What kind of Caculator should I get? *I need your help! Yes you.*

[Ender]

This will be my first year in highschool (Ack, toilet dunking's here I come ) and I want to know which caculator will last me through the entire 4 years and into College? I'll be doing advanced math, above the rest of my class (Special class. I'm a nerd ) and need a really good caculator that will be easy to use through Algebra 1 and whatever else I learn in the first year all the way to Caculus and beyond.

I saw a recent caculator post but need some more opinions and options. I have no preset budget, but will determine if it's actually worth the cost from the opinions of the fellow ATer's. My mathematical fate lies in your hands! Well kinda (I can still caculate by myself just need faster equations on those long homework periods where I know how to do the stuff but want to finish it quickly so I can come back here and read some more topics, heheh.).

 

[LaBang]

it doesn't matter too much. people in my school used a TI-86 so that is what i got. You just need a graphing calculator. After that it's all just bragging rights.

 

[Danman]

I got a TI-89 because it has the best gameplay in my boring classes..........

 

[Ender]

Heheh, what can you play on the TI-89? Can you play on the TI-86?

 

[GhettoFob]

I bought a ti-86 for high school and I've barely touched it in college.

 

[Ender]

Meaning your caculator dosen't help you in college, because it dosent have enough options? Or you don't need caculators in college because your studying other things besides mathematics?

 

[oLLie]

There's a TI-89 in the Fry's ad from Friday for either $99 or $109. PM to Staples, $20 off 100. Either way that is a GOOD price on a ti-89.

Ollie (who used a TI-85 just fine thru HS)

 

[perry]

I used a TI-82 in high school, class of 96. I imagine you can pick those things up for a song on Ebay. Then I got a TI-92 for college, the ability to do integrals was nice, but that thing is too damn big. Dunno about the current lineup, but I think that some of them can do integrals and differentials these days, no?

Algebra I in high school? Getting a late start are ya?

 

[Cattlegod]

TI 89 for college - i would die without mine

TI 86 is fine for HS

 

[Ender]

Hehe, no. I have no idea what we're doing in my advanced math class, school starts this wednesday,and the algebra we did do in grade 8 was incredibly easy.. I thought it was pre-algebra. I guess I was wrong. Btw, how big is the TI-89 compared to the TI-86?
And how big is the TI-89 alone?

Anyone know where I can get these caculators in Canada?

 

[DDCSpeed]

use TI 85 and above.
I personally use a TI 82 Hee because i dont do too much advane math.

 

[MrBond]

It's really too early to be thinking about one for college now. You may use it all the time in HS, and then get to college and find out your math/science courses don't allow you to use it (like mine do, nad my college isn't the only one that forbids them).

If you plan on doing engineering in college, they usually allow them, and they're handy as hell. I don't know what I'd do w/o my 86 and it's conversion program. Now if I could just find my damn Graph Link cable...

 

[chiwawa626]

Btw, get an 82, 83+, or 89
the most common ones. You dont wanna sit there with an 86/85 trying to figure out wtf is goin on.

 

[Poncherelli]

most teachers in high school wont let you use a TI-89 on tests, but you canuse them on AP exams. I've had a TI-86 my whole highschool career and i'm a senior in calculus bc. Also, in alegbra 1, i believe we had to use scientic calculators, same with geometery. No graphing calculators until Algebra 2 for us.

 

[Spoooon]

I've been using my HP48 since '96. Pretty useful IMO.

 

[erub]

I agree with another poster here that you will need a new one for college. My school sold us all TI-83's, and the teachers all taught us classes with it (including this year's AP Calculus AB & BC courses)

 

[Mungla]

I've been using a TI-89 in HS since the end of my Freshmen year, I am now in my Junior year. I've already used it to take a Chemistry test, and the teacher didn't say a word. I'm sure, though, that if I were to load it up with conversion programs that he would object. Right now, the only programs that I have on it are games.

 

[vash]

Are there no engineers here that use a *real* man's calulator?

Get an HP graphing calculator and learn to use RPN. Those HP calcs are the best, hands down. RPN takes some time to get used to, but once you learn it, you won't go back.

vash

 

[Gnurb]

Get this calculator, then you won't have to ever learn alegebra, it does the work for you
HP49G

(j/k, you'll regret not ever learning it when you get in college and no calculators allowed)

btw, I have a ti-89, and I'm starting college in about a week.

 

[MeanMeosh]

umm dude, just get a TI-83 Plus. If your teachers were anything like mine (i'm taking engineering calc 3 in college this semester), they will prefer you use your head than your calculator. I'm fact, last semester, my calc 2 prof wouldnt even let us use calculators on tests. I'm been using a TI-83 since 9th grade and i havent really gotten any problems that require something more than it. I have a TI-81, TI-83 Plus, a TI-85 and a TI-92 as backups, but the only one I really use a lot is the TI-83. I use the TI-85 for conversions sometimes, but that's it.

 

[LuckyTaxi]

pda...play games...surf the web...check email...well, assuming you can afford all that + the service!

 

[trek]

I like my TI-89, it is the same size as the TI-83 so its hard to tell the difference unless they look close.

-Trek

 

[Mo0o]

just go for ti-83 or 86. you can get cheap ones for cheap.. i got a spare one if you wanna buy it off me. ti=83 plus with cord/intruction bok

 

[Spoooon]

<< Get this calculator, then you won't have to ever learn alegebra, it does the work for you >>


I don't like the way the HP49G looks. My 48 looks like it's all business. The 49G almost looks like a toy.

 

[lyric]

<< Are there no engineers here that use a *real* man's calulator?

Get an HP graphing calculator and learn to use RPN. Those HP calcs are the best, hands down. RPN takes some time to get used to, but once you learn it, you won't go back.

vash >>



I have a HP49G. I actually bought it about a week or two ago. I still have not gotten used to the calculator yet and I'm not too sure how to work certain things.

It's an awesome calculator, but kinda hard to learn. I don't find the manual all too helpful.

Does anyone else out there have a HP49G? If so, do you mind helping me out with getting me familiar with the calculator? I don't know how to use it for the step-by-step thing or solving certain equations because they make you do it in the vector form. I can't tell what the answer is when they spit it to me in vector form.