ENGINEER DUDES and DUDETTES

[TuxDave]

Originally posted by: TheLonelyPhoenix
Jesus, am I the only one who's had professors restrict use of graphing calculators?

All my math professors and 1st and 2nd year engineering professors restricted calculators all together. It's just the senior level classes we were allowed to use it merely because the problems were so complicated that it was hard to always come up with nice clean answers.

 

[ngvepforever2]

nope, my Vector Calculus professor didn't allow calculators in the midterm and the final exams.
Hard as hell: yes
Unfair:no
Much better for me since I had to study for that class in a way that I would never forget a single thing I learned in it.

Regards

ng

 

[JDub02]

I loved my 89 through college. It really helped in calc 3 with 3 dimensional stuff.

I'd go for the latest and greatest 89 (platinum? titanium?) .. comes with a USB cable instead of that goofy 25-pin serial cable for computer hookup.

 

[TheLonelyPhoenix]

Originally posted by: JDub02
I loved my 89 through college. It really helped in calc 3 with 3 dimensional stuff.

Bah, my Multivariable teacher banned calculators all together. Admittedly, I could have used a good graphing calulator there.

 

[sciencewhiz]

Originally posted by: UTmtnbiker
Is TI the way to go now? Way back when I was getting my EE (8 years ago), HP was it. No ifs, ands, or buts. My HP 48SX is still kicking, although I'm definately not using it nearly as much as I did when I was in school.

No, HP calculators are once again better. TI released the TI-92 in 1995, which finally did symbolic manipulation (for those who don't know, HP 48s have done symbolic integration since 1990). HP dragged their feet and didn't release a better calculator until 1999.

TI has spent many more marketing dollars in the education field, while HP has not made it a priority. It's pretty hard to find HP 49g and g+'s now.

 

[Kyteland]

HP48g all the way baby. I've had it 9+ years now.

[Un]fortunately all my college math classes were no calulator.

 

[NokiaDude]

TI-89's go for about $125 new on Ebay or on the forums. I'd highly recommend one. Get the old design model, the new re-designed model is BIG!.

 

[cHeeZeFacTory]

you can pass a dsp or signals course just by learning how to use the ti-89 (if your professor allows calculators for exams).

 

[simms]

I got the old model ti89s. It's sitting ... in my basement beside the old TVs? I bought it from an Agora member

 

[habib89]

i think my ti89 is cool.. but i went through all my math, and half my engineering classes without it.. so no, you don't need it.. but it's cool.. it's basically good for checking work.. or if you have a teacher that'll give you a buncha credit for the answers.. basically i would write the equation down.. put a "..." then put the answer.. got 80% credit.. awesome

 

[Ricochet]

I had a TI83 early on in college. Got it stolen. Never bought anything remotely that fancy since. I just stick with the $10-12 scientific calculator throughout all my time as an engineering student.

We were also restricted from using any graphing calculator during exams.