<p>That's VERY different from what you said earlier... What you said was, "it's useless to learn to do the math without the calculator," which means that you think you don't need to learn to do the math by hand. Pretty much the only way you're going to get comfortable with the methods and the concepts is if you do a lot of practice and learning <em>without</em> the calculator.</p>
<p>Sorry I'm all fired up... I'm watching NUMB3RS, and it's about structural engineering this time, and about fifty percent of what they're saying is just completely and totally wrong, and it's really bugging me! =)</p>
<p>
[quote]
Karthikkito, as a tutor and TA of a bunch of the nation's "most promising young engineers" who can't add in their heads, your suggestion makes me extremely happy!
[/quote]
</p>
<p>:-D.</p>
<p>a few other students in my calc class also had ti-89's...one of them used it exclusively (did all the problems on it, no learning simple things like the power rule, etc - seriously). he got a 2 on the bc exam. smart fellow, just became over-reliant.</p>
<p>obviously that's just one data point, but still...</p>
<p>o haha i just downloaded that episode of numb3rs. you're talking about the one about the conspiracy to kill that master's engineering student cuz he discovered a flaw in some building. i like all the math imagery in that show. i always like to see how film directors end up portraying how mathematicians think. you see the one on riemann's hypothesis w/ doogie howser.</p>
<p>I've used a TI-83 (just like a TI-84) for the last 4 years and it has served me well for virtually everything through Calc II (BC). Several people that get TI-89s don't know how to do the math, only get the answers. You'll be fine with what you have.</p>
<p>the HP is a technically better calculator. the processor is significantly more powerful, however i prefer the TI-89 simply becuase its a lot more user friendly. (i believe the HP uses like a 200+mHz processor vs the TI which has like a processor below 10 mHZ). however, i've heard some pretty bad things about the HP doing very basic calculations, and how the interface is very bad. the HP is very ideal if your a good programmer and know what your doing. in addition the HP does not have as many pre-programmed programs (that sound funny?). the TI-89 is better @ doing many calculus operations (integration mainly) because it has an 'internal integral library', whereas the HP more relies on pure processing power to do calculations. the HP is superior however for other types of computation intensive operations (row reduction/matrix inversion/ calculating absurdly large #'s).</p>
<p>yeah probably so, but you would need a computer to run matlab. this is why i have an 89 and not a HP 49G+. the hp is a lot harder to use (more programming oriented), but the large processing power it has (comparatively to the 89) is a moot point when you have a computer that is probably better suited to do the same application. however some grad students still tell me that HP 49G+'s are incredibly useful ( i cna't tell you why they think this).</p>
<p>My TI-86 is the best calculator i have ever seen. I've used other people's 83s and 89s but still prefer my 86. They are hard to find now, but i'll have mine untill it dies.</p>
<p>You may have that sucker for a while... My 83 has been with me for over a decade now, and they're gonna have to pry that thing from my cold, dead hands. It's been ridiculously reliable.</p>
<p>I prefer my TI 83+ over my TI 89. I find it easier to do all the calculations I need to do. The only time I use my 89 is if I want to check what looks like a hard integration and see if I can do the integral by hand or not.</p>
<p>On a side note, at my college you don't get to use a calculator on any tests, so you get used to doing everything in fractions and by hand w/o a calculator.</p>
<p>Damn straight about an 86. Nobody has those anymore so if you ever forget it and are forced to use an 83, you're ****ed. I hate those. For one thing I like storing long strings of numbers for a more exact answer instead of rounding so it is easier to program strings of numbers for a letter in 86's. Just one of the reasons. haha</p>
<p>I have had that thing since I lost my first one (sophomore or junior year I guess). I almost lost the one I have now too. It was my junior year or something and I couldn't find my calculator but then we got a call from a lady in Joliet saying she was walking her dog and it was thrown out of the window of a truck. She picked it up and read the name on it and found us in the phonebook. Oddly enough she shared the same last name as the burn-out whose locker was next to me. Maybe . . . nah.</p>