Which Texas Instruments calculator is best for college?
I've been a computer technician for a dozen years. However, with the recent changes in modern technology and a shift from desktop PC's to tablets I can see that my chosen career path is slowly fading away. So before that happens I've gone back to college, but now I'm in some pretty complicated math and business courses and I need a good calculator that is better than the old, simple calculator I've been using.
I've been told that a TI-83 Plus, TI-84 Plus Silver Edition or TI-89 Titanium are the best choices. Which one will best suit my need?. My degree plan is Economics and a minor in either Mathematics or Statistics, I haven't decided yet.
Thanks.
My TI-83 has been by side all through high school and college. It has never failed me and gets the job done with out too much useless clutter. I plan on using it forever!
Ti-89 Titanium: Although, it is very annoying that the price really hasn't dropped in the past 8 years. It may be possible to get a good deal on a used one at this point. I have yet to meet a single thing that my Ti cannot do. It handles every, algebra equation, derivative, integral, and graph you could ever toss its way. The amount of free programs you can get for it are amazing- anything from tetris to an interactive periodic table of the elements or flash cards. Or you could write all your notes on your computer and transfer them over. You will not be disappointed with its abilities.
I know there's more it can do but I only figured it out on a need to know basis. The user manual is huge and describes easily how to do everything you could ever want. I don't know if the other ones have this feature but the 89 comes with a cable to hook up with other 89s. I used to play calculator games against my nerdy friends in highschool. It's not important but it just made me laugh remembering.
I was forced to take intermediate algebra last year in order to (finally) graduate since the original course I'd taken (almost 20 years ago!) no longer counted toward the requirements. Oy. I'd never even held a graphing calculator, much less used one.
That all said, I used a TI-83 Plus, which is what was recommended, and it got me through the course.
I'll second the vote for the Ti-89 Titanium which is sort of like a more advanced version of the Ti-83/84. The Ti-84 was fine for while I used it, but once I switched to the Ti-89 I haven't gone back. The Ti-89 has a lot more useful options available. It also has the benefit of being allowed on some exams which the Ti-86 is not (in my past experience - not sure if this is still true).
When I get to my library tomorrow (on a college campus) I will look in the lost and found and see. We probably get about a dozen calculators a day.
Most will do fine, however some teachers won't allow the use of certain calculators in class for like quizzes or tests.
Some will even go around and delete the memory of everyone's calculator.
The ones usually not allowed are ones that can retain/bring back programs/memory even after deleting them.
That being said, I had a calculus teacher who did both and my other calculus teacher didn't care. I have had friends tell me some teachers won't even allow calculators but this was for rudimentary math (beginning algebra, second lowest course offered).
As with everything, get the right tool for the job. If you're not going to be doing things like calculus (or playing games during class) you probably don't need a TI-89. Not to mention, as somebody else stated, in many classes where they aren't necessary, TI-89's are strictly banned for the very reason that you can program functions into them and/or keep notes to yourself on them for viewing later.
Depends on the math you are taking. If a calculator is going to help you, then any graphing calculator will probably do fine. A lot of upper level courses, though, a calculator isn't going to help. It isn't really that they "aren't allowed", it's that they aren't useful for the math. A calculator for me was most useful in physics and chemistry, I had a TI-84 Plus Silver, and I think that would be fine for statistics, calculus I and II, etc. For computer technician stuff, I doubt you'll be taking multivariable stuff or diffy Q, so I don't think you need to worry about programming stuff into a TI-89...won't be allowed on the exam, anyways.
That said, I never had any math course in college, upper level or not, that actually banned the TI-89. They don't care if you use them for homework, because you aren't going to be allowed to have it on the exam, so if you don't actually learn it, it's your fault. Professors always specifically designed exams to not require calculators.
My TI-84 Plus is the highest end calculator that has been allowed on all my exams. I would check with your school policy to ensure that whatever you buy is allowed on test day! Nothing worse than getting used to one calculator and then having to re-learn a new one on test day.
TI 89-Titanium. There are many applications/programs that might be useful for your classes too. (And also many games)
@gopvifootball: Thanks, I'll look into the TI-89 a little deeper. The thick manual sounds scary, though. I'm clearly not afraid of technology, but I don't want to get something that is too complicated to operate. If the TI-89 is easy to use despite the thick manual I would certainly give it a try.
@nkull: Yikes. I'll have to check that. I didn't realize that some calculators were not allowed on some campuses. Where I am taking courses right now I see many students with TI-83's and TI-84 Silver Editions (easy to recognize with the different colors for the face plates). I'm not sure I've seen any TI-89's, but they may look just like the others.
I'll ask around to find out what the policy is at the college I am attending.
@gopvifootball: I was looking at a TI-89 online and I didn't see a keypad for letters. Does it have a QWERTY keypad like a Blackberry? Or do the letters correspond to numbers like on a phone?
I've also been seeing here people mention adding applications to it. Is that sort of like an App Store? Do you need a special cable for that?
@conanthelibrarian: It is a shame you can't send me one ;) .
BTW, I love your screen name. Great UHF reference.
@ki4rxm: TI-89's are banned? So my best option would probably be a TI-84 or TI-83?
Well, I settled on a TI-84 Plus Silver Edition. What sold me was that I found it at a Pawn Shop for $40 (compared to $120 new). It works fine and I figured I could not do any better, so I bought it. It came with the Getting Started Guide and short Mini USB to Mini USB cable.
Thanks to everyone who answered, you were all a big help.
Now I just need to learn how to use the darn thing.
(oops, dead thread resurrection, but why not?)
I'm attending the university that just happens to be closest to the Fortress of Wootitude. UTDallas doesn't allow graphing calculators to be used in my Calculus I class. I'm better off for it, to the tune of a hundred bucks, because a fellow student showed me her TI-30XS. It's under $20 bucks at the big box with the blue sign, and it does all the math I need. When I need to look at a graph to make sure my homework answer is correct, there's always Wolfram Alpha.
It took me a while to learn, because I hadn't done algebra since the '80s. It's amazing what the calculator can do. Fractions that stay fractions? Nth roots that stay nth roots? Substituting variables? It's like living in the future... I'm blown away.
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