<p>I'm going to be a junior next year in Pre-Calculus and I need a graphing calculator. I'm stuck between 3 different models and don't know which to pick. I need some advice.</p>
<p>TI-84 Plus:
Pros - cheapest; will have everything I need for Pre-Calc; allowed an SAT, SAT II, and AP; college teacher will probably let me use it on tests; easy to use
Cons - Becomes less useful as I progress into higher-level math classes in college which means I may have to buy another calculator (TI-89 or TI-Nspire = more $$$), less programs/uses than others.</p>
<p>TI-84 Plus Silver:
Pros - not too expensive; is the same calculator used in class = won't have to work hard to learn how to use it; I can use it on SAT, SAT II, and AP; will probably be accepted by college professors on tests; has more usability than every calculator except TI-Nspire and TI-89
Cons - Same as TI-84, not to much difference from TI-84 Plus but it's a $10.00 difference which makes it worth it.</p>
<p>TI-89 Titanium:
Pros - has all the functions (CAS, factoring, expanding, 3-D graphs, integrals, differentiation, etc.) for advanced math classes (Calc 3, Differential Equations, Linear Algebra), would make SAT, SAT II, and AP a lot easier.
Cons - a lot more espensive ($50.00 more because it is not under the same discount prices as the others); really hard to learn, might not be allowed on my tests in class, might not be allowed on tests in college, might make class too easy causing a dependence on the calculator.</p>
<p>My big worry is that if I buy the TI-84 I would need the TI-89 when I got to high level math classes in college. Another worry is that if I buy the TI-89 it may not be allowed in exams at college so I may have to go down to a TI-84 or scientific or none (which would be torture).</p>
<p>TI-84+ silver is best… unless you’ll be taking very high level courses like Calc BC, then you will need a 89… but some teachers don’t allow 89’s in their classes. the 84 is usable on almost every standardized test but the 89 isn’t. i would personally recommend the 84.</p>
<p>I’d just buy like a Ti-83+ or 84+ used online. You can find them for like 25-50 bucks or try a pawn shop, used electronics store, and the sort. That way you can freely upgrade when needed without the guilt of having to spend more money since you got it for a lot less than market price.</p>
<p>Don’t get a TI-89. Your teacher will be trying to show the class how to do something and you will get completely lost. (In some cases, your teacher may not even know how to use or do something specific on the TI-89.) The kid who sat behind me in pre-calculus had one, and ended up buying a TI-84 after a couple of weeks because the learning curve on the 89 was insane. It’s far more advanced than what you’ll need these next couple years, and likely what you’ll need in college (depending on your major, obviously). If you do end up taking some advanced college math class someday, and you need an 89 (or whatever), buy it then. For now, go with a TI-83 or a TI-84. I’ve had my TI-83 plus for four years now and it’s worn well. It’s all you really need.</p>
<p>I have both a TI-89 and TI-84 Silver Addition. TI-84 is so much better for class (like someone said above me… teachers have no idea how to use it, and you’ll end up sooo lost). Though, if you figure out the tricks of the 89, it can help you time-wise on the SAT. It can solve for x and factor, among many other things.</p>
<p>For Pre-Calc? I really only used graphing on my TI-89 Titanium. It depends on which kind of calculator your teacher is adept to. My school is a TI 89 Centric school, so every teacher has materials geared towards using the TI-89. So I had lots of help because my school used the TI 89 Titanium. <em>Ironically my teacher told me that Texas Instruments got the name Titanium from my school since we correlated TI to the element Titanium -though could be coincidence</em></p>
<p>If you have a school that uses Ti-84s, then get a TI-84. Its probably more useful to get a TI-89 for other feature, but its not worth being confused in class. You want to follow along!</p>
<p>But you may have to buy both. Personally, I used scientific calculators on all tests where my TI 89 wasn’t allowed. It’s unlikely that a teacher would require a graphing calculator but would also have a problem with you doing integrals. That said, if you find that you actually use the graphing function on things like the SAT, then I would get an 83.</p>
<p>If you ever go into BC (maybe AB) calc, you will need an 89, no exceptions.</p>
<p>On the free response sections of the BC (again maybe AB) exam, there are integrals which are either impossible to solve by hand or infeasible to do in an appropriate amount of time. The 83 and 84 lack the ability to solve these kinds of questions. Anyone who claims to have performed well on the BC exam without a calculator that does integrals is far more intelligent than I.
In any case, if you ever want to progress beyond BC calc in college or wherever, then you will assuredly need the 89. It’s the only calculator that does 3-d graphs.</p>
<p>If you plan on doing math-related stuff in college, namely engineering, go for the 89. If you want something decent that can work really well for high school, go for 84 silver edition.</p>
<p>ThisCouldBeHeavn, I don’t understand your point. It’s as though you quoted my post and gave responses while completely ignoring the context. If all calculators are banned, then yes, one should not even buy a calculator. But given that it is very rare that a math course goes a whole year without using a calculator, and given that all standardized exams allow for them, “What’s in your backpack” hardly seems to be appropriate.</p>