If you are allowed to use it, TI89 Ti all the way..
you will need to take some time to learn to utilize the interface, BUT with calculus it is a godsend to save you from making stupid mistakes.
the other big calc that I upgraded from was a TI-83+, easier interface, but nowhere near the ability. I broke down and spend the $150 on the 89 when I took Diff-Eq.
as far as non-graphing calcs.. the TI30xs http://education.ti.com/educationportal/sites/US/productDetail/us_ti30xs_mv.html has been great. I use it alongside the other calc frequently if i dont need the power of the bigger one. The mathprint mode and fraction input makes it the easiest interface that I have encountered (and it has better button feel then many others in the TI non-graphing line) so I can input faster into it and with less mistakes then the graphing calcs.
Luke wrote:
mblommel wrote:
If you wanna be a tough guy then get an HP 33s and do everything in RPN.
I used a HP33S for two semesters last year, and it's messed me up. I find it hard to use a regular calculator now, without instinctively thinking in RPN.
keep trying, you'll get to where you can switch back and forth, though you'll wonder why anyone has an algebraic when they could be using RPN
I've got a HP 10c that I've been using since 1983
Luke wrote:
mblommel wrote:
If you wanna be a tough guy then get an HP 33s and do everything in RPN.
I used a HP33S for two semesters last year, and it's messed me up. I find it hard to use a regular calculator now, without instinctively thinking in RPN.
My physics I professor turned me on to RPN. Just for fun he put a some massive parenthesis within parenthesis within parenthesis within parenthesis within parenthesis within parenthesis calculation on the board and challenged everyone in the class to do it on their TI calculator while he did it on his HP 33s. Nobody, (including myself) got it right. He did it in few seconds and got the right answer. After that I went a bought one. The 33s also has a lot of constants built it which is pretty cool.
I still like my Ti-89 for most day-to-day stuff though.
Back in college I used a Ti-83 and got through diffeqs. I think the ti-84model has more lines to type in equations so that model might be better. Unless you are a math major I think either the 83 or 84 model will do you good. People get caught up in the latest gagetry but teachers don't just want the answer and if you don't show any work they won't care that the answer was correct.
I'm starting to think I might bite the bullet on a 50g + 35s combo they have on Amazon for less than what the 89 will cost me local.
One of the things that really got me looking at the 89 was the pretty print feature.
I know the whole "show the work" thing far to well. On some simple math I tend to solve everything in my head and get in trouble for that. I use the calculator mostly to check myself and for when I'm crunching numbers that would make a normal calculator puke. Some of the calculations we do in chem are just flat evil, and we MUST show all work on all steps or get no credit at all.
Get the 89!!! The pretty print feature, is awesome. I can't count how many times people with almost every other calculator would look over and verbally say they wish they had that. I've had mine since my senior year in high school, 8 years later and it still works great. Keep it on my desk and use it all the time.
I really like the way it solves equations with multiple unknowns, to be quite honest, it's almost cheating. But anyone that allows a calculator at all, 99% of the time will allow a TI89. The TI89 was specifically designed to do as much as possible and still be allowed for the AP Calc exams.
