compact.The best thing about this calculator is that it operates at ANY angle of opening. Most folding calculators I have looked at only work when fully opened so they are twice the size when being operated. This one operates at any angle so she can put it in the upper area of the shopping cart with the screen area at a 90-110 degree angle and it works nicely. It has a 12 digit display screen so you can use it for large calculations and has most scientific functions which makes it great for school.Because it folds in half, there is no danger of damage to the display screen when it is in pocket or purse from keys or change bumping into the screen.Last, but not least, it has a solar panel to drive it when in the sun. This will extend the life of the battery many times its normal life if you use it a lot outdoors or near a sunny window.

Nice basic calculator. No off button. Auto off only after about 5 to 10 min.

Battery needed replaced as soon as I received the calculator. Works well so far but turns on without use sometimes, which is not really a problem since it is solar. I like having the extra digits for figuring out the National Debt.

Let me start off by saying that the compactness of this calculator, because it folds in half, and clicks shut makes it very easy for transportation. The size of the display is easy to read and the buttons are big enough that hitting the wrong button is less likely.However, as there is a battery back-up I assumed that this would maintain the brightness of the display under different lighting conditions. When it is evening or night, and the only source of light is from a ceiling fixture, then the display loses strength. I have to view the display from a particular angle in order to be able to read it and this is frustrating. When the solar panel is covered then the display shuts down instantaneously.I have a twenty-five year old solar powered scientific calculator, with no battery back-up, by Texas Instruments that has a solar panel that is twice the length of the solar panel on the Royal, and the display is ALWAYS bright, even when using it in the same location of my house as the Royal. I don't have to place it at a different angle in order to be able to read the display. When I cover the solar panel, the display shuts down gradually and not instantaneously.I get the impression that the solar panel on the Royal calculator is not strong enough. Has anybody else had the same experience with the Royal or is something wrong with my Royal calculator?

P.O.C. Opened the envelope, and the calculator package fell open -- it had apparently been taken out, tested, then put back in -- and shipped anyway since only the # 9 button registered when trying to use it. Hinge didn't hold, it would just flop flat. Why have a hinge if it can't be angled how you'd like it? All moot, since it didn't work. Would cost more to send back than it cost to buy, this was a rip off. .

Good inexpensive calculator which works well and doesn't feel cheaply made. My only complaint is that the top cannot be adjusted to stand up on an angle for ease of readability as shown in the pictures of it.

I was thrilled to find a pocket calculator with a cover, but VERY disappointed that the battery was already dead when I bought it. You pay $15 for a little calculator and the first thing you have to do is spend another $5 to replace the battery.

Not worth of money

I needed this calculator for my Accounting class as there are only a few calculators accepted for use. I received this yesterday and took it to class where I learned its not the actual Royal XE36 model, it's a sort of "knock off". It took a few presses to turn on but I guess it works...Either ways I have to purchase the actual calculator so this is a total waste of money in my case.

size/clarity/good sized buttons very good unit