<p>I currently have the HP 33S calculator and its been ok so far, though it can sometimes be weird. I bought it because it was the most powerful calculator you can use on the PE/FE exam. Thogh now I have found out that as a computer engineering and electrical engineering, I probably will not have to take these exams. So I have been doing all my calc and physics with the HP 33s scientific calculator and I figure I might as well get something more powerful. I mean if I can have a device find derivatives and integrals for me, or graph something, just to check against my own work, I think thats cool and could help a lot. I am looking at either the TI-89 or the TI-89 Titanium. I like the look of the standard TI-89 a lot better than the newer one, and its a lot cheaper. I was also looking at the HP 50g.</p>
<p>I know its been mentioned in this subforum that HPs are better calculators for engineering purposes than TIs, so you might want to go searching for some of those threads. As far as the difference between 89s and 89Ts, I dont see much of a difference. The main difference between the models is the amount of memory (Titanium has 3 times as much memory) and USB port (Titantium has one, regular does not). Thus, if you never going to use your 89 for much than number crunching and basic calculus ops, I opt for the regular 89. If you want have lots of programs and games, you'll need the memory to store and the ease of upload/download that comes with the built-in USB port, so the 89-T is for you.</p>
<p>Most people I know have TI-89's. However all throughout undergrad and grad school thus far I've used my palm pilot with PowerOne</a> Graph calculator software. I do have a TI-89, but I VERY rarely use it. In fact, the only time I needed it was during a senior level math course (Complex Variables) because I needed to do symbolic evaluation and PowerOne can't do it. Otherwise, PowerOne is much more versatile than a TI.</p>
<p>Do you use the 33S in RPN mode or algebraic mode? If you use RPN, then the 50G is the best choice, since it offers RPN and the 89 series doesn't. If you don't use RPN, then either the 50G or the 89 are good choices.</p>
<p>The 89 series is more popular with students; TI is overwhelmingly dominant in the high school and college market. The 89 series is particularly noted for its powerful, easy-to-use symbolic math capabilities. </p>
<p>The HP 48/49/50 series is more popular with working engineers. In general, the HPs offer a wider variety of advanced math capabilities, but are also more complicated and difficult to use. The RPN mode offered by the HPs is particularly effective for number crunching; professionals actually spend more time at this then they do at symbolic math. </p>
<p>HP sales have declined dramatically over the past 10-20 years, due to competition from PCs and handhelds. These are now universal in the professional sector, and so there is less need for advanced calculators. In contrast, PCs are not (yet) universal in high schools and colleges, so TI still sells lots of calculators to students.</p>