Graphing Calculator Recommendations?
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I'd factor in depreciation..., but I don't have a calculator...hehe
Quote: AyecarumbaI am shopping for a graphing calculator, and would appreciate any recommendations. I have seen models from $50 for a Casio, to $180 for a TI with a color touch screen. Does the additional outlay for the more expensive models pay off in features/functions/utility?
I'd factor in depreciation..., but I don't have a calculator...hehe
What do you need to do? color & 3d graphing are nice if you're doing advanced modeling; but they're also pretty expensive.
For obvious reasons that would be a bad idea for something like the ACT or SAT.
I was a fan of TI and would recommend them over all the others. I had a Casio simply die on me. I think both my TIs that I haven't used in 10 years would probably work if I just put batteries in them.
This looks like a nice comparison. While I can't speak for all classes, I NEVER used a graphing calculator in any electrical engineering course and this was before smartphones.
http://education.ti.com/educationportal/sites/US/nonProductSingle/graphing_course_comparision.html
Quote: rdw4potusWhat do you need to do? color & 3d graphing are nice if you're doing advanced modeling; but they're also pretty expensive.
My kid is a freshman in High School now, and needs it for his Math and Physics classes.
Quote: MathExtremistYou don't have a smartphone? Graphing calculator apps cost far less than $50. I have a free Android app called Arity that works great. It live-graphs in 2D/3D (i.e. while you're typing in the equation) and lets you pan/zoom around the result.
Thanks for the input. He's got an ITouch, but I've read spotty review of some of the graphing calc. apps.
Quote: soulhunt79Is there a specific reason you need one? I ask mainly because in my experience these were rarely(if ever) needed on tests and most of the functionality can be found on smartphones. I would look at reviews before I bought one, but to me something like the Google Nexus 7(if you don't have a smartphone) offers most if not all the functionality + a lot more.
For obvious reasons that would be a bad idea for something like the ACT or SAT.
I was a fan of TI and would recommend them over all the others. I had a Casio simply die on me. I think both my TIs that I haven't used in 10 years would probably work if I just put batteries in them.
This looks like a nice comparison. While I can't speak for all classes, I NEVER used a graphing calculator in any electrical engineering course and this was before smartphones.
http://education.ti.com/educationportal/sites/US/nonProductSingle/graphing_course_comparision.html
Thanks for the info and endorsement. His teacher will actually works problems on a calculator, and expects the students to follow along on theirs. Times have changed since I was in school.
Quote: AyecarumbaMy kid is a freshman in High School now, and needs it for his Math and Physics classes.
And the TI-85 that you had in highschool is insufficient? :-)
I can't speak for smartphone apps, but I personally wouldn't like that. I like the physical feeling of pushing real keys. Touching a screen just doesn't feel right to me, of course if I used a smartphone for awhile that might change.
Quote: rdw4potusAnd the TI-85 that you had in highschool is insufficient? :-)
If by "TI-85" you mean "solar powered Sharp with 10 character display and two memories", then yes. I assume my old calculator is in some e-waste landfill, still flashing 88888888-e. hehe
Quote: rdw4potusIs there a recommended calculator that would make following along easier? If so, that's probably worth it. If not, the TI-89 is a very nice calculator.
I was hoping to avoid the $180 price tag, but I understand your reasoning. Thanks!
Quote: ewjones080I had a TI and it was great, but it really does matter what you need it for. Calculus you would need one, but anything else, you can probably get by with a ten dollar scientific calculator. Mine lasted for ten years, then the pixels (LED's?) starting going out. What's really great about them, is that they really are like mini-computers. You can actually write new programs that do different calculations, and there's all kinds of things that I never imagined a calculator could do.
I can't speak for smartphone apps, but I personally wouldn't like that. I like the physical feeling of pushing real keys. Touching a screen just doesn't feel right to me, of course if I used a smartphone for awhile that might change.
Thanks for the input. He will eventually need it for Calculus, so it looks like I'm going to have to bite the bullet.
Call up your high school's Calculus teacher and ask, there should be one that's recommended through Calc. Even if he won't be doing Calculus in high school, if he chooses to take it in college he won't have to adjust to a new one.
I wish I could give you a specific one, but I took a look at them at Walmart and didn't recognize any of them. What you really don't want to have happen is get a Casio and find out everyone else in class has a Texas Instruments. Those people have to deal with an unnecessary burden.
She hasn't bitched about it, so I guess it does the job.
Quote: AyecarumbaI was hoping to avoid the $180 price tag, but I understand your reasoning. Thanks!
Not that it helps much, but they're about $140 on Amazon.
Quote: MakingBookI bought my kid a TI-83 PLUS.
She hasn't bitched about it, so I guess it does the job.
People are still using the 83+? It's a fine calculator, but by trig or calc you're at a huge disadvantage to the people in your class using an 89. The 89 is a little more complicated to use, but is faster and has the infamous "solve" function.
Quote: ahiromuThere is absolutely no way in hell he would be allowed to use any smart phone app for a test. Whatever the current equivalent of a TI-89 is would be best, which is USUALLY the second most expensive. Back when I bought mine (ten years ago) the most powerful graphing calculator was not allowed on any of the AP tests because it was too powerful... too programmable.
Call up your high school's Calculus teacher and ask, there should be one that's recommended through Calc. Even if he won't be doing Calculus in high school, if he chooses to take it in college he won't have to adjust to a new one.
I wish I could give you a specific one, but I took a look at them at Walmart and didn't recognize any of them. What you really don't want to have happen is get a Casio and find out everyone else in class has a Texas Instruments. Those people have to deal with an unnecessary burden.
I expected that there would be a recommendation, but according to my son, the teacher said, "any" would do. "You just have to learn how to use it". I can understand that thinking, since it would be a burden for some (like me) to "have to" buy a $150 TI when a $50 Casio would do.
I think in the instructor uses a TI-83 or 84, since that appears to be the models they have for "check-out" while in the classroom. I was hoping lots of folks in the know would come out and say, "Get the Casio", but the opposite seems true.
Thanks all for your help. I appreciate it very much.
Quote: MakingBookI bought my kid a TI-83 PLUS.
She hasn't bitched about it, so I guess it does the job.Quote: ahiromuPeople are still using the 83+? It's a fine calculator, but by trig or calc you're at a huge disadvantage to the people in your class using an 89. The 89 is a little more complicated to use, but is faster and has the infamous "solve" function.
Thanks for the input. I'll look over both.
Quote: rdw4potusIs there a recommended calculator that would make following along easier? If so, that's probably worth it. If not, the TI-89 is a very nice calculator.
I agree, and as mentioned by someone else it has the nice solve function. Not sure if it is still the case though, this and the TI 92 were not allowed on some tests due to how much you could program into them. I see that the 84+ has program options though so I'm guessing this is less of an issue nowdays.
Quote: AyecarumbaI expected that there would be a recommendation, but according to my son, the teacher said, "any" would do. "You just have to learn how to use it". I can understand that thinking, since it would be a burden for some (like me) to "have to" buy a $150 TI when a $50 Casio would do.
I think in the instructor uses a TI-83 or 84, since that appears to be the models they have for "check-out" while in the classroom. I was hoping lots of folks in the know would come out and say, "Get the Casio", but the opposite seems true.
Thanks all for your help. I appreciate it very much.
I know the exact situation your son is in, I was in the same a decade ago. In two or three years, your son will want/need to upgrade to the 89. I don't know the curriculum your district follows, but for me everything up through second year algebra (11th grade math) people had the TI-83. Then during trig (12th grade math) the TI-89 started to offer advantages and by first year calculus you were a fool to not have one. Getting the 83+ is perfectly fine and will actually make the next year or two easier on your son since that's what his instructor will be using. Unfortunately, you will need to buy the 89 eventually I guarantee you. Looking back I wish I started with the 89, there should be another kid or two your son can buddy up with.
The 83+ is pretty much the exact same thing as the 84 but slower. Functionally speaking, the 84 has nothing on the 89. Also, if your son has the 89 he'll be much less likely to get games from his classmates since they aren't compatible :).
Lastly, the 89 has something called a solve function. Basically you can plug in an equation and the calculator will solve it. As long as your son's teacher doesn't ban this calculator, it will give him a serious advantage if he knows how to use it.
(I was double accelerated, so by the time I was in 11th grade I was taking Calculus. At my school Calculus was only taken if you were "advanced". Just wanted to say this if my years weren't making sense.)
It's fucking ridiculous the calculators haven't changed (in price or model) for the past 15 years. In fact, I think I paid less than what Best Buy prices are.
Quote: ahiromuAlright I'm done droning on and on. If dropping another $150 in a couple of years won't be an issue (or you have younger kid who can inherit the 83+) then it isn't as bad of a deal. Just remember the 89 will bring your kid through college, I used mine through an Engineering major and a Physics minor.
Plus, the games are pretty fun. You just have to look a little harder to find them:)
Quote: ahiromuOk I need to say one more thing.
It's f***** ridiculous the calculators haven't changed (in price or model) for the past 15 years. In fact, I think I paid less than what Best Buy prices are.
I agree. I think the advent of the smartphones and tablets are radically changing the market. There is no upside to innovation in this market. The newest models are adding touch screens and color to become more like tablets. Not much in the way of function or value... just lipstick.
When I was in high school and college, I loved my HP48SX, but in exams I would use a TI that ran on a 9 volt battery and had a 7-segment display. It didn't even have a pi button.
Newer HPs are not good and I've never heard anything good about Casio.
The simple truth is that most of Trig and Calc is done by hand because of the precision it gives you and the way the problems are crafted. Some portion will require a calculator but it will be to help illustrate a point or double check your work and you should get the calculator that will make that the easiest. At the end of the day your calculator should be able to graph simple algebraic functions, multi-line, should be able to calculate in radians, and have the 6 basic trig functions. Anything else is just bells and whistles, 90% of which won't even be used.
In my experience all the recommended calculator is, is one that the teacher will teach with BUT if you don't have that one, teachers are not rich people and they fully understand that you are not rich either and will make reasonable exceptions.
So, basically it's perfectly fine for high school/beginning college use and hasn't become obsolete or broken in 4 years. Both cost me in the neighborhood of $100 each. Both kids got As in math.
Quote: FarFromVegasLast year my son's teacher asked for TI-84+. I checked my Amazon history and I had purchased the same model two years previously for my older son, who was still using it. He just brought it to college with him, so it's still going strong since 2009.
So, basically it's perfectly fine for high school/beginning college use and hasn't become obsolete or broken in 4 years. Both cost me in the neighborhood of $100 each. Both kids got As in math.
I went back to school to finish my degree a couple years ago and I had a beat up old TI 83 (not TI 83+) and it worked just fine. None of the teacher's calculator tutorials in class worked but i was able to graph and calculate trig functions and that was enough for As in Calc.
Everyone borrowed it. Then someone got the idea to program formulas in the memory so they didn't need to memorize them for the tests, which pretty much put an end to it getting shared during tests. Nowadays the calculators even solve the equations for you.
Quote: FarFromVegasBack in 1980 or 81 I had the only programmable calculator in my high school (I've been a geek all my life,) so I just had to dig around the internet to see if I could find a model still out there. I found one that doesn't work, but they still want $66 on eBay: Listing (Mine was the 5100 model, but I haven't found one yet.) edit: Found some for as much as a new TI-89!! Too bad mine fell apart.
That makes two of us - in fact, I had a TI-59 in my senior year in HS (1980); I couldn't believe how TI could make a magnetic card-reading calculator for $200 while HP wanted $700 for theirs. Four years later, when my calculator's 0 and 1 keys pretty much stopped working, I realized why. (There is a story about someone who went up to an HP rep at a trade show and made a comment about how TI calculators were much less expensive, at which point the HP rep took his own calculator, threw it against a solid wall, stepped on it a few times, and then turned it on - "let's see your TI do that!".)
To be fair, HP's quality control isn't necessarily that much better; my first graphing calculator was an HP-28, and if you're familiar with them, then yes, it suffered from the battery case latch problem. My current calculator is a 48GX.
I am a little surprised the "graphing calculator of choice" isn't a low-end iPod Touch with some sort of calculator app; the only strikes against it that I can think of are, (a) there's just something "reassuring" about feeling the keypresses of actual keys, and (b) how long you can keep it turned on.
Quote: ThatDonGuyI am a little surprised the "graphing calculator of choice" isn't a low-end iPod Touch with some sort of calculator app; the only strikes against it that I can think of are, (a) there's just something "reassuring" about feeling the keypresses of actual keys, and (b) how long you can keep it turned on.
My guess is that the deciding factor is what kind of calculator you can take into a test. While you would think an App could easily reproduce the functions of any calculator, I doubt you could take it into a test. You don't want to be fumbling with a new machine while under time pressure.
Quote: pacomartinMy guess is that the deciding factor is what kind of calculator you can take into a test. While you would think an App could easily reproduce the functions of any calculator, I doubt you could take it into a test.
True - especially since you can't use calculators to look up the answers online. (Not yet, anyway.)
But I cannot stress enough get one on ebay for a highschooler. If it gets stolen/lost/abused, you can take some solace in the fact that you can buy 2 more used ones and still be cheaper than a new one.
The only caveat is that you say a TI-83 is recommended. The 83 and 85 have nearly identical menu systems and features. (same key strokes for common tasks) I have not used an 89 and it may have slightly different or more complex menus. It would suck to have to figure out your calculator and follow the teacher. If an 89 is significantly different, I would go with the 85. (it is cheaper too by half)
Quote: IdiotWheelAs a daily user of calculators, my recommendation is TI-85 or 89 USED off Ebay. I have gone through 5-6 TI-85s since I first bought bought one for highschool. The reason for so many is due to theft or loss. I am currently running an 85, and probably will continue to just because I know all the menus very well and I have all my programs in there.
But I cannot stress enough get one on ebay for a highschooler. If it gets stolen/lost/abused, you can take some solace in the fact that you can buy 2 more used ones and still be cheaper than a new one.
The only caveat is that you say a TI-83 is recommended. The 83 and 85 have nearly identical menu systems and features. (same key strokes for common tasks) I have not used an 89 and it may have slightly different or more complex menus. It would suck to have to figure out your calculator and follow the teacher. If an 89 is significantly different, I would go with the 85. (it is cheaper too by half)
Whichever model you decide on, have someone engrave your or your child's name into it. That should take care of misidentification issues when everyone has their calculators out at the same time and they have many of the same kind.
Abuse hasn't been an issue so far, unless you count a friend programming one to give the answer of "puta" in certain situations. Teen boys can be so witty sometimes.
The engraving is a good idea. We have a p-touch labeler, and it works pretty good, even on stuff that goes in the microwave.
Quote: FarFromVegasAbuse hasn't been an issue so far, unless you count a friend programming one to give the answer of "puta" in certain situations. Teen boys can be so witty sometimes.
Hehe, who can forget the significance of, "58008918"?
As for engraving, my calculator used to belong to a one Adam G... Some times I wonder, did Adam just had no use for a calculator anymore or did he leave it in the cafeteria one day. Then I wonder who is using one of mine these days, or if they still are? :)
Quote: IdiotWheelResale shops like cash-converters or cash to go are also a good source. You can try it out in the store. I have gone that route.
As for engraving, my calculator used to belong to a one Adam G... Some times I wonder, did Adam just had no use for a calculator anymore or did he leave it in the cafeteria one day. Then I wonder who is using one of mine these days, or if they still are? :)
Hehe... Maybe it's in the desk in Ben Bernanke's office... Apparently, he needs the log function to keep track of the U.S. currency in circulation... Or not.
So, is there somewhere a tutorial or something about how to use a graphing calculator?
Thanks
Quote: ThatDonGuyMy current calculator is a 48GX.
I use a 48G emulator on my android phone. Works great. Not as good as the real thing of course but at least I have it with me all the time.
Love that reverse polish notation!
