Need help choosing best Scientific Calculator

[Weegsta]

I am fixing to start college and I need the best allround scientific calculator.

I will probably be doing a little Algebra Geometry and Trig.

What would ya suggest?

[CPL.Luke]

are you in the UK or the US? I ask because the definition of college is very different between the two countries. basicly college starts when your 18 in the US and from my understanding starts when your 16 in the UK

 

If your in the US and going to college your probably going to take calculus and a few other such courses, in which case you'll want a TI-89 or higher

 

if your in the UK then from my understanding you'd be finishing up your pre-calculus courses and maybe some calculus, in which case you'll want something like a TI-83+ or higher.

[insane_alien]

or you could do it the hardcore way with a pencil and paper. i passed an exam that way. damn batteries. a TI-83+ should be able to do everything you need. mine does.

then again i'm not in a pure maths course or anything i only need to know some engineering maths.

[Dave]

The TI-83+ is a good choice. If you've got a little bit more in terms of cash, the TI-89 is (in my humble opinion) one of the best scientific calculators around - I found it quite useful in my first year of university. But it might be more than you need, so have a look around. The TI calculators are by far and away the best out there though.

[Weegsta]

I live in the U.S. btw. Thanks for the help guys, i really appreciate it.

[Weegsta]

Im thinking about about getting the TI-84 plus Silver Edition, Its only 9 more dollars than the regular TI-84 plus and quite a few more features.

 

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=3107358

[insane_alien]

actually i just looked at the TI-89 and it does look pretty shiny might get that when i come into some funds.

[Dave]

At the prices they're selling them there, I would be very tempted to shell out the extra $30 and get the 89. But that's just me

 

Looks like they've updated the front of them since I got mine. Darn

[CPL.Luke]

if your in the US and going into college level mathmatics, I would highly highly recommend going for the 89, because it has the ability to easily do matrix operations and other vector operations (not to mention regular algebra and calculus)

[ecoli]

My brother has the 89, but I'm used to the format for the 83+, and am having a hard time figuring it out... oh well, I don't really need to use it anyway.

[CPL.Luke]

the 89 does take some getting used to but after the first week it seems hard to think of using an 83 again

[timo]

I am fixing to start college and I need the best allround scientific calculator.

Do you know that you need a good calculator, do you think it or are you even afraid of that it might be like that?

I can almost assure you that any calculator that is one level above an advertising gift is fully sufficient for studying physics or mathematics at a university. I would still use my good old TI-30 if the pi and the 3 button were still working. That having said, I should note that I naturally cannot judge on the advantages a better calculator might have - but it's probably nothing you really need.

[Weegsta]

I was thinking about getting the 89 but look at the comparison between the 84 silver edition and the 89. It dont look as if it can do the Algebra 1&2 and Trig etc.... I may be looking at the chart wrong though think. Will it still do all the stuff the 84 silver edition does? take a look.

 

http://education.ti.com/educationportal/sites/US/nonProductSingle/graphing_course_comparision.html

[Dave]

The main difference (from what I can tell) is that the 89 includes a CAS (Computer Algebra System), which can be used for things like evaluating derivatives and integrals, summations, etc. The 84 definately cannot do this.

 

I think that chart is referring to the stuff that comes pre-loaded with the calculator. The 89 doesn't come with anything but the base system which is still pretty extensive, but there's absolutely tons of apps you can download to them through the link cable. I have quite a few on mine for calculating various things, as well as a couple of games to keep me going through lectures

[Klaynos]

My calculator is mostly used for addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, I think I've used my brothers liberated graphical calculator once since starting uni... Have you checked to see if your college has a list of allowed calculators for exams? It's sometimes the case you'll need a more basic one...

[CPL.Luke]

the 89 can do all of the things that an 84 can do, and a bit more.

 

probably the most useful feature on it that I've found is that it displays symbolicly exactly what you entered into it in linear form, for example

 

if you enter in

 

(1-5/2)^-4

 

it will show this to you

 

[math] \frac{1}{(1-5/2)^4} [/math]

[Weegsta]

My calculator is mostly used for addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, I think I've used my brothers liberated graphical calculator once since starting uni... Have you checked to see if your college has a list of allowed calculators for exams? It's sometimes the case you'll need a more basic one...

 

 

Yep they allow that 1. My cousin told me that most people there use the 83+.

[Weegsta]

the 89 can do all of the things that an 84 can do' date=' and a bit more.

 

probably the most useful feature on it that I've found is that it displays symbolicly exactly what you entered into it in linear form, for example

 

if you enter in

 

(1-5/2)^-4

 

it will show this to you

 

[math'] \frac{1}{(1-5/2)^4} [/math]

 

Is there a program I can download to the 84 to make it do that you think?

[CPL.Luke]

no, the 84 lacks a computer algebra system, in other words it doesn't really understand the operations that you put into it, the 89 does.

 

the other advantage of the 89 is that all of the functions are keyed into menus that you can access with the touch of a button, so you can change settings and find solve functions within seconds in a nice graphical interface.

 

I know I'm in love with my 89. I had lost my 83 a number of years ago and used a standard ti-36 that I had for 2 years. At the end of this last year I needed a graphing calculator for the AP tests, I figured that because I was about to go to college and take classes where the 89 could be requrired (it has alot of features that are very useful in college) I would just go and get it. I was finishing my pre-calc tests in half the time of my classmates because the calculator allowed me to do variable operations and such on the calculator. Not to mention that the calculator came with about a dozen programs pre-loaded for electrical engineering and solving linear equations etc. In short I love this calculator

[Weegsta]

no' date=' the 84 lacks a computer algebra system, in other words it doesn't really understand the operations that you put into it, the 89 does.

 

the other advantage of the 89 is that all of the functions are keyed into menus that you can access with the touch of a button, so you can change settings and find solve functions within seconds in a nice graphical interface.

 

[/quote']

 

Thats what im looking for, something i can punch right in and get a quick answer.

But im guessing that my Teachers wouldn't like that ideal, or would they let me use it?

[CPL.Luke]

because the 83 can do almost everything the 89 can do, albeit in a slower more complicated matter. I wouldn't see why they wouldn't let you use it. ALthough you could hold off until you get to school and then just ask you math teacher wheather they would allow an 89

[NeonBlack]

I have a TI-89 Platinum, which is very nice, but it can compute derivatives, integrals and symbolic solutions, so professors generally won't let you use it on math exams. Most of the time when people say "scientific" calculator, they mean a calculator which can do arithmetic, powers, roots and transcendental functions, but which does not have a graphical display.

Even if you can only use a scientific calulator on an exam, the graphing calculators are very helpful for studying.

[little guy]

TI-83+ can't do 1% of what a 89 titanim can do. I raced my 83 and 89. 89 is 4 times as fast. face the facts man. and its graphics are literally 4 times better, not to mention it holds 10 times the info.

 

Calculators are my special field. GET THE TI-89 Titanium. Find a mint condition one on ebay for 90 bucks. it does everything all the way up to multivariable equations and dif-eq and all kinds of AP sciences just get it. I unfortunately also have a TI-83+ that I replaced. IT WON'T HELP YOUR SCIENCE GRADE IN COLLEGE!!!!. The TI-89 even has all kinds of fancy games and calendars social studies apps, science apps, foreign language apps, social life apps, geometry apps (geometer's sketchpad, booyah) it is what you want, no doubt and it has like 200000 bytes of RAM and 150000 Flash so there. IT PWNS everything else.

 

89 titaniums are also the highest grade calculator allowed on the SAT's!!!!

[ssd]

Casio "ClassPad 300" is my choice.

[weknowthewor]

ES 991 of the famous casio company. u will need 10 days just 2 understand the features