Calculator of choice? 1

[BadgerPE]

Hey all!

My trusty TI-83 Plus decided that it no longer wants to work so I am in the market for a new calculator. I still have my bare bones one from that I bought for the FE but I can't program it to do repetative equations. What is everyone's calc of choice? I am leaning towards a TI-89. My plan is to be in grad school within the next 5 years as well so I would want to use it for that as well.

 

[JedClampett]

This is like discussing religon. People get emotional.
I, like you, burned through my share of TIs and Casios. But I saw the kids at work were all using HPs. Once you get through learning the RPN (it really only takes a couple days), you'll never want to go back. They're very solid. They last for many years.
Of course, the problem is that they really don't make the workhorse HPs, like the 48GX or the 41, anymore. You might be able to get a refurbished 48SX or GX aftermarket. They have programmable capabilities, where you can input your own equations. They've reissued the 15C which I just got, but I'm not familiar with it enough to go through the programming.
I'll leave it to others to discuss the TI's and others.

 

[Maui]

I tried using RPN when I was in college, but just couldn't get used to it. It felt unnatural to me. To this day I still use a Casio fx-4000P programmable scientific calculator. It saw me through countless homework assignments as well as every exam I had in graduate school, and both the FE and PE exams. It never let me down. Awesome calculator, even by today's standards.

Maui

http://www.EngineeringMetallurgy.com

 

[MiketheEngineer]

I like any TI that I have bought - they seem to make sense. I still have my old SR50 (I think) from 1974 and it works if I can get a battery to fit!!

 

[Ron]

HP-15 just got reissued. Great little calculator. Uses RPN. I just bought one.

Now have HP32S, HP33S, HP15, HP41CV, HP45, and HP12C. Use the 32S daily.

Unbeatable!

eBay has a variety of HP calcs available...some new, some used.

 

[MacGyverS2000]

Still have my HP 48GX from college days (though I haven't used it much since then). At the time, I didn't like the TIs... no reason anymore to bother with either.

Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com

 

[hawkaz]

Ron,
Has HP re-issued the 11C also? I've been using mine for 25 years and the replace battery light has been flashing for about 2 years. (crap- I wish I hadn't done the math on how long I have been using this- now I feel old)

 

[PEDARRIN2]

I like the HP because nobody wants to borrow it because they cannot figure out the RPN

 

[EQguys]

still have my Casio 115ES and work on it daily ! Great one

 

[KENAT]

I still miss the Casio FX9700GE (I think that's right) that I had through A levels (junior & senior year of high school) and the first 2.5 years of university until it went missing (I think it fell out of my bag in the computer lab).

Never really got used to any of my calculators in the same way since then, I've tended to use programs on the PC for anything vaguely complex/repetative.

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(probably not aimed specifically at you)
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[berkshire]

I use a Casio fx-9750g its programable.
and it seems that nobody wants to steal it, like they did with my TI 59 and Hp calculators.
B.E.

The good engineer does not need to memorize every formula; he just needs to know where he can find them when he needs them. Old professor

 

[cranky108]

I've used TI calculators, and I have been happy, except for the battery issues. My latest is a TI-68, but I don't think it is programable.

Many years age I had a bout with a boss who want me to show my work. After excel came along I never wanted to program a calculator again (I also did not have to show my work).

I doubt my former boss looked at my work anyway.

 

[SAITAETGrad]

My HP 48GX died so I bought an HP50g...awesome calculator but very expensive.

Since I needed a non-programmable calculator for a series of exams I am doing, I discovered the Casio 115ES. What an amazing machine!!! For $15-$20 per, buy a few. Highly recommend.

 

[imcjoek]

Ti-86 that is old and cranky and is missing lines on the display.

http://xkcd.com/768/

 

[ImminentCollapse]

One other thing to consider. If you plan on taking the PE or SE, they are restrictive on what calculators you can bring in, especially the SE. You don't want to spend years being accustomed to a calculator and all your programs then find out you can't use it for the exam and need to buy another one anyway.

(If you are done with exams, ignore the above)

IC

 

[Ron]

Hawkaz....don't know that the 11c has been reissued. Very similar to the 15c though.

11c prices on eBay are high. Saw one for about $60, but all others were > $150.

15c reissue is $100

 

[IRstuff]

While I'm RPN almost exclusively, have you considered the TI nSpire?

http://education.ti.com/educationportal/sites/US/productDetail/us_nspire_cx.html

Color display!!; WAAY better graphing than TI-83, and possibly even the TI-89. Lots of neat functions like prime factoring; ability to create documentation, although that's probably easier done with the PC-based emulator of the calculator); the document sheets basically make it a programmable calculator, except that it's using readable algebraic notation.

Actually, I've got the CX as well as the monochrome CAS calculator, which has some interesting functions of its own.

TTFN

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[YoungTurk]

If my decade + old TI85 died, I think I'd go with the TI89. I've used it and it is nifty, especially for doing symbolic math! Though, that nSpire looks pretty nifty too.

Looking at Amazon, it looks like TIs still rool the roost in graphing calculator market share, if that matters to you.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/office-products/172523/ref=pd_zg_hrsr_op_2_5_last

BTW, there are also such things as TI emulators which you could use to test drive a few different models before purchasing one:

http://www.ticalc.org/programming/emulators/software.html

The same website also offers a nice roundup of differences and family lines in the TI lineup:

http://www.ticalc.org/basics/calculators/

 

[MikeMech]

HP has my vote. RPN is like greased lightnin'. I've used a 28s for 25 years, the same one, very durable.

 

[beej67]

I've shifted completely to iPad with Numbers. Really like it for meetings and etc.

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