Calculators?
 

I'm assuming that almost everyone here has a calculator. So, here's the question: What do you use, and what is your best tip for it?

Explanation: What kind of calculator (include the model, if possible) do you use? What tip or advice would you offer to a beginner on the calculator?

Go ahead and make comments on how your experience with someone else's calculator type was (if you had one), include all the goodies, or tell how many you have. Or anything else that would further the discussion.
_______

One of my calculators (the one I use most often right now): TI 84 Plus Silver. Tip: Be careful on entering data for graphing. Enter it wrong and you get an error or a wrong graph (painful experience earlier today :o ).

Re: Calculators?
 

I use a variety of calculators.

TI-89: A phenomenal machine. Not acceptable on ACTs, highschool kids. I personally recommend starting on a TI-83 or a TI-84 before you delve into 89, because it's an incredibly powerful calculator with some stuff that is more user-friendly, but other stuff that's more complicated. High on my recommendation list.

Tip: If you're new to TI's...you might have a lot of fun with the graphing interface. Lots of options, so get to know it well.

TI-84+: This is an awesome calculator. I am more comfortable with it than my TI-89, just because I like the layout a bit better and some of the functionality. It's suitable for ACTs which is a plus, and it serves as my "at-home" calculator. It is EXTREMELY user-friendly, but powerful.

Tip: This is a great backup calculator. There's not much I can specifically say on tips, it's just very functional.

TI-83, TI-86: I don't really use these two anymore. Neither tops off the 89 or 84 in anything. It's a nice beginning, and a bit less expensive, but the power isn't up to par with 84 or 89.

Tip: If you're not used to TI's it's a decently cheap place to start (relative to 89)

Re: Calculators?
 

I just picked this one up a few semesters ago and I LOVE it. It's a Casio Fx-300MS (dual line display & two way power). It's cheaper than most Texas Instruments and the keys are easy to read and use.
http://world.casio.com/edu/product/c...up_fx300ms.jpg

My best tip for this calculator is use the parenthesis so you can calculate long equations all at once and the "replay" function is awesome for going back and checking what you did on other calculations. This calculator works with statistics, but data entry is MUCH easier with a TI-83(84,89).

Re: Calculators?
 

I used a TI-83 for the first time in a few years last week. I was confused for the first 10 minutes or so. After awhile it all came back to me and I got the hang of it.
Normally I use basic calculators, either on my PDA, cell phone or the one built into windows.

Re: Calculators?
 

I use Windows Calculator a lot. But the calculator I use most is my trusty TI-30XA. Second year in college and it is still perfect for all my needs. Actually, I don't think I've had a single test yet that has allowed programmable (graphing) calculators. I will not buy one of those TI-80whatever gizmos until I absolutely have to. I hate them (except the games, those are cool). The manual is like as thick as a novel. I see 7th graders getting their parents to buy them these fancy $90 calculators when somehow I've made it into my second year of college with one that I believe retails for <$10. Also, you should watch me wiz by all the dummies on their graphers when it comes to getting an answer out fastest.

My TI-30XA and a free program called Graphmatica (used rarely) have fullfilled my needs just fine so far. I wish it had more memories (only 3) but I manage.

For those of you using a regular scientific calculator like mine, be sure you know how to use the memories and be sure you know your order of operations. Rounding numbers in the middle of lengthy calculations and entering numbers in the wrong order are the two most common sources of error (for me anyway). Memories are wonderful. Use them as much as you can. And if you don't have anything to put in there, store some constants like Avogadro's number or something like that so you don't forget (well, that one you should know in your head).

I wish I could replace number Pi in memory with another user controlled memory because I can remember the first 10 digits of Pi easily but I always need more memories when doing calculations.

Re: Calculators?
 

My other two calculators:

(I forget the name)solar powered four-function: old, very old.
Tip: Use very strong light. It does not have a battery.

My second (current backup) calculator: scientific.
Tip: don't try to do long equations; it will take you forever to go from end to end.

Oh, and my TI-84 has a USB cable so I can get screen shots onto the computer or get other goodies from the company, and it wasn't much more expensive than a TI-83.

Re: Calculators?
 

I use the TI-83+ I've used since tenth grade. Works great for everything I do, except accounting (and that's because they require a four-function calculator in their uber-standardized testing setup).

As a tip, resist the urge to get the games that will likely be floating around a bunch of TI-83+ owners. I speak from experience on this.

Re: Calculators?
 

Casio fx-991s. I've been using one (well, actually, this is the second) since 5^th or 6^th grade. It's out of production, and lacks some of the more esoteric features, but the layout is good, it's compact, and quite durable. It can't do differentiation or integration, and it doesn't have the equation line above the mantissa; otherwise, it's pretty much the same as any other good scientific calculator. I never much liked the TI interface on the graphing calculators; unfortunately, it's pretty much the only game in town. At least the new models are fast enough that they don't get annoying for simple tasks. I've never owned one, though, unless the TI-83+ emulator software counts. Now, if only I could get it to run Wolf83.... (That's essentially Wolfenstein 3D for the calculator.) If I'm on the computer, I tend to use GraphCalc; it's full of little bugs, but works very well for simple (scientifc) calculations and, as its name implies, 2-D and 3-D graphing. I end up using Mathcad, much as I don't like the interface, for solving more complex problems on the computer.

Edit: This one....

Re: Calculators?
 

It's a really useful calculator... but most college professors won't allow you to use them on an exam (assuming they allow you to use calculators at all).

I use a -89, -83, and an old HP 12c calculator (for some reason, RPN has grown on me for simple math)

Re: Calculators?
 

i have the one that was just before the one that clark gilbert posted (the casio one)
very good especially once you get to learn it
i've lost the manual and the cover (i must have had it a good 7 or 8 years now)
Learn your way around it ad its godlike!
i also have this colour graphics calculator (casio fx something or other power colour graphic)
i really can't find it online. Its sitting on my desk in my hall as i have no need for it today. you can get support for it online and transfer programs off your pc into the calculator. Sadly i'm not allowed it in about half my exams but hey.
Tip
Learn where the functions are, there are so many its all catergorized
otherwise, here on the uni pcs there is the godlike math program of Maple 10

Re: Calculators?
 

I like my TI-84+, it's a good calculator (use it in Honors Algebra II currently).

Best tip....ztris is a fun Tetris game to play when you're bored in class...lol. Actually, my best tip would be find someone who knows how to use it and have them teach your basic functions, becuase some things the your obviously expect are well hidden, and theres a lot of functions that most people have no idea that their calculator can do.

Re: Calculators?
 

Really, it depends what you're going to be doing with your calculator - I'm lovin' my TI-89. It's pretty easy to use, and the graphing interface is awesome.

Before that, I had a TI-83+ that worked great for me ... until I lost it. The reason I upgraded to an 89 when I needed a new calculator was because I was leaving for college in a year, and knew I would be taking a few math-intensive courses. The 89 was only $35 more than the 83+, so it was well worth it (to me).

If you're just going into high school, you'll be great with a TI-83 Silver Edition. There are a lot of cool things the come with that one (including more memory than a regular 83 and a periodic table for chem! oooh!) If you're in college - or close to it - I'd recommend an 89.

Tip: If you get a TI of any kind, check out the (free) extra programs on Texas Instruments' website you can download. My favorite is the polynomial equation solver (works great for quickly solving the quadratic equation!) - you can also download games, but there isn't a *whole* lot of memory, so if you have a lot of games you might not be able to fit a lot of good, usable programs. Oh, and any of the "silver"/"platinum" editions of TIs have more memory than the "regular" models.

Re: Calculators?
 

I have had an FX850P Casio calculator/computer for many years. I don't know why they never took off. It runs basic, does macros, and allows you to write and store formulas in a library for recall as a calculator function later. You can write long formulas with variables and enter the data as you make calculations. Although much of what it does is now handled by a laptop, it is smaller than many scientific calculators today. In addition to all of the above it also has a function library built in that will make calculations such as quadratic equations, Bessel functions, LaPlace transforms, conversions of any unit between standards, calculate areas, do statistics and it even has a periodic table built in. I have an interface for it that will store all saved memories to cassette tape and talks to a printer. You can even stack formulas so that you enter data in one, it makes the calculations and continues to enter the answers into the next formula. It was sold for a short time through Radio Shack under their own name but I bought mine under the Casio brand from an outlet here in Chicago.
Here is a spec sheet...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casio_FX-850P
BTW I have formulas for speaker system design and layout, dB to voltage conversions, resonant circuits and antenna designs loaded in as well a program for calculating billing info (hours worked, miles traveled, expenses, parts, totals).

Re: Calculators?
 

Ive owned my sharp EL-5020 for so many years now I can do math and Hex conversions without looking at the buttons Im pushing

there are many calculator programs for PDAs out there, but I find myself reaching for the old reliable scientific calculator with the real buttons and the simple 10 digit LCD most of the time.

Re: Calculators?
 

I use an old school TI-83 with 3 rows of pixels out. It's a hand-me-down from my sister. It's covered in fruit stickers and other random stickers and is about 8 years old now. For classes that dont allow graphing calculators, I use my TI-30XIIS.

To all of the high school students - if you use your calculator all of the time for math, make sure that you can do the math without it. I don't know how other colleges are, but at Purdue I have yet to take a math class where calculators are allowed.
Eric

Re: Calculators?
 

do they let you use a slide rule?

log tables?

I could not do a square root calculation if my life depended on it

and I have not yet committed the sin, cos and tangent tables to memory :^)

Re: Calculators?
 

TI-89 Titanium & TI-92 Plus.

I had a cheap Casio, but it was stolen and I replaced it with the TI-92 Plus. I thought it was a great calculator so I bought the Titanium when it came out because it's a lot easier to carry :rolleyes:

I also use Wolfram Mathematica and Apple Grapher on my PowerBook.

Re: Calculators?
 

I use excel for most of my calculation needs. Excel is my friend.

On tests I use my tried and true TI-83. I had an 81, but they wouldn't let me use it anymore in 10th grade, so I had to upgrade.


Wetzel

Re: Calculators?
 

Before college, I never used a calculator for anything more then square roots and trigonometric functions with wierd angles. In college, I was required to have a graphing calculator for Calc I, so I bought a TI-86.

I used the 86 throughout college. It was especially usefull in circuits where the simulateous equation solver was much easier and faster then the TI-89's and most people didn't know how to get the App for the 83 and 84. The built in constants and conversions were another great feature compared to the 83 and 84.

I had been reading and hearing people rave about HP's calculators, so I bought a HP-48G off ebay. After a year or so of practicing with RPM, I started using the HP for arithmetic on tests and the HP for simultaneous equations and graphing. People would look at me funny for having 2 calculators out during tests, however.

Once I got to E&M (and had long finished all my math courses), I bought an HP-49g+. It was nice to be able to do symbolic integration (without jumping through a lot of hoops like the 48), but the reliability of the calculator wasn't great and 2 years later it's dead.

Re: Calculators?
 

Right now I use a TI-84 plus for all my classes that need a calculator. The TI-BASIC language is a major plus, because I always make programs to solve formulas when I'm bored in school.

I used to have a TI-83 plus, but the processor died on me. During a test in May last year, I guess that it just decided that it had enough of the world. And it just quit, erased everything, and then decided to never work again. Poor calculator...

Re: Calculators?
 

[quote=Clark Gilbert]I just picked this one up a few semesters ago and I LOVE it. It's a Casio Fx-300MS (dual line display & two way power). It's cheaper than most Texas Instruments and the keys are easy to read and use.
http://world.casio.com/edu/product/c...up_fx300ms.jpg

Yeah buddy!! I have the same thing in an earlier model, but basically the same calculator. An absolute workhorse since 7th grade. And casio has a much better input order than the TI's.

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[quote=Andrew Blair]Yah, the thing is pretty sweet, I forgot to mention I also had the earlier model back in 7th (or 6th grade), but somehow it disappeared. Best calculator around!...lol

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I'm proud to say that I use a TI-81. Got it for $2 at a yard sale and it runs WONDERFULLY!

Though you know, I'm looking for an upgrade. :D

Re: Calculators?
 

thats the one
Casio CFX-9850G
they sold them cheap through the school as they bought bulk

Re: Calculators?
 

I'm not sure where you currently are in your education. However, I started to use a TI-89 in high school, and it became "god" to me. I was able to do practically everything on that calculator from Algebra - Calculus. Then when I came to Penn State, the mathematics department DOES NOT allow calculators. I was behind everyone else very quickly, as I had depended on my calculator for years. I also have a TI-30***...... If I were you, and you actually need a calculator, save some money, get a $10 TI-**, and learn how to do the math, it will pay off in the long run.

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I had a teacher in high school specifically forbid slide rules. Something about a level playing field and all, but one kid wanted to use one and was told no.

Wetzel

Re: Calculators?
 

Did the kid know how to use one?

On another note: does any teacher known to FIRSTers forbid the use of an abacus? (Does any one know what an abacus is? :p )

Re: Calculators?
 

1.) this is an insanely geeky thread...LOVE IT
2.) I have 2 graphing calculators that I use, my old reliable and totally awesome (though it doesn't have an apps functionality) Ti-83 (notice the lack of the Plus) it uses less power than most graphing calculators so in my 4 years of using it nearly every day, i replaced the batteries once, and with a lack of games, i find myself slightly more focused at times, or at least programing functions instead of gaming.

Now for the Flagship Calculator, this thing is the supreme commander of all calculators (and i think it has that function buried deep deep into it (i've yet to find it)) The HP49g+, yes that. Well though it technically is owned by my dad i'm borrowing it until he asks for it back, this thing has EVERYTHING (including the Coffee Maker program that some guy wrote for it on the net) it's crazy, its fun to use and totally not legal to use on the SAT...though it'd be fun to do that. He found a great deal on ebay for it a little while back, he paid about 20 bucks for a 175 dollar calculator, gotta love ebay.

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just started uni 3 weeks ago

Re: Calculators?
 

I have my TI-30xa which I use for chemistry, It works but is less than ideal.

My TI-83+ The calculator I have used every day since 8th grade I know that calculator inside and out, This is the one I use on Standardized tests and any where else it is permitted it makes it extremely easy to check answers

My TI-89 I am learning to use so I can have it in college and beyond, It has more potential than the 83+ but I am not as comfortable with it yet. I use it for home work on occasion but never during tests, time is too limited during tests to have to search for a function.

My advice to any one is to learn math the way my teacher teaches it, She teaches us the theroms and how to do it all out, I can do anything from Basic math through Pre Calc (and what ive learned so far in calc) without any calculator. She then shows us how to do it on our Graphics calculator. This is very helpful, it allows us to check solutions and do the work faster when necessary. Knowing how to do calculations both ways puts you in a great place on standardized tests it prevents you from wasting time. Also learn basic and program formulas into your calculator, These are extremely helpul in checking quadratic roots and other simple calculations that errors are frequently made on.

Re: Calculators?
 

HP 49G+

or

TI89 with the RPN emulator


Learn to use reverse polish notation calculators! It'll make your life much easier.

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I have a TI-84+Silver edition. I figured I would just wait to buy an 89 until I could actually use it. (After ACT/SAT) I love the one I have. It is reallllllly easy to use once you play around with it. The puzzle pack is espeacially fun when you are done with stuff in class. ;)

Tip- Just play around with it and see what stuff does.

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I have a HP 49G+ and it's great, much better than the previous models.
It's funny how you don't find Texas calculators here in Brazil, even though I heard they are much better than HP's. A professor of mine has an old TI-something that looks like a spacecraft (you need both hands to HOLD its HANDLES, and it actually looks like you're playing some video game) and it is amazing, much more capable than my HP.
Cons:
My calculator has the annoying habit of randomly changing modes from radians to degrees and vice-versa, all the time. Forget about it and start getting weird results and bad grades! ;)

Re: Calculators?
 

I was allowed to use the 89 on the SAT back when I took it (gosh, over four years ago now). As far as I know you can still use it. It can pretty much do anything on the math portion but you have to know how to use it right. If you don't practice with it you will just be wasting valuable time. At first it may seem unfair to use such a powerful grapher on the test but you should give yourself every advantage within the rules. Symbolic manipulation is where this model shines above the rest (the others you have to use actual values). The 89 is one of the few things I have purchased in my life that has actually been worth every penny.

If it is not allowed on the SAT any more, please correct me!

Re: Calculators?
 

Sweet thread.

I had a TI-83 all through high school and freshman year of college. Really easy to use and it never breaks no matter how many times I drop it (so far that is).

Over the summer, my roommate recommended buying a TI-89 (titanium) for calc 3, and I must say, it is a great machine. Our calc 3 professor lets us use them on tests, although just putting an answer your 89 spit out without showing any work wont get you many points. I like how it can do integration and actually show you the integral itself (with the symbol and lower and upper limits) rather than the integral listed as a calculator operation followed by the constraints. Plus the cross product function comes in really handy, as does the ability to see the exact answer and an approximate one.

I still use my TI-83 for stuff outside of school, mostly when I'm designing or building things that dont require calculus.