Hey /sci/, I almost asked this in /g/ but thought I would be better off here.
What calculator is overal a good one to own? I need a new one. is the ti 84 overrated or is there a better one for the money? or is it a thing to just accept and not be too autistic about?
>>7841898
Ti-84 is a meme. Just grab any scientific calculator and you're set.
>>7841900
So what is a /sci/ approved calculator?
>>7841900
Yes and no. Casios are generally inferior to the TI 8X series, and my scientific basis for that statement is that any time I play with a Casio, I just plain don't like the layout relative to the previously mentioned calculators.
I've played with 83s, 86s and 89s. They're fun for games and HS-tier stuff, and can even be used for arithmetic. Talking about the various functions of TI calculators is a total anachronism these days though, what with the much more powerful computers/calculators everyone carries around in their pockets.
If you really want a stand-alone calculator, I would recommend one of the above (since you're going to drop a chunk of change anyway), depending on what you want. I seem to remember playing with an 84 maybe once or twice and not liking it, like it was unnecessary increment in functions between the 83 and 86. Either way if you do math above linear algebra your calculator will be of no help, and for the stuff below, you will probably have to sit at least one test at some point without a calculator - they have to check whether you've internalized the ideas, after all.
All I used calculators for now is arithmetic and some double-checks with series manipulation. Even just opening up an Excel sheet is usually faster and easier to read.
>>7841898
You never ever need a graphing calculator.
It's a complete waste of money.
Anything you need to graph should be done on a computer
>>7841898
http://4chan-science.wikia.com/wiki/Recommended_material#Calculators
Go with the classic...
>>7842036
>not mechanical
Ever since I learned how to use wolframalpha, I never needed a calculator again.
Just use a basic $2 one for arithmetic stuff.
>>7842043
That's a beautiful machine, but - good gawd - have a read about what you'd have to do just to calculate a square root.
http://www.vcalc.net/Curta_square_roots.pdf
>>7842062
You don't have a calculator app on your phone?
>>7842067
Not that guy but wolframalpha is an amazing place and much nicer than any calculator I have used
>>7841898
calculators are the most autismal, crap tier thing to discuss. its like the knife guys on gun forums who are more into the construction of the knives than the skill.
pls no more of this.
for working professionals who actually need to use a calculator instead of just maple/matlab/sage/whatever, the correct calculator to get is one of the following:
> ti 89 for out-of-the-box ease of use and collaboration
> HP 50g if youre willing for a learning curve, only you use the calculator, and you need it to do everything
also get a ti36x pro as a backup
>>7842143
forgot to mention,
every time you have to use a calculator outside of an exam you should just be using your phone to emulate the aforementioned calculator, instead of lugging around an extra tech brick
look up andygraph, graph89 and go49g on the android market
>>7842143
I am into knives
shape matters a bit
metaltype matters a lot desu senpai
I would get that 200$ TI (nspire i think)?
>>7842172
Ive been looking at these as well, anyone with one have an opinion?
>>7842149
>implying the extra thick brick isn't the cellphone
>>7842342
What about the CAS III?
ti-84 plus CE master race
>>7842344
That's the newer one I was referring to
>>7842346
>that backlight
>that rechargeable battery
>dem colors
>>7842332
>>7842172
I've got the 84+ and Nspire CX CAS. Both are good.
Personally prefer the 84+ for programming as it's more understandable to me, though I'm sure the Nspire's programming is equally, if not more, powerful and logical. 84+ just has a lower barrier to entry regarding programming. I taught myself how to program by playing around with it, whereas I'm lost when it comes to the Nspire. I'm sure some guides could make it a whole lot easier but it takes some investment in that regard.
The CAS is a definite advantage, though if you're good at algebra, you won't need it much, but it's nice to have. The Nspire does handy things automatically like simplify surds, identify significant identities, etc. The 84+ can do derivatives, ingratiation, integrals and everything the Nspire can do, but the interface is less friendly on the 84+. You can get the 84+ to have a semi-friendly interface when it comes to integrals but it's fiddly with other calculus.
The Nspire has rechargeable batteries, a colour display and a better design. You can game on it for hours. I stick to tetris and other simple games on a Gameboy Colour emulator but you can also play things like Pokemon Emerald if you're into that. It's easy to set up, I did it in about an hour with no video guides, but there are plenty of them on YouTube if needed. The weird touchpad cursor thing under the screen is fiddly but can be avoided entirely (besides some superficial graphing functions such as moving a function's label) once you get used to the feel of the calculator.
Overall, I believe the Nspire CX CAS is better. If you're concerned about buying a calculator and it being out-dated a year or two later, I can only see that being an issue with the 84+. It's really up to personal preference, I don't bash anyone for using a different calculator, I use a few ones not even mentioned here, but the Nspire CX CAS consistently scores high all the time.
>>7842346
That 200 dollars price tag
