<p>I have a 15 year old HP48G which I realize is not the latest model but it is an excellent graphing calculator for scientific applications. Since I do not have it with me at the moment I do not know if it can find 9000! but it might be able to since it does not overflow until it reaches 1X10^500 compared to most calculators that are limited to 1X10^100. It is also programmable but it is not a feature that is particularly easy to use. I doubt you can buy a new one anymore but there could be a number of used ones available at a reasonable price.</p>
<p>As for non-graphing scientific calculators, the Casio fx-115 ES is probably the best of the bunch. It is very powerful, easy to use and would probably be allowed on most tests even though it can solve practically any definite integral.</p>
<p>I second the Casio FX-115 ES here. My school has the same policy of only calculators that are approved for use on the FE exam (and they enforce it too, one kid had his graphing calculator taken away from him on exam day).</p>
<p>A short list of features this 15$ calculator can do: </p>
<p>Solves up to 3x3 system of equations, solve quadratic and cubic equations. Can add, subtract and do dot & cross product of vectors, determinants and matrix addition & multiplication (up to 3x3), definite integrals, derivatives at a point, complex numbers(can do rectangular & polar form), summations, some basic probability & statistics, store up to 5 variables and can solve a single non-linear equation. </p>
<p>The textbook/natural display is really intuitive & easy to use, you pretty much enter in your expression exactly as you would write it out. I think the textbook/natural display is even easier to enter in than the single line on the TI-89. Plus it is good to get familiar with if you plan to take FE & PE exams.</p>
<p>Don’t waste your money on a TI-89, it really is more calculator than you need for an undergrad engineering degree.</p>
<p>I agree, TI-89 titanium all the way, especially for EE’s. EEPro (which has equations for various circuits, most often used transform pairs(z,fourier, and laplace) and much more) is very useful. </p>
<p>I am allowed to use it in most upper level EE courses. Either way, its an amazing tool to have.</p>
<p>TI-89 is great for the aforementioned reasons - saves me a ton of time and effort on many assignments.</p>
<p>You don’t really need anything more than a TI-30 or whatever - something that can do exponents and trig. Having both would be a good idea - especially since the non-graphing ones can be gotten for less than $10.</p>
<p>I doubt that any hand held calculator can do 9000!. After my HP 48G failed I tried Mathematica on my desk top computer and got a number that was about 1x10^31,000.</p>