<p>I'm in dire need of a calculator, and I'm leaning towards the TI-89 although I've heard some good arguments for the 50g (e.g. RPN).</p>
<p>Here's what I'll be using it for:</p>
<p>Math II Subject Test
PreCal, Calc AB, maybe BC
College stuff as well</p>
<p>Many may recommend the TI-84, but if I'm going to dish out some cash for a calculator, I might as well get the best there is.</p>
<p>Suggestions?</p>
<p>I’ve used my TI-84 Plus Silver Edition for AlgI,AlgII,Geometry,Calculous. I L O V E it! The color variations are nice as well, it deters from stealing at my school (small hs). If you can’t afford the already colored version, they have different color covers and face plates at Claire’s (girly accesories store) I have also seen people use the plain old TI-84.</p>
<p>i’ve never had need for anything higher than a scientific (except for ap stats)
plus i’ve found it improves efficiency when you actually know what all the keys do</p>
<p>i recommend the casio fx-260 solar</p>
<p>ti nspire 10 char</p>
<p>nspire CAS</p>
<p>The nSpire CAS looks great but it’s very new and they’re a lot of bugs I hear. Does anyone here have one?</p>
<p>Well, in my college they don’t let us use graphing calculators altogether. I use a TI-89 for calc BC, but my teacher prohibits its use on tests in his class, so I’d have to borrow someone’s 84 for that, but I’m definitely using the 89 for the AP test.</p>
<p>As far as the SAT Math 2C, I used a TI-30XIIS scientific calculator because I did not own a graphing calculator and got an 800 on the test. I think the use of a graphing calculator, especially a TI-89, on a test like that is completely ludacrious. It’s like using an MG42 to hunt deer.</p>
<p>I doubt you’ll be able to continue using a graphing calculator during college calculus. </p>
<p>Be a better math student. Buy a scientific calculator. </p>
<p>Or better yet, an abacus.</p>
<p>Hah I have an old HP 12c and a TI-30XA…but I doubt those will suffice.</p>
<p>I’m going to go ahead and order the TI-Nspire CAS; cheapest I could find was $135. Here we go :)</p>
<p>As AeroEngineer said, you will probably go ahead and buy it only to find that your college (and most likely your math class in high school too) won’t let you use it. Cornell’s engineering program bans graphing calculators, even the basic TI-83, altogether for their exams.</p>
<p>Again, I think it’s insane that you need such an advanced calculator for either the Calc AP test or the Math Subject Test. As it is, even the 89 already gives a lot of people an unfair advantage; you can have no clue as to how to do math and have the 89 still rescue you on the Math 2C. All I have to say is because of people who can’t do math without a top of the line calculator, thank goodness College Board had the sense to put sections on the AP test that prohibit the use of a graphing calculator. Quite frankly, no matter what anyone says, you simply can’t use technology as a substitute for math ability.</p>
<p>Nasen, is right. I only use the graphing calculator to check my work. We are only allowed to use four-functions calculators on tests/quizzes, and I’m in high school.</p>
<p>You guys are thinking about it all wrong…</p>
<p>I agree that a calculator isn’t meant to be used as a crutch, and if you don’t know how to do the math you should learn before just plugging numbers into a calculator. That being said, technology is a great tool that can be used to facilitate our tasks. We all know there are cumbersome problems that, although you may know how to do them longhand, would take eons. </p>
<p>I hope the nSpire is as good as it’s made out to be :)</p>
<p>woo real men use bc</p>
<p>A lot of teachers will recommend the Ti-84 because they are too lazy to learn how to use the Ti-89’s. I say go for the Ti-89 because there are tools within this calculator if you take 5 minutes a day to learn, they will help you SO much down the road.</p>
<p>real men ssh using TELEKINESIS and then use bc</p>
<p>^relevant</p>
<p>[<a href=“http://xkcd.com/378/[/url]”>xkcd: Real Programmers](<a href=“xkcd: Real Programmers”>http://xkcd.com/378/</a>)</a></p>