TI-89 Titanium or HP 50G?

[JamesBrown]

Originally Posted by Brandon Holley

Even if classes ban you from using the TI-89, I still felt it was a useful tool to check your work outside of the classroom/tests. I got my TI-89 the beginning of my senior year of high school and used it for every class I had from then through my entire college career. It now sits on my desk at work and proves its usefulness everyday.

I'd follow the advice of everyone else on here and wait until you know a little more about the situation for using the calculator during tests. When you do decide you need one though, I'd highly recommend the 89.

-Brando

PS- My calculator was a "regular" TI-89, not the Titanium edition. Many of my peers had the titanium edition, and I'm not sure if it has more features or not, but I liked the look and feel of the regular one much better.

I am also a big TI-89 fan. If my memory is correct the differences between the 89 and 89 titanium are the same as the differences between the 83 series and the 84 series. New interface, more ram, better screen, new case.

I would definitely reccomend buying the 89. I use mine all the time. It is not allowed in many of my classes but i still use it to check work and I use it any time I need to do math for projects or labs. My 89 has lasted me since junior year in HS.

The only reason I would reccomend waiting to buy it is that many teachers in HS only know how to use one type of calculator. Usually the 83 series. If your teacher uses the calculator in class then they may not be able to teach you to use yours. This is not a big concern since the 89 can do every thing the 83 can and then some. However you will need to learn how to use it your self.

[Lil' Lavery]

There are two primary differences between the 89 and the 89-Titanium, as far as I'm concerned. More RAM in the Titanium and a USB port. 95% of Titanium users, including myself, don't get proper usage out of the USB port, but the 5% of users who utilize it can do some absolutely awesome things with that calculator. One of my classmates converted PDF class notes and loaded them onto his Titanium.

[Tristan Lall]

I have a TI-89 Titanium, and I almost never use(d) it.

Outside of class, WolframAlpha is far better for calculus purposes. Excel 2010 is better for statistics and engineering formulas.

The USB link is nice in principle, but slow and really not all that useful. I've had the same idea about loading notes into the calculator, but implementation details like actually preparing machine-readable text instead of a handwritten formula sheet made it impractical. And those calculators are so backward that they use AAA batteries, and can't be recharged over USB. (That alone makes it an artifact of another decade.)

In test situations (if calculus/statistics/etc. must be done by hand) I use a Casio FX-991s (the same one I've been using for around 10 years). It can do statistics in a pinch, but there's not really much need for that in a test situation.

[Gdeaver]

In addition to a calculator, I bought a student version of Mathcad and office for my son. I told him that he should be able to set up every problem he had in high school up in either excel or mathcad. He did learn to use both well in high school and took those skills into mechanical engineering. It was a huge advantage to take into college. Though, he really didn't stress those skills till the 3rd year.

[Mike Schroeder]

Just a heads up, a few weeks ago in my first calc class, my prof looked right at me pointed me out in front of the whole class and told me that i couldn't use the TI-89 i just bought over the summer on any of my calc tests... SO while I was looking forward to learning to use the TI89, I had to find an ancient 83 from someone.

[Mike Schreiber]

TI-89
More expensive
Traditional input similar to how you write equations
More people know how to use it (as far as peers)

HP 50G
Cheaper ($)
Must learn RPN notation
RPN is more efficient input method

It really depends on what interface you prefer. Something else you may want to consider: I'm a Junior at Kettering University in Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Physics and I only have an 83, you don't need the computer algebra system for every major. I have a friend who just uses a normal calculator for everything no fancy graphs or X's, just +, -, *, /, ^, ln.

My brother is a senior in computer science and he hasn't touched his calculator (because I stole it) in 2 years, since he finished multivariate calculus.

[Cory]

I bought an 89 before leaving for my freshman year of college because I heard how awesome they were.

WPI didn't allow calculators, period, in any calc classes and as a result I've used my 89 all of 5 times total.

I use an 83 everyday for my classes and 80% of the time I'm using it to solve matrices.

[gblake]

Originally Posted by ICanCountTo19

....
HP 50G
...
Must learn RPN notation

According to HP's web site (here) you are mistaken. They say: "Choose RPN, Textbook and Algebraic entry and customize data with four font sizes and styles".

Originally Posted by ICanCountTo19

RPN is [the] more efficient input method
...

I agree 110%

Blake

[hallk]

If possible I would try to talk to your high school or potential college and see what they recommend. As a high schooler they will probably only let you use a TI-86. Depending on you major this should be able to do everything you need but the TI-89 will do it prettier.

[RoboDesigners]

Just wanted to say "THANK YOU!" to everyone who responded. I'm still thinking/waiting, but just wanted to express my appreciation!

[flameout]

I have used a TI-89 Titanium for several years. I have no experience with HP calculators, and am writing this under the assumption that this HP has a CAS.

When I first took the SAT in Fall 2006, the TI89 was allowed -- the rule, specifically, is that it must not have a full alphanumeric keyboard. It has been allowed since (I don't have any knowledge from before that date).

I have taken five mathematics courses at Oregon State University (still a high school student), and my TI89 was never a problem.

Specifically, I would compare durability and the CAS's ability between the TI and the HP. I've heard (and read here) that the HPs are more durable, but I don't have experience. I also recall reading somewhere that HP's CAS is less capable than TI's.

I would also look at the ease of use for both calculators -- I have no real issues with my TI89, but the HP might have oddly-named functions, or a lack of continuity in their naming/interface. The TI89 also has a catalog (and a "math" menu, and...) that helps you find functions that you don't know how to use (if you don't have the manual) or identify its parameters. HP's may not have the same thing.

I hope this helps.

[Alex_Miller]

If you ever need help using it (finding where menus are) more people will have TI-89's.

[Conor Ryan]

If you want to make money: HP 12C, thats what wall street uses.

If your going to be a professional engineer or planning on being a mathematics major, HP 50G is the way to go, its efficient and on the theoretical end is much more powerful, and will probably will save you a signifigant amount of time.

If you don't know what you want out of life yet, haven't gotten to Calculus yet, stick with a TI-83/84

If you have gotten to calculus and are at the point where you can explain in layman's terms what a partial derivative is, its about time for a TI-89. Professors at lower levels often do not allow these puppies on exams, in fact some math accreditation systems prohibit their use.

Its all about having the right tool for the job. Using a TI-89 or HP 50G in a spot where TI-83's will do the job faster, its not a smart choice to get the more expensive one (even if you think it will pay off over time as an investment)

[davidthefat]

I will get the HP 50G for the sake of being the less popular calculator. Its allowed in SAT, ACT and all the important tests like that, so I'm down to get that. Honestly, it looks like it can do everything I need, even more. It says in the HP site that you can change from RPN to Algebraic so I don't need to worry.

[AustinSchuh]

I've got the 50G, and really enjoy it. It's very powerful, and I find that the RPN mode is so handy that I can no longer do math correctly on calculators without RPN mode (or at least at nearly the speed as I can on my 50G). One side benefit of RPN is that you can save intermediate results very easily by just duplicating them on the stack. Apart from having to teach myself how to do a couple things on it in high school because the teachers had never seen one, I've never found anything that it couldn't do that a TI could.