<p>Hey, I will be starting mechanical engineering in a few days and will be starting with classes such as statics, calc 3, engineering computations and engineering drawing and autoCAD. Can someone recommend me a good laptop and calculator that will get me through the years? Also, and system requirements I may need to know about would be great. Thank you.</p>
<p>I know that many engineering schools will publish what the minimum stats are for a pc for a student at their school. Google is your friend…</p>
<p>Any laptop with discrete graphics should be able to handle your needs. I was always partial to the TI-89 calculator (great for Calc-related stuff), but there may be newer and better things out there nowadays.</p>
<p>You don’t need a graphing calculator. Besides they have computer programs that are way better. </p>
<p>Get a TI-36x Pro. It can do 3 x 3 matrices, simultaneous equation solver, and symbolic math like integrals. It’s basically almost as strong as a graphing calculator, that doesn’t graph, and its like 25 dollars on Amazon. </p>
<p>For a laptop, get at least an i5 processor with discrete graphics. I’m a Mac fan but you can get a good Windows laptop for around 5-700 dollars</p>
<p>I too think the TI-89 is pretty good. It’ll get you through math in a very painless fashion.
As for laptops, I was always partial to the ThinkPad. Don’t know if there’s any good models for sale right now, but take a look.</p>
<p>People’s opinions of what calculators to buy tend to be passionately based on what they were allowed to use at their school. So far I have been allowed to use the TI-84 Silver, and this semester I have some classes where I need a nonprogrammable calc, so I bought a $15 Casio FX115 ES Plus, and I would imagine that when I take circuits I’ll want a TI-89. See what your professors let you use, and buy the best one allowed. </p>
<p>The CAD or MATLAB you will do in school seems to all be doable on basically anything. I bought a $350 i3 system (Ivy Bridge, which has the improved on-board graphics processing), which I am confident is enough. But I haven’t actually taken a CAD class yet, so maybe I am nuts.</p>
<p>Many ME programs will not let you use the TI-83/84/89 and so on. They make you use the ones that are allowed on the EIT/FE. As mentioned before the TI-36x Pro is great. I sold my 89 after I got it and really haven’t had too much that I couldn’t do come up that justifies the huge difference in price. The solve feature, and the multiple variable option on the 89 is nice though.</p>
<p>Calculators can be obtained for cheap if you know where to look though. I got plenty of 84’s for $30 and an 89 for $40. Hardly a bank-breaking investment for the advantages of a CAS/graphing function/matrix function.</p>
<p>Watch eBay. I looked a couple of weeks ago for an 89 and found one for about $45. Used, but who cares? Looked brand new.</p>
<p>I have a basic Toshiba Satellite that I’ve used for 2 years of engineering classes, works great still and I’ve downloaded AutoCAD, MATLAB, NetBeans, etc.</p>
<p>For calculators, I highly recommend the TI-84. Any higher than that isn’t necessary, and any lower won’t be as useful when you get into matrices and those things. You can buy lower now but you’ll probably be back at the store in a year or two for the 84 ;)</p>
<p>The TI-89 is absolutely worth getting over the 84. The solve function and support for integration/differentiation are really convenient to have.</p>
<p>Highly recommend the ti-36x, it’s gotten me through general chemistry, calc sequence, statics, physics, and circuits. The poly solver alone is worth $25, especially for diffeq if you get a 3rd order problem and you don’t want to do division by hand. I’m painfully slow with my ti-89 (i can solve 3x3 systems with complex numbers through algebraic manipulation on the ti-36x a little faster than I can type in the rref format on the 89), but I keep it for the odd occasion when seeing what the graph looks like is useful (usually to check answers) and when wanting to check my work (rref with complex numbers for example). That said, I’m still making an effort to get better with my 89 because it does feel a little silly to bust out two calculators for tests (if allowed). I’m also assuming it will help with my upcoming linear algebra course better than the 36x.</p>
<p>Also, any laptop with a decent GPU and at least some dedicated graphics memory will be fine. Windows OS will be most common. Something that can run matlab and a 3d cad program will be fine (things like pspice and IDE’s don’t require much)</p>
<p>Also, I recommend getting a free or cheap text-to-audio reader to put on your computer and/or tablet. For some classes that were loaded with reading or essay writing, such as english, I found it very helpful to read along with articles or overly boring textbook sections as well as hear what my papers sounded like without having to talk to myself in the library.</p>
<p>@Shogun82</p>
<p>How far have you gotten with your math? I wouldn’t really go for an extremely high grade calculator if you haven’t gotten very far. For instance, in stats there are certain calculators that will do all of the work completely for you, and that the professors will not allow you to use in the class. The TI-84 Silver Plus addition worked pretty well for me.</p>
<p>I have a Ti-83, Ti-89, Ti-Nspire. Of the 3, my favorite is the 83, which is also the cheapest.
I’m probably a bit biased because I’ve used it for 7 years ish I’ve been fast with it.</p>
<p>I think the Ti-84 is pretty much the same as an 83. </p>
<p>The 89 offers a LOT of more accessories. It has built-in popular equations and you can store notes and pretty much w/e you want. My main problem with it is it feels slower to me than the 83. </p>
<p>The TI-nspire is very nice, but it’s noticeably slower. I think it can do as much as an 89 and more. I haven’t experienced with it too much. You can also store colored pictures on there. I was surprised to hear that you could use these on many standardized tests since you can store pics.</p>
<p>Everybody in my international IB high school class has TI-Nspire CX although I am the only one seriously considering engineering as a college major. Comparing it to my previous experience with TI-83 I think it was well spent $150. I think TI-89 is in similar price range as Nspire so do not believe in specious stories about all the flaws of the new full-color calculators and consider it.</p>
<p>I don’t think professors would allow the Nspire to be used on exams. </p>
<p>It’s designed for education, not for the engineering profession. In all honesty, you don’t need a high powered calculator until your junior year. </p>
<p>Get the cheap, less than 30 bucks, Sharp Casio or TI-36x pro…if you find yourself needing some help to solve more advanced problems THEN get a HP-50g or TI-89 Titanium</p>
<p>Really? I can use my Nspire during SAT I, SAT II and IB exams but I can’t use it during Calculus II exam in college? Seems ridiculous.</p>
<p>As far as calculator, I think I will end up buying a Ti-84. In my calc 2 class, we were not even allowed to use calculators but I am just looking ahead as I am a semester away from my junior year level classes. The thing I am more concerned about is the computer I need.</p>
<p>and also, what do you guys think of a 13" Mac? Or do you recommend I stick with PC?</p>
<p>just stick with PC if you have never used one before. Most of the engineering programs are on PC anyway. </p>
<p>But if you need a new computer, def get a Mac. I have my 2010 MBP no problems for 3 years, and I had another one before that for 3 years with zero issues. One great thing, you can sell it for close to what you paid and buy a new model in a few years.</p>