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The Best Graphing Calculator on the Market?
aaronbeekay asks: "I'm a sophomore in high school taking an honors chem course. I'm being forced to buy something handheld for a calculator (I've been using Qalculate! and GraphMonkey on my Thinkpad until now). I see people all around me with TIs and think 'there could be something so much better'. The low-res, monochrome display just isn't appealing to me for $100-150, and I'd like for it to last through college. Is there something I can use close to the same price range with better screen, more usable, and more powerful? Which high-tech calculators do you guys use?"
Do they make advanced graphing-calculator-like apps for them?
I use a TI89. It's about as good as you're going to get without it not being allowed on tests, etc.
HP is the only option. Sure, no one will no what you are doing (especially if you use RPN), but that means no one can borrow it, either. Oh, and if you use RPN you'll probably be a lot quicker than most of your classmates, too.
I have an HP-48GX and it served me well through high school and four years of engineering school.
"Nature doesn't care how smart you are. You can still be wrong." - Richard Feynman
There is just something fundamentally appealing to owning a powerful calculator 90% of the population can't even add two numbers on...
I am billdar, and I approve this message.
I just made it through single variable calculus and chemistry using an old TI-82 and a TI-86, which I had from high school ten years ago. Both were more then adequate for calc & chemistry, and you can get them for $10 / $30 respectively on ebay. They had most of the same functions as newer TI's, and served me well.
My only difficulty was an occasion scramble to find where some higher level functions were, as the rest of the class had newer calcs and they couldn't help me out.
Just do yourself a favor, get an older calc (with an instruction book), and spend the rest of the cash on ice cream.
No, it's not "high tech", by today's standards. Yes, it's low-res and monochrome. But you know what? It's the best damned calculator there is (well if you want to get a GX/GX+ or whatever for more memory that's fine too, though frankly not terribly necessary for most applications). It's got a steep learning curve (RPN and all that), but once you get over it you'll have the quickest and most useful device there is. It's built well (I've used mine for 12 years and it's doing just fine), feels good, and does the job right.
This is one realm where you want a tool, not a toy - if you want something flashy and shiny with a nice screen and pleasing UI, save your pennies for an iPhone or something. If you want something that does math, and does it damn well, buy an HP calculator.
PS - I guess this doesn't quite fit your answer as according to Wikipedia they stopped making them back in 2003, so it's not really "on the market" any more. They are currently selling HP-49 series, which is still better than TIs but just isn't built like the 48Gs (the tactile feel of the keys really does matter on a device where punching numbers is the main use). Still, I'm guessing that 30 seconds with eBay and you'll find 48G's...
Especially when the HP48GX is the clear winner... /me ducks
I am billdar, and I approve this message.
The TI-89 is *mediocre* with drawing graphs, as you indicated. However, if you are going to study more science, it can do symbolic manipulation that you might only expect in a program like Maple or mathematica. If you are feeling dimwitted and can't work out an integral or maybe if you can't figure out if a particular algebraic equation has a solution then you can ask this device. It has more advanced features that I haven't used but if you tinker with it you'll get alot of use out of it. Also, as far as the graph drawing goes, I think they have a TI-92 that does better with those.
It's 12 years old, it's a little slow and they don't make them anymore, but the HP 48 series is a magnificent calculator.
RPN is very nice for long equations. Once you get used to it, you'll be more accurate and efficient. You'll never want to go back to algebraic entry. It has a lot of features, and still stands up pretty well to modern offerings. Unless they've made calculus problems a lot harder, you won't need anything more functionality wise.
The built in equation library is very nice. There is a plethora of available programs to download. The IR sensor is just cool and the keys have the best tactile feel of any calculators ever, and the batteries last about 20 months. Oh, and you could probably dip it in motor oil, and it would still work. The screen while having good contrast, is very fragile however. That's one bad thing.
Expect to pay $250 on ebay for a 48GX unless you get lucky. (The 128K expandable model. Original MSRP was $159 I think) You can probably get a 48G (32KB non expandable model) in your price range though.
I disagree. I paid about $300CAD for my Ti-89 and not only is not allowed on tests neither at the grade 12 level nor first year college
Maybe it's because you're in Canadia. In the US, the TI-89 is explicitly allowed on tests administered by the college board (but not ACT). It's also the reason I bought it, the TI-92 isn't allowed on any tests.
mine's already broken after only about 2 years of seldom use.
How odd, I bought mine when it was first release (1998) and it's still going strong. Maybe it's the Canadian weather that caused yours to fail. Also, you're not supposed to use it while taking a shower.
No question that the HP 48G is the one to get if you want something that will last. TI's or the Carly era HP's aren't as durable by a long shot. I have a small collection of HP's that has some models that date back to the 80's, and they all work quite well despite being 25 years old. One of the models I have is the 41cx which is distinguished for being carried on the early space shuttle missions for use to supplement the on-board computers.
If you do get a 48GX do be careful protecting the screen. The carrying case doesn't provide enough protection - I lost one because of that.
You'll need it or a desktop for many things, but not for taking notes. A paper notebook and a pen or pencil are all you'll need for taking notes. Why? Note-taking isn't outlining, which is what most people think. Note-taking is a mnemonic system. It is not transcription. Someone good at note-taking will make small sketches, use arrows, circle items, use abbreviations, and skip items of little relevance. Properly used, note-taking can act like a filter, preserving the things you think you'll need to remember from the lecture, while skipping those irrelevancies every lecture has. There is one final, absolute advantage to note-taking over laptop transcription (or taping the lecture, another rookie mistake): your focus will be on what's said in class, not on fiddling with your laptop.
Although, I'm a little partial being a developer for TI and working on the next generation of calculators, I would have to say the TI nspire is the next big thing. It should be out next quarter. More to come.... http://education.ti.com/educationportal/sites/US/n onProductMulti/nspire_cas.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TI-Nspire_CAS
No.
Remember, the generation before yours survived high school and college without the benefit of graphing calculators, and the generation before that used pencil, paper, and tables. Most of them turned out okay.
And you never know when being able to do things by hand is going to save your ass.
I recall a physics exam my freshman year of college, fairly simple mechanics stuff: find how long something takes to slide down a ramp, that sort of thing. About 10 minutes into the hour long exam my calculator blew up. Something in the LCD burst, it was a paperweight.
This was the kind of tech school where the professors just don't give a shit about your issues, and where too many missed exams counted against you heavily; leaving in the middle of one without completing it was the same thing. I was fast enough to get everything but one problem finished with 40 minutes to spare even without the calculator. Only problem was that the answer involved multiplying by the sine of an angle.
I had a couple of sin and cos values memorized: 30 degrees, 60 degrees. Had memorized the square roots of 1 through 5 to a few places, and happened to know how to compute those by hand as well.
Ever come across these formulas?
sin(x/2) = ± sqrt([1 cos x] / 2)
cos(x/2) = ± sqrt([1 + cos x] / 2)
sin(a±b)=sin(a)*cos(b)±sin(b)*cos(a)
Well, if you know sin(30) and cos(30), from these you can compute the values at 15 degrees with a few mathematical operations, then 7.5, then 3.75, etc. Build that little table, and then you can add or subtract things together to reach other values, and maybe throw in a little linear interpolation. Eventually I build an estimate answer using this approach that was close enough to get most of the points for the problem. Got dinged for not using enough significant digits, as if I'd made a rounding error, but got most of the credit.
When time was called I was in the middle of trying to check my answer against the results of a Taylor Series computed with Horner's Rule. Converting degrees to radians by hand is a snap once you've memorized Pi to a thousand places...
Wow... Slashdot fucking /ATE/ my post. Let me try this again...
I recently got a TI-89 Platinum for use in several science (and calculus >_</) courses over the next few years. Despite the fact that the HP-48 and HP-50 are technically superior, and RPN is the fucking win, I chose the TI anyway, and for one reason: software.
There is TONS of homebrewed software out there for TI calcs, and I'm already relatively familiar with m68k assembly, from coding on my C=64 back in the day (though I'm horribly rusty), so I don't have to learn to write for ARMs for the HPs. I also looked for homegrown softs for HP calcs, and found the results wanting.
I have several incredibly useful and easy-to-use chemistry tools, and lots of other good stuff for my TI, and there is a huge community. Not to mention the link software is actually well designed, and easy to use~
Link to huge amounts of TI calc software:
http://www.ticalcs.org/
Shiny. Let's be bad guys.
Classic HP 15C. Graphing is for sissies. Best form factor ever (sideways, punch with both thumbs)
Maybe a 48SX if you really need graphing.
RPN forever!!!
There's an excellent open-source MATLAB clone called Octave. I've used it for a lot of real-world physics work in my lab. Worth checking out before you shell out for MATLAB.
My bicyles
If you are that narrow minded, please don't teach that class. It's detrimental to your students.
For programs on the HP calcs, look no further than www.hpcalc.org.
--- Pork is not a verb.
I'm also a Ph.D. student in math (defending my dissertation next month), and I've found the exact opposite to be true. There's no better way to develop a deeper understanding of something than to play with it. As regards calculus and functions, this means plotting functions, composing them, zooming in on them, adding them, differentiating them, multiplying them, etc. This is especially relevant with polar and parametric equations, which can take some time to get the hang of.
The newer calculators even let you play with systems of differential equations and trace out solutions, flow lines, etc. What a great way to learn to visualize otherwise abstract concepts! If students would just sit and play with equations and see what the solutions would look like, they would have a much better grasp of what to expect when they encounter something new. Otherwise, it can tend to be a matter of memorizing a cook book of solution techniques.
Of course, there are times when the calculator can be a hinderance. In particular, the built-in symbolic differentiation and integration can become a crutch. (On the other hand, it's a great way to check your answers.) However, most of the associated problems can easily be dealt with by properly writing your curriculum. (e.g., giving calculator-free exams to test differentiation knowledge, splitting them into two-part exams (without calculator, then with calculator), giving weekly 5-minute self-quizzes, etc.)
At the end of the day, a graphing calculator is just another tool that can be used to help or hinder education. How it goes depends on a combination of student motivation and the leadership and guidance they receive from their professors and teaching assistants. (i.e., you) -- Paul
OpenSource.MathCancer.org: open source comp bio
I'm not sure about your high school but mine required a TI-83+ or TI-84+. Any other was not allowed(most teachers didn't enforce it though). I was also told that I can't use the TI-89 on the SATs although that may have changed. When I got to college I was told I'm not allowed to use a calculator of any sort for anything. When I get to the high level classes I'm allowed to use one but we have Maple which is much more advanced then a normal calculator.
The TI-89 is useful for a whole bunch of other reasons:
* Quick factoring of integers, radicals, polynomials
* Term collection and simplification
* Handling of arbitrarily large values without loss of precision (esp w.r.t. factorials)
* Substitution of variables or expressions in general formulas (user-provided function)
It really can't "solve" very much other than 4th degree polynomial roots. It's really just there to help you manipulate a complex expression without making a mistake (but you really need to be doing the manipulations... which of course requires a bit of knowledge, don't it?)
BTW I distinctly remember adding the incomplete beta and gamma functions to my TI-89, and I think error function too. They would simplify to trivial expressions if they could (to promote further manipulation) or returned numerical solutions if so coerced. I thought it was pretty slick...
THIS THING CAN TURN ON A DIME, MACROSSZERO STYLE ALSO FUCK BETA, ~NYORON
I'm a mechanical engineering major at Carnegie Mellon. In high school, I went through the same thing as you, your gadget urges telling you to buy something nicer than the TI-83 (now 84). Resist these urges. On tests, including the SATs and APs, fancy laptops and super-calculators are not allowed, and proctors will confiscate what they aren't sure about. All of your high school classes will be geared toward the 83/84, when teachers explain how to use a new function, they will explain it with 83/84 button presses, and you will be left frantically flipping through your 200 page manual to find the equivalent. Plus, all your friends are going to have 83/84s, so if you want to make/play games, these are the best calculators to do it on. I can confirm for you that right now, you are clear all the way through high school with an 83/84. Even as a mechanical engineer, lots of people still use 83s. I traded my 83 for an 89 Titanium in freshman year of college. The 89s are very powerful, but also a LOT harder to use than the 83s. Everything takes at least twice the button presses of the 83, and there are far fewer add-on applications. I know there are other brands, such as HP and Casio, but ignore these. These calculators are either crappy cheap ripoffs (Casio, even the color ones), or incredibly complicated unreliable overspeced computers (HP).
Ahh, so we're from the same vintage.
I bought my TI-85 shortly after they came out in '92, and I still use it (in my Ph.D. work, nonetheless). It's kind of a tank, and has held up well over the years (all 14 of them - crap I'm old).
I was going to suggest a TI-86, as it's the memory-upgraded 85. The TI-86 is also lacking symbolic math, so it is generally more allowed on tests and in classes than the TI-89, but it does have a lot of tools that the 83 & 86 don't (like simultaneous equations solving and polynomial root finding) that make it very useful.
I never had a TI-89, but I had its bulkier cousin, the TI-92, and from the times I've played around with the TI-89, the symbolic manipulation capabilities seemed pretty similar.
Sure, Mathematica or Maple will run circles around the TI-92/89, but I recall that the TI-92 could actually do some pretty impressive things. I certainly found that it would symbolically integrate some things that I otherwise would have used an integral table for. It could also do some very hairy algebraic manipulation (and often reducing the result down to something nice). BTW, I don't recall just what basic functions it can integrate, but it certainly can do Gaussians -- I used my TI-92 extensively for prob/stat stuff where I was calculating Gaussian integrals quite frequently. I believe the TI-89 will do the same stuff (someone please correct me if I am mistaken), and it won't be so ridiculously bulky.
I finished my Ph.D. a couple of years ago so it's been quite a while since I've been in any situations where I've been constrained by test taking considerations. =) I use a computer for all that stuff these days. (Which certainly makes sense, since I'm a computational scientist by profession.) But from what I recall of the days when I was frequently using calculators, I don't think you can go wrong with the TI-89, especially since its use is explicitly allowed on a bunch of standardized tests in the US.
BTW, I also used an HP48G extensively in college. I've still got it and use it occasionally, and it has some nice features. And, yes, once you get used to it, RPN is pretty clever. I see a lot of people championing it in favor of the TI calculators on here, but I mostly think that's because of the geek style points it confers. The HP48G series is way better than the TI calculators that came before the TI-89/92, but compared to the TI-89/92 I think the HP48G series really show their age. My 48G is *way* slower to do complicated calculations, much slower in drawing and manipulating graphs, and its symbolic manipulation capabilities are a joke.
Actually, back when I was in school, I had Octave + Gnuplot running on my Sharp Zaurus.
Yes, you really can run it on a $150 handheld.
Also worth mentioning is that there are convenient packages for Windows which include Octave and Gnuplot.
Here are some links:
Life is too short to proofread.
I absolutely agree. The HP48GX is an amazing calculator. Reverse Polish Notation (RPN) rocks...you don't need to enter in brackets with complex expressions which probably makes it 20-30% faster than other methods. The calculator uses a stack system for its calculations. To add 2 and 3, type 2 and hit enter to put it into the stack. Then press 3 and hit enter...3 also appears on the stack. Then press +. This adds the bottom two entries in the stack. With complex expressions, you start on the innermost brackets and work outwards. Because your answers are always visible in the stack, it is remarkably easy to evaluate expressions without ever rounding more than the calculator's precision.
The stack doesn't just work for numbers. It is possible to enter in many types of objects. Enter two matrices or vectors into the stack, then press +, -, x, or / and the calculator will add, subtract, multiply, or divide the two matrices, just as if they were two numbers. To find the inverse matrix, enter it into the stack and press (1/x). Complex numbers are easily handled by entering them as vectors.
The main weakness of my version is that it is a bit slow when doing things like graphing. The origin of this problem lies in HP's neglect of this product. HP used to be a highly innovative and inventive technology company. They made products that no one else imagined making, things that were designed to meet the requirements of technical professionals like engineers. Then the bean counters/MBA's took over. They sold off most of HP's innovative divisions (Agilent Technologies for example) and became primarily a maker of bog standard PC's. They stopped making the 48GX for a while, but brought it back after a loud outcry. The new version was however not quite the same as the old version. It feels cheaper than the older calculators...it doesn't quite have the same solid feel. Bloody corporate bean counters! HP has been losing money for much of the time since they took over.
It is a shame that HP hasn't updated this calculator. With a newer processor, and a few interface updates, this could truly be the ultimate calculation tool. It is still great, but if it were a bit faster with a more polished interface, then it would be perfect.
This and no other is the root from which a tyrant springs; when first he appears as a protector - Plato (423 to 327 BC)
Nonsense; I upgraded from the TI-83 to the TI-89 and never looked back. The 83/84 series are underpowered calculators that lack a computer algebra system which severely limits their effectiveness. Further, for any type of complex function the display on the 83 is going to be extremely difficult to read while the 89 will render it in a format closer to how you would write it down on paper. For me, the 89 meant freedom from the mindless tedium of simply algebra and is a wonderful replacement for integral tables. I believe quite strongly that there is no glory in solving a problem a device could solve for you. If you already have mastered an integral or solving an algebraic equation, it's time to turn those functions over to a calculator so you can focus on bigger problems. The calculator isn't much harder than any of the others and the learning curve is going to be about the same if you're not already familiar with a TI calculator. The advice that you buy the less worthy 83/84 because "everyone is doing it" or the 89 is "too hard" is bad advice. Make an investment (both of money and of learning time) in the powerful 89 which will end up serving you far better in the long run.