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There seems to be a lot of college students and others here in high school so I'm assuming there some people with more knowledge/experience. Right now, I'm in pre-calc and it would probably make sense to get a graphing calculator. I've been looking into the TI-84 and the TI-89. I came across a program called Zoom Algebra while looking on eBay for an 84 which sounds like a useful program. I also read the 89 has a computer algebra system and would make pre-calc a very easy class if you take the time to learn the useful functions of the calculator. Anybody have good or bad experiences with the calculators?
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If you're flammable and have legs, you are never blocking a fire exit. Unless you are a table. -
Originally posted by followthereaper
I've got a Hewlett Packard HP48G, which is or was considered one of the best graphing calculators available. I also have the "big" 500+pg. instruction manual. It's like new (I figured out rather quickly I'm not a math person) if you'd like it make an offer. . . -
I have the TI-83plus, those calculators, even the TI-89 are good, but in my opinion they only serves as pre-calculus calculators (i.e Drawing curves, lines, etc.). Yes you can find some calculus stuff in them ... Still, the use of that calculator was prohibited in my calculus courses and I did more than good without it.
Don't look as these as the ultimate weapon that will only makes your grades shine. You will know the result but not the developpment.
That said I'd go with the TI-84, don't bother spending a lot... Some teachers let me use my Ti-83 plus in class but I know that in University the use of these is prohibited during exam ( you can write all your notes into them...)Comment
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I had the TI-86. Loved it, no problems, and a step up from the TI-83. I enjoyed how all the lazy assholes in my class didn't even bother typing in the notes into the calculator, they simply taped an index card into the back of the calculator case. I also believe that being forced to use a calculator throughout highschool only taught me how to use the calculator's functions to answer problems, it didn't teach me how to do math. So if you want me to find out the solution to an algebra, geometry, trig, or calculus problem, I can do it on the calculator no problem, but the methodology and principles that make math what it is are lost on me. But do get the calculator, they are helpful.
Cheers,
NickComment
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I got the TI-83plus for all my schoolwork.
And I disagree with the above. We could use the calculator to check or this and that, but we also had to do the full manual thing on all exams and most tests to show we knew the principles.
In the end calculators are highly needed though.You took too much, man. Too much. Too much.Comment
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I had a TI-83Plus in high school and college, it worked fine for me.Comment
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I've been using the TI 83/84 since 6th grade. I highly recommend them. If you decide to get the 84, make sure you get the silver edition. The standard black ones have little squirks about them that are annoying. When you get to higher math like multivariable vector calc you'll want the 89, which is considerably different (and expensive) in terms of format than the 84. The 89 takes some time getting used to, but people who have gotten used to it love it.Comment
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im in pre calc too and my teacher said we dont need a graphing calculator. just a scientific one with trig functions.Comment
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Hey GodofRhythm, did you go to school in Europe?
Cheers,
NickComment
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Yup. In Flanders, Belgium.Originally posted by Misanthrope189
You took too much, man. Too much. Too much.Comment
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man i still got an old ti-81 around here somewhere...lol...d.m.Comment
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Do you really "need" to buy one (like in your teacher cant formulate descent problems), or will it just make you go through math with less trouble?Comment
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I have an HP 48GX and a TI-85. The HP is a bit more powerful, but I think the TI is easier to use. My wife likes the HP better. It really comes down to personal preference, but HP uses a very different method of entering equations.Comment
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Not the new ones...the HP 49 and 50 also will interpret normal algebraic notation.Originally posted by StinkbugComment
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I have the TI-92 plus and it's really a monster (at least for a calculator, of course nowhere near as powerful as Mathlab for example).
You can program your stuff. Helped me quite a bit in the last math exam. Of course we had to fully write on paper how to get to the results but it just gives a good feeling if you use the calculator to verify your results and it gets the same as you wrote.
But of course those calculators don't teach you math and if you don't know what you are doing you're still screwed
FloComment
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