HPs: - If you know how to use your calc, RPN is not faster (or slower - Less multilevel menus ??? not in my expirience, but it depends on the calc. - Flash applications let you do some of the same thing as the HP expansions would. I have however never seen anyone actually use them, the ones I have seen were not useful for most engineers. - The HP can do pretty print TIs: - Inefficient ???? Just as fast as RPN if you know fow to use them. For some tasks I find that the TI92/TI89 is a lot faster than the HP. - In my expirience there are plenty of HPs around university campuses - Symbolic manimulation can improve your results on exames, but you have to use it right. Your expirince: YOur example shows that you friends does not know how to use their calc, but has nothing to do with which calc to buy. As the only TI(92) user among HP48 users I have had the exact opposit exirience. (After they saw how powerful the TI92 they have all switch to TI92s:-)) What calculators people use in busnisses is that relevant here. Most people I have talked who use calc in their profession use HPs, but they have no idea what TI calculators can do. A long time ago HP was the only choice, so that was what they bought, and they have not really followed the advanced in calcs since then. So they believe that HPs are the best, but they normally do not know what the choices are. Once you are out of university you normally wont need the big calc any more, and a TI68 would be enough for most people. I discussed calculators with a working enginner not long ago, who after learning what the TIs where capable of felt "sorry" that HP had not kept up their leed:-) If symbolic manipulation is used right i can be helpful, but of course it can be used in a bad way. This is however the base for a lot of the functions which graphing calculators have (I did learn linear algebra and have a calc with rref function with out suffering too much:-)) All in all, you post indicate that you really have used Tis all that much. If you sit down and read the manual for your calc, and spend some time learning to use it, HPs and TIs will be app. equally fast. Dines
If you want a graphing calculator HP and TI are the only real choices. Whether HPs or TIs are the best are a hard question to answer, but let me try.
Let me start off with a bit of information on which graphing calculators I have used. I started off with a HP28, then switch to a TI85, and then a TI92. I am currently using a TI82 or a TI92 depending on the task. Besides this I have also used a TI81, and a HP48 for shorter periods of time.
MATH: One of the main differences between TIs and HPs is the way the equations are entered. Most HP users claim that the HP way is fastest, while TI users find that the TI way is easier to use. In my experience both methods are equally fast, and easy to use for most calculations. In case of typos in an equation I find that the method used in the TI9x+TI89 calculators is a bit faster, but all in all the diffenrence is so small that I would not let it affect which I could I would buy.
The math functions are pretty much the same in all calcs with few exceptions. - TIs lacks the erfc function which is used quite a bit in enginering, but it can be calculated in TI89/92 (but this is slower than the HP48)
-In my exoerience graphing on the HPs are (using std settings) a bit slower than the TIs, and the same goes for functions like the matrix editor.
I concider all of this to be minor stuff, and shouldn't really affect which calc to buy either. The real diffenrences are in the symbolic functions.
TI8x (except the 89) has no symbolic function HP48 can do a bit TI89+92(+) and HP49 has lots of symbolic functions
From what I have seen of the HP48s symbolic functions they aren't really useful, and all the HP users I have discussed this with seem to agree. Some HP users claim that the HP49 is better at symbolic manipulations than the TIs, but TI users has given a lot of examples where the HP is a lot slower and even gives results which are wrong. I have not tried the HP49, so it is hard for me to know who is right, but the truth is probably that they are just different.
So based purely on the math functions it is hard to decide between either of these calcs, there are differences but they are small.
PROGRAMMING: Its common for HP users to believe that the HP is a lot better for programming than TIs, but most of them have not tried programming a TI.
Personally I find that TI/BASIC is simpler to use than the HPs build in language, but this is mainly a matter of getting used to RPL. I have not seen any big diffenrences in what the build in languages can do, and have not seen anyone who was able to document this.
Both HP and TI calculators can be programmed in ASM which ofcourse gives you full control of the calc. The TIs has the advantage that they use a Z80/MC68k which means that there is lots of information on how to program in assembly. I have never programmed a HP in assembly, but from the information on several HP sites it is my impression that there is plenty of information out there.
Some HP users has mentioned systemRPL which they see as a great advantage, but on the new TIs this kind of functions are documented too. On older TIs it is possible to access some of the system functions, and with the information available for other TI calcs the rest can be found when needed.
All in all I think that once you get used to the calc you end up buying you will have all the opportunities you need for programming.
PROGRAMS/HARDWARE: If you search the internet you will see that there are loads of programs avalable for all calculators. The difference here is probably that there are more very advanced math programs avalable for the HP48 than other calcs, but who knows whether you will ever need one of those (and they might even be included in the HP49/TI89/TI92).
Several plans for additional hardware for all calcs can be foudn on the net, but it is my impression that there is more for the TIs. The HPs uses a normal serial port, which some might see as an advantage, the TI link port is easy to interface too, well documented and the link cable is just as cheap to make.
OVERALL: So which calc is the best? You can find HPs and TIs which are very similar both concerning Math programming, and avalable programs/hardware. The choice is therefore hard to make.
Generally I find that the TIs are easier to figure out how to use, but once you have gotten used to your calc this is much of a difference.
If you want symbolic functions the chioce is either HP49 or the TI92(+)/TI89. -Personally I would choose the TI92+. The way the stack works combined with the use of lists and other ""advanced"" functions makes a lot of calculations faster to do than the HP49. I also like having the QWERTY keyboard for entering equations.
If symbolic manipulation is not needed, I think that the best choice is one of the following: TI86/TI83(+)/HP48 -Here my choice would be the TI83+, again because of the speed of using listsm and correcting typos in equations.
For highschool I would chose a calc, without symbolic manipulations, while I wouldn't want to start university without a TI89/TI92/HP49.
I am sure that there are people out there who might chose the HP48/9, but what ever calc you buy I am sure you will have all the functions you need.
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HPs: - If you know how to use your calc, RPN is not faster (or slower - Less multilevel menus ??? not in my expirience, but it depends on the calc. - Flash applications let you do some of the same thing as the HP expansions would. I have however never seen anyone actually use them, the ones I have seen were not useful for most engineers. - The HP can do pretty print TIs: - Inefficient ???? Just as fast as RPN if you know fow to use them. For some tasks I find that the TI92/TI89 is a lot faster than the HP. - In my expirience there are plenty of HPs around university campuses - Symbolic manimulation can improve your results on exames, but you have to use it right. Your expirince: YOur example shows that you friends does not know how to use their calc, but has nothing to do with which calc to buy. As the only TI(92) user among HP48 users I have had the exact opposit exirience. (After they saw how powerful the TI92 they have all switch to TI92s :-)) What calculators people use in busnisses is that relevant here. Most people I have talked who use calc in their profession use HPs, but they have no idea what TI calculators can do. A long time ago HP was the only choice, so that was what they bought, and they have not really followed the advanced in calcs since then. So they believe that HPs are the best, but they normally do not know what the choices are. Once you are out of university you normally wont need the big calc any more, and a TI68 would be enough for most people. I discussed calculators with a working enginner not long ago, who after learning what the TIs where capable of felt "sorry" that HP had not kept up their leed :-) If symbolic manipulation is used right i can be helpful, but of course it can be used in a bad way. This is however the base for a lot of the functions which graphing calculators have (I did learn linear algebra and have a calc with rref function with out suffering too much :-)) All in all, you post indicate that you really have used Tis all that much. If you sit down and read the manual for your calc, and spend some time learning to use it, HPs and TIs will be app. equally fast. Dines
If you want a graphing calculator HP and TI are the only real choices. Whether HPs or TIs are the best are a hard question to answer, but let me try.
Let me start off with a bit of information on which graphing calculators I have used. I started off with a HP28, then switch to a TI85, and then a TI92. I am currently using a TI82 or a TI92 depending on the task. Besides this I have also used a TI81, and a HP48 for shorter periods of time.
MATH:
One of the main differences between TIs and HPs is the way the equations are entered. Most HP users claim that the HP way is fastest, while TI users find that the TI way is easier to use. In my experience both methods are equally fast, and easy to use for most calculations. In case of typos in an equation I find that the method used in the TI9x+TI89 calculators is a bit faster, but all in all the diffenrence is so small that I would not let it affect which I could I would buy.
The math functions are pretty much the same in all calcs with few exceptions.
- TIs lacks the erfc function which is used quite a bit in enginering, but it can be calculated in TI89/92 (but this is slower than the HP48)
-In my exoerience graphing on the HPs are (using std settings) a bit slower than the TIs, and the same goes for functions like the matrix editor.
I concider all of this to be minor stuff, and shouldn't really affect which calc to buy either. The real diffenrences are in the symbolic functions.
TI8x (except the 89) has no symbolic function
HP48 can do a bit
TI89+92(+) and HP49 has lots of symbolic functions
From what I have seen of the HP48s symbolic functions they aren't really useful, and all the HP users I have discussed this with seem to agree. Some HP users claim that the HP49 is better at symbolic manipulations than the TIs, but TI users has given a lot of examples where the HP is a lot slower and even gives results which are wrong. I have not tried the HP49, so it is hard for me to know who is right, but the truth is probably that they are just different.
So based purely on the math functions it is hard to decide between either of these calcs, there are differences but they are small.
PROGRAMMING:
Its common for HP users to believe that the HP is a lot better for programming than TIs, but most of them have not tried programming a TI.
Personally I find that TI/BASIC is simpler to use than the HPs build in language, but this is mainly a matter of getting used to RPL. I have not seen any big diffenrences in what the build in languages can do, and have not seen anyone who was able to document this.
Both HP and TI calculators can be programmed in ASM which ofcourse gives you full control of the calc. The TIs has the advantage that they use a Z80/MC68k which means that there is lots of information on how to program in assembly. I have never programmed a HP in assembly, but from the information on several HP sites it is my impression that there is plenty of information out there.
Some HP users has mentioned systemRPL which they see as a great advantage, but on the new TIs this kind of functions are documented too. On older TIs it is possible to access some of the system functions, and with the information available for other TI calcs the rest can be found when needed.
All in all I think that once you get used to the calc you end up buying you will have all the opportunities you need for programming.
PROGRAMS/HARDWARE:
If you search the internet you will see that there are loads of programs avalable for all calculators. The difference here is probably that there are more very advanced math programs avalable for the HP48 than other calcs, but who knows whether you will ever need one of those (and they might even be included in the HP49/TI89/TI92).
Several plans for additional hardware for all calcs can be foudn on the net, but it is my impression that there is more for the TIs. The HPs uses a normal serial port, which some might see as an advantage, the TI link port is easy to interface too, well documented and the link cable is just as cheap to make.
OVERALL:
So which calc is the best? You can find HPs and TIs which are very similar both concerning Math programming, and avalable programs/hardware. The choice is therefore hard to make.
Generally I find that the TIs are easier to figure out how to use, but once you have gotten used to your calc this is much of a difference.
If you want symbolic functions the chioce is either HP49 or the TI92(+)/TI89.
-Personally I would choose the TI92+. The way the stack works combined with the use of lists and other ""advanced"" functions makes a lot of calculations faster to do than the HP49. I also like having the QWERTY keyboard for entering equations.
If symbolic manipulation is not needed, I think that the best choice is one of the following: TI86/TI83(+)/HP48
-Here my choice would be the TI83+, again because of the speed of using listsm and correcting typos in equations.
For highschool I would chose a calc, without symbolic manipulations, while I wouldn't want to start university without a TI89/TI92/HP49.
I am sure that there are people out there who might chose the HP48/9, but what ever calc you buy I am sure you will have all the functions you need.
Dines