which calculator is better? TI or HP?

[Maximus96]

i'm thinking of purchasing a new graphing calculator for my upcoming EIT test. i have an old TI81, but looking at buying something new. i've played around a bit with the data collecter at work which i think is the hp48plus or something and gotten familiar with the reverse input thing. i would like to see what you guys recommend. thanks

 

[ed21x]

For engineering, HP. For everything else (ie, linear algebra and below, get a TI).

 

[TheBoyBlunder]

I'd say get a TI unless you REALLy need the HP for a specific reason.

 

[Spoooon]

Around 11th grade or so, I made the switch from a TI-82 to an HP48 and haven't looked back. A few friends of mine went the TI-85 route, but they always regretted it.

I got my HP in 1995 or so and I'm still using it today.

 

[dighn]

wha's so good abou tthe hp/?

 

[erub]

all the engineering students here use the TI-89 (including myself)...

 

[Maximus96]

i am not sure i really need one over the other. what would be good for the EIT?

 

[pennylane]

Originally posted by: dighn
wha's so good abou tthe hp/?

I'm used to using a TI because that's what my high school taught and recommended. I'm wondering as well.

 

[CrazyPerson]

ti89

 

[JetBlack69]

Originally posted by: erub
all the engineering students here use the TI-89 (including myself)...

 

[GoSharks]

hp49g+
new and improved 49g

 

[Lizardman]

TI-89 no question about it.

I am a senior mechanical engineer at the U of D and have been useing this calc for 4 years. I havent regreted the $130, best money ever spent. Sybmolic differientation ahhh...yess

 

[Maximus96]

i would make a poll but i dont know how. is the HP49+ the one that allows you to add cards? i graduated as a civil engineer and am working at a small civil firm. the calculations i do here is so simple i just used my TI36 scientific calc. but i want something that'll help me for the EIT and in the future.

 

[SilentZero]

I have the HP 49G and its great! Haven't used a TI in about 12 years or so.

 

[gentobu]

Originally posted by: dighn
wha's so good abou tthe hp/?

 

[Maximus96]

Originally posted by: SilentZero
I have the HP 49G and its great! Haven't used a TI in about 12 years or so.

can you give me some insight to why its so great? its really hard to decide for myself

 

[Spoooon]

Originally posted by: zaku

Originally posted by: SilentZero
I have the HP 49G and its great! Haven't used a TI in about 12 years or so.

can you give me some insight to why its so great? its really hard to decide for myself

Well, for me, it was an easy choice because I was choosing between the TI82 and HP48. After using the HP48, I prefer that reverse input format over TI's. The HP had all the funtions that I would need. Granted, in most of the classes that I used it for, we had no need of formulas or anything, but it was handy to be able to double check my work quickly using the built in formulas. When I was in computer engineering, we had a few classes that required an HP48. None of the general type courses, but a few of the honors math courses required its use.

I have no idea how the HP48 compares to the TI other people are mentioning. But if you've already had practice with the HP and are used to it, you should stick with the HP. You don't want to to go in to test with an unfamiliar calculator.

 

[BaboonGuy]

ti-89 is such a sick calculator. makes highschool much easier

 

[OulOat]

I always envy those with TI89s, but my trusty TI83 has always been by my side.

 

[wicktron]

TI 89... :beer:

 

[Dedpuhl]

I passed the FE this past April using a Sharp EL-9300C (Had it since 1995). I probably could've just used a scientific calculator. There is absolutely no reason to have a high-powered calculator to take the test. Most of the formulas are given and the questions were designed to be answered rapidly.

 

[dabuddha]

True engineers use HPs. I've had my HP 48GX for about 9 years now.

 

[TerryMathews]

What a can of worms. This topic is usually as volatile as vi vs. emacs...

Without making any judgements, I'm just going to say that the TI-89 and TI-92 behave a lot more like a computer than the HPs. If you're more comfortable with Mathematica or MAPLE, especially MAPLE, you'll like the -89 or -92 more.

It's my understanding the HPs behave more like regular calculators. Not that that is a bad thing, mind you.

 

[yoyo25]

I had the HP48g in college, great calculator (the menus were kind of slow though)..might be better in newer models.

The best part of the HP is RPN - reverse polish notation, it allows you to do stack based calcuations (comes in handy when you do a very large equation and don't want to deal with remembering order of operations).