Calculator for College

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spaceghost21

Senior member
May 22, 2004
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I'll be a senior in Highschool this fall and it is time to upgrade from my TI-83. I'll be taking Calc II this fall but calculators aren't allowed on most exams for that anyway so I am more interested in a calculator that last me through college. I will probably be heading into Science/Math or Engineering.

I did search on the forums here and most people recommended the TI-89, however some noted that many classes didn't allow you to even use it.
 
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Juno

Lifer
Jul 3, 2004
12,574
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76
man, it had been so long since i last took math course in college.

you can buy ti-89 and bring ti-83 to your math classes to see which one teachers accept.
 
Kirby

Kirby

Lifer
Apr 10, 2006
12,028
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I've got an 89 Platinum, but I haven't been able to use any calculator in any math classes so far. I actually haven't taken a class that I needed it at all.

<- Incoming sophomore, CS major, math minor
 
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Parasitic

Diamond Member
Aug 17, 2002
4,000
2
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You don't need a Ti-89. If you already have a Ti-83+ or better, then keep using it.
The 89 is full of features but it's still not powerful enough for some of the demanding tasks.
Save your money and learn MATLAB, Maple, etc.

<< chemical engineer. just graduated.
 
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RedArmy

Platinum Member
Mar 1, 2005
2,648
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Most math classes won't allow calculators since they want you to be able to see that if you're using a calculator, then you're not looking at the problem the right way. The only reason I could see the need for a calculator is for natural logs, exponentials, or huge factorials.

It also depends on what math class you are going to take in college and what not (Calc III, Differential Equations, Discrete Math, Complex Analysis etc.)

In your first year a calculator probably won't be needed all that much for engineering since it's just the basics you're learning.

Edit: Also, as Parasitic mentioned above, MATLAB, Mathematica, and Maple are your friends.
 
fatpat268

fatpat268

Diamond Member
Jan 14, 2006
5,853
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71
I guess I was lucky that I was able to use my TI89 through my calculus classes. In fact, it was required.

I never truly depended on it though, I can do fine for the most part without one. It was nice to check your answers though.
 
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spaceghost21

Senior member
May 22, 2004
899
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What I am leaning towards doing is buying a TI-84 now to replace the TI-83 which I'm giving to my younger brother, then waiting to college and buying a used TI-89 if I can use it/happen to need one.

 
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Parasitic

Diamond Member
Aug 17, 2002
4,000
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Originally posted by: spaceghost21
What I am leaning towards doing is buying a TI-84 now to replace the TI-83 which I'm giving to my younger brother, then waiting to college and buying a used TI-89 if I can use it/happen to need one.
Click to expand...

Is the model 83 the Plus?
If it is then don't bother with upgrading. There isn't much (useful) difference between the Model 83+ and the 84.
 
Safeway

Safeway

Lifer
Jun 22, 2004
12,074
9
81
Originally posted by: tfinch2
Keep your 83 and buy MATLAB or Maple instead.
Click to expand...

No, he needs to wait until he can buy MATLAB from his department or a campus computer store. Deep discounts ftw.
 
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tfinch2

Lifer
Feb 3, 2004
22,114
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Originally posted by: Safeway
Originally posted by: tfinch2
Keep your 83 and buy MATLAB or Maple instead.
Click to expand...

No, he needs to wait until he can buy MATLAB from his department or a campus computer store. Deep discounts ftw.
Click to expand...

I thought that was implied...
 
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Tiamat

Lifer
Nov 25, 2003
14,068
5
71
TI-86 for normal stuff, Matlab/Maple/Mathematica/Mathcad for all else when stuff gets hairy.
 
Born2bwire

Born2bwire

Diamond Member
Oct 28, 2005
9,840
6
71
TI-86. I like it more than the TI-83 and anything that the 89 can do you should learn to do on your own (and if not, there's MATLAB). Plus the TI-86 and below will be faster for basic calculations than the 89 due to the 89's interface.

EDIT: Oh, you already have an 83. Then stick with that. I've still got my 86 from high school and use it a lot. That calculator hit the 10 year mark this year.
 
DanTMWTMP

DanTMWTMP

Lifer
Oct 7, 2001
15,906
13
81
I've used my trusty Ti-83 for almost 10 years now. It was AWESOME for classes where statistics were involved. Ti-89 can do Fourier transforms, but that defeats the purpose of learning how to do them. Hell, I still use it here at work. For anything more complicated, matlab is far superior.

If you are taking engineering classes, it may help, but doing stuff on matlab for me was 100x better.. Just write scripts and you're set for the class lol. Ti-83 is the only comprehensive statistics calculator. the others do have stats functions, but not as comprehensive as the 83. The 83 saved my arse so many times in classes where statistics were involved (data networking classes involved lots of it...). I'd highly recommend keeping the 83 just due to that fact.

<--- This is coming from an EE graduate. I remember many of my peers buying 83+'s and using it more often than their 89's and such.

Do you even know how to use all the stuff in your 83? lol I remember making scripts in my 83 for my calc II exams and it was ultra helpful for the AP exam I took.

EDIT: lol just read the thread. yes, Matlab will be your best friend in your engineering classes. It seems the majority imply that Matlab + 83 is the way to go; and from my experience, I highly recommend it. 83 = pimp stats calculator.

make sure you buy a good book for matlab on how to script that thing to hell. learn its syntax. That matlab book will be your lifesaver. Fortunate for me, my engineering math classes in college taught how to use it and one of the required texts was a matlab book.
 
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clickynext

Platinum Member
Dec 24, 2004
2,583
0
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Depends on where you're going. I would stick with your TI-83 until you really NEED something else. None of the math classes I've taken allow calculators of any kind, and all of the engineering classes I've taken will allow any calculator you want. So wait until you figure out exactly what you need, or what your prof forces you to buy, so that you don't have a TI-89 in a class where everyone's using an HP-50g.
 
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Justin218

Platinum Member
Jan 21, 2001
2,208
0
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I'm an EE and in most of my EE classes I was allowed to use a TI-89... so I would recommend that.
 
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CellarDoor

Golden Member
Aug 31, 2004
1,574
0
0
Just get a nice scientific calculator. I took a lot of calculus and never touched my graphing calculator.
 
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habib89

Diamond Member
Jan 17, 2001
3,599
0
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Originally posted by: Juno
man, it had been so long since i last took math course in college.

you can buy ti-89 and bring ti-83 to your math classes to see which one teachers accept.
Click to expand...

that's the only post you need to read..
 
silverpig

silverpig

Lifer
Jul 29, 2001
27,703
12
81
Originally posted by: hypn0tik
There'll be a VERY good chance that graphing calculators won't be allowed.

http://www.sharpusa.com/produc...g/0,1058,1461,00.html#
A solid scientific calculator that'll do pretty much anything you need it to. Lasted me 4 years through undergrad.

<--------- EE

Edit: MATLAB is your friend.
Click to expand...

That is quite possibly the best calculator ever made. I have one of those as well and love it.

OP: All you'll ever need is one of these and the powerful software on your school's lab computers... matlab, mathematica, or maple.


edit: <--- physics grad
 
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Suspicious-Teach8788

Lifer
Feb 19, 2001
20,155
23
81
Originally posted by: hypn0tik
There'll be a VERY good chance that graphing calculators won't be allowed.

http://www.sharpusa.com/produc...g/0,1058,1461,00.html#
A solid scientific calculator that'll do pretty much anything you need it to. Lasted me 4 years through undergrad.

<--------- EE

Edit: MATLAB is your friend.
Click to expand...

A lot of EE people in our school don't know crap about Matlab. It's only the Mech E people who use it mainly =P

TI-89 is the way to go. I haven't seen a class that hasn't allowed TI-89s. EIther you get to use a calculator or you don't.

Edit: But I guess I skipped out of Calculus so I don't know. I don't remember using one in multivariable, and in linear algebra and diff eq you didn't get to use one either.

Funny thing is you could in an engineering math (mainly diff eq) class... and if you had an 89.. game over =P
 
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hypn0tik

Diamond Member
Jul 5, 2005
5,866
2
0
Originally posted by: DLeRium
Originally posted by: hypn0tik
There'll be a VERY good chance that graphing calculators won't be allowed.

http://www.sharpusa.com/produc...g/0,1058,1461,00.html#
A solid scientific calculator that'll do pretty much anything you need it to. Lasted me 4 years through undergrad.

<--------- EE

Edit: MATLAB is your friend.
Click to expand...

A lot of EE people in our school don't know crap about Matlab. It's only the Mech E people who use it mainly =P

TI-89 is the way to go. I haven't seen a class that hasn't allowed TI-89s. EIther you get to use a calculator or you don't.

Edit: But I guess I skipped out of Calculus so I don't know. I don't remember using one in multivariable, and in linear algebra and diff eq you didn't get to use one either.

Funny thing is you could in an engineering math (mainly diff eq) class... and if you had an 89.. game over =P
Click to expand...

I find that to be the opposite here. More people in ECE use Matlab than any other discipline.
 
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