College Engineering, which graphic calculator? TI-89/Nspire

[tphss]

Hi,

I am in college and I have a TI-83 calculator, been using it only for a short time, but it seems to graph functions and calculate values pretty slowly in my opinion. For example, using the arrows, if you press rapidly to move along the graph it doesn't catch up the commands. Although I do not know how fast are the better TI-84/89 etc...
I am an engineering major so I want to be sure I will have a calculator that will suit me best for my harder classes and I'm not sure about the TI-83.

Do you know if the TI-89 Titnaium is allowed in college? How is this new TI-Nspire (is it allowed, recommended)? It looks nice with the high resolution screen for graphing but maybe it's an overkill.

Thanks

 

[OOBradm]

I think i used my graphing calculator maybe a half dozen times in college. 99% of my classes didnt allow us to use calculators at all. I'd say just stick with your 83

 

[pray4mojo]

you dont need a new calc. most of the time you cant even use a calculator

 

[krylon]

You can get through undergrad engineering without a problem on a Ti-83

 

[armstrda]

while the 83 is more than enough, if you're really wanting a new calc buy the 89. At my school they recommended it. But there are some classes that don't allow it.

 

[Leros]

The 89 had a better interface for doing calculus type stuff. To be honest, just about the only thing I use it for is integration.

 

[RESmonkey]

89

 

[tphss]

Yeah I didn't think I can't get through with the TI-83, I am just wondering if it's worth replacing for the TI-89 because the graphs will be more detailed (better screen) and so on. It's just a matter of convenience... If I sell my ti-83 maybe it's worth adding like $50 and getting the ti-89.
I'll need to ask my professor if the ti-89 is allowed.

 

[PottedMeat]

89 is great for checking stupid things that other calculators won't do - like units ( very handy in engineering physics ). Not to mention symbolic math.

 

[ivan2]

depends on the professor and the course, in my upper level course we were allow to use a 89. i still have it and likes it a lot more than the 83.

 

[NikolaeVarius]

They let you use a Graphing calculator? Lucky bastard.

 

[dainthomas]

HP 50g > any TI

 

[fatpat268]

I was able to use my Ti-89 through all my calculus classes and beyond that, no one gave a shit in subsequent classes.

In fact, the TI-89 was recommended by my teacher. Frankly I learned more and faster with the calculator than if I were without it. *shrug*

 

[Sumguy]

If you really need it (read: if you actually get to use it) just ask if the TI-89 is allowed in upper level courses, then wait until you enter those classes to actually buy it if necessary. From Craigslist. For a massive discount, a scratch or two, and shit already programmed onto the calculator that might be useful.

 

[frostedflakes]

TI-89 Platinum should be more than adequate. For your calculus classes and stuff you probably won't be able to use a calculator, because obviously they want you to learn calculus, not how to plug problems into a CAS. Other classes may only let you use a basic scientific calculator. A TI-89 would still be very handy for homework problems, though (checking your integration, stuff like that).

I would have been able to get by with my TI-83+, except it couldn't handle complex matrices. That just wasn't going to fly for my circuits courses.

 

[eLiu]

Didn't use graphing calculators. I had a ti36X solar for simple calculation tasks but otherwise I used matlab/maple for everything else as applicable.

 

[Jeff7]

What kind of engineering? Computer, mechanical, electrical, sex toys....what?
My field was mechanical.


- Ti-89 lets you go back to previous answers, which can be VERY handy when doing lengthy multi-step problems.

- One of my teachers said, "The smart student will write a program on his calculator to do <whatever we were doing at the time>." His tests were also open-book, and we had 3hrs to do them, but if you didn't know damn well what you were doing, two days wouldn't have been enough time.

- Calculus 1: No calculators were allowed on any tests.
- Calculus II: Calculators were allowed, but only up to, I believe a TI-86, since it doesn't have built-in calc functions, though Googling around quick, it looks like programs do exist to do basic calculus on one.

- Pretty well all of my engineering classes required a calculator, and I always had my TI-89 handy. One course, the professor gave most of the points if you'd set up the equations correctly; he said that punching numbers in on a calculator was secondary. But some of his test problems did require a numerical answer.

- Buy Eneloop batteries for your calculator.
Mine lasted well over a year before they needed charging; I'd have to look through my order history to figure out when I bought them.


I still do have the TI-89, and I sometimes use it at my job.

 

[Hacp]

TI83 should do. For homework, you can use maple.

 

[theawddone]

Ti-89 owns for electrical engineering, can't speak for other areas of study though.

edit: I should note, however, that none of my calculus classes allowed calculators.

 

[duragezic]

Unless you have money to throw around, TI-83 should be fine. I got a 83+ in high school and used it throughout my engineering degree. I never felt like I would've really done better had I had a TI-89. Though the EEpro package looked cool, classes that I needed a bunch of formulas we were given them or allowed a piece of paper for them.

In fact you don't want to rely on one. In my Into to Signal Processing course (freshman or sophmore level), this Indian guy sat by me who was a senior retaking the class for a better grade. He was like "This here man is what makes me an engineer!" (half serious).

edit: I figured out in HS calc that you can use a 83 to check derivatives. i.e. The 83 isn't able to do: deriv(x^2) = 2x

but if you think you know the answer, 2x in this case, you can graph Y1 = Deriv(x^2) and Y2 = 2x and see them line up.

 

[Possessed Freak]

Originally posted by: Jeff7

- Calculus 1: No calculators were allowed on any tests.
- Calculus II: Calculators were allowed, but only up to, I believe a TI-86, since it doesn't have built-in calc functions, though Googling around quick, it looks like programs do exist to do basic calculus on one.

I programmed step by step calculus solvers on my TI-82 back in '96 when I first had calculus. It is a damn shame the memory requires batteries or I would still have that code.

I remember plotting graphs to make an image of a suspension bridge including all the vertical suspender cables. The stuff I did on that thing to keep me awake during HS...

 

[Goosemaster]

If a fool like me can do diff eqtns with only a TI-83+, then anyone can.

 

[Gibson486]

does not really matter. Any course that will be worth a dam will make sure that relying on your calculator will result in an F. Seriously....get what you want, but if you have no idea whats going on, then the calculator will not help one bit. Truth be told, when you get into the work world, you will only make the equations or just input into them. You really do not solve them (which is what the calculator does). Matlab or some other math program will do the rest.

 

[Born2bwire]

83 should be fine, I got through undergrad and graduate ECE schools with my TI-86 from high school.

 

[LordMorpheus]

Matlab replaces the calculator for math at the college engineering level.