Which calculator? Hp 50G vs Ti89 Titanium

[vociferous]

An I the only one who is upset that HP still has not supplies a 64 bit windows driver for its 50g? If all you have is XP64 or Vista 64, you are not going to be able to connect it with the USB cable until HP releases the appropriate drivers.

Vista has been out for some time now and it is ridiculous that the proper driver is not available for this calculator.

The only upside is that the calculator comes with an SD card reader, so you can use that to transfer files.

 

[jtbell]

I use SD cards in my camera, and I always transfer pictures to my computer using a card reader. So if using a card to move stuff between the 50g and my Mac accomplishes the same thing that the software would, that's fine with me.

 

[coryanderson]

I feel compelled to ask this in response to the -2^4 question...If -2^4=-16 than is it safe to say that the square root of -1 = -1? example...-1^.5= -1 x 1^.5? Wow that's against everything that I've learned. Interesting though. I understand what the argument is but I would say that if -2 is a quantity than you wouldn't factor it before doing the exponent. So (-2)^4...Without the Syntax error...

 

[recklesspyro1]

I feel compelled to ask this in response to the -2^4 question...If -2^4=-16 than is it safe to say that the square root of -1 = -1? example...-1^.5= -1 x 1^.5? Wow that's against everything that I've learned. Interesting though. I understand what the argument is but I would say that if -2 is a quantity than you wouldn't factor it before doing the exponent. So (-2)^4...Without the Syntax error..."

-1^0.5 is not the square root of -1. The square root of -1=(-1)^0.5 and not -1^0.5 because -1^0.5 is not equal to (-1)^0.5. The square root of -1 or the square root of negative one means that we are taking the term negative one and finding the square root of that number. -1^0.5 means we are taking the square root of 1 and then taking the negative of that number.

 

[mister2]

HP.

I have never owned or tried a TI.

I am a bit of a different user. I write custom RPN programs to determine all kinds of trig based lengths for framing wooden structures.

RPN and the stack have provided a good living for me and my family...being a techno-framer keeps me a cut above the rest.

HP just needs to offer a job-site friendly armored case, or ruggedized version...that would be a 10 out of 10 for sure.

 

[Shajnush Amir]

After reading this thread I decided to get a 50g but I have one last question in mind before I go out and buy the most important tool of my life.
My question is can the 50g solve equations in terms of variables? Does it show step by step solution like 49g?

 

[Shajnush Amir]

HP calculators and RPN

I live in Bangladesh. Casio runs a monopoly business here. Everyone uses Casio. I WAS a Casio fan till yesterday.
I got a HP 32sII from my uncle two years ago, unfortunately he forgot to pack the manual when he came(he lives in US). So without the manual (I didnt have net connection, so couldn't download it) I got frustrated after trying to do arithmatic in algebric input system (32 + 12) and put it in my desk drawer. Even after getting the hard copy of the manual 2-3 months later I didnt bother to try it again. Today I just realized that it was one of the worst thing I ever did. Thanks to all of you HP and RPN supporters of this thread I got interested in RPN and took my 32sII out. After trying it for a few hours (with the help of the manual) I totally lost interest in Casio and any other non-RPN calcs.
I am never picking up my Casios again.
If I had known how to use RPN during my O levels I could have finished my math exams at least half an hour earlier.
HP calcs arent available here. Hell, I will be laughed at if I said HP makes calculators at the electronics shop.
I am going to ask my uncle to buy a 50g for me.
He is coming in a month or so.
I just can't wait to get my hands at a HP 50g.

 

[duydaniel]

I live in Bangladesh. Casio runs a monopoly business here. Everyone uses Casio. I WAS a Casio fan till yesterday.
I got a HP 32sII from my uncle two years ago, unfortunately he forgot to pack the manual when he came(he lives in US). So without the manual (I didnt have net connection, so couldn't download it) I got frustrated after trying to do arithmatic in algebric input system (32 + 12) and put it in my desk drawer. Even after getting the hard copy of the manual 2-3 months later I didnt bother to try it again. Today I just realized that it was one of the worst thing I ever did. Thanks to all of you HP and RPN supporters of this thread I got interested in RPN and took my 32sII out. After trying it for a few hours (with the help of the manual) I totally lost interest in Casio and any other non-RPN calcs.
I am never picking up my Casios again.
If I had known how to use RPN during my O levels I could have finished my math exams at least half an hour earlier.
HP calcs arent available here. Hell, I will be laughed at if I said HP makes calculators at the electronics shop.
I am going to ask my uncle to buy a 50g for me.
He is coming in a month or so.
I just can't wait to get my hands at a HP 50g.

Hi, nice to hear that. Actually, here is the few things you may need to consider when purchasing an HP 50g.
+ You may need a external AC power supply for your HP 50g. You can get one for cheap at hpcalc.org
+ Download the latest ROM from HP website to upgrade the calc
+ Use rechargeable batteries
+ Download additional functions (or write them yourself) to complete its power.
HP 50g can calculate 99999^999 and give your exact result without scientific notation.

 

[Dembadon]

I am going for a B.Sc. in EE.

Is the 50g overkill? Would it be a better investment to purchase a 35s, as I would likely not be able to use a 50g on an exam?

I'd rather become familiar with the device I am actually going to be using. I'd hate to spend $150.00 on something that I won't be able to use on the exams.

-Robert

 

[Adrian4English]

The 50g is a very powerful beast, bridging the gap between calculators and computers, although it is still technically a calculator. One simply has to look at the range of software available for it and the 49g+.
Is it suitable for students in an exam situation? In my humble opinion, probably not. If you couple the 50g/49g+ with an SD card you could prepare the answers to all probable questions; so let me qualify my previous statement - from a teacher/examiner perspective no, for a student yes.
(if you look at the contents of my 50g without the SD card it appears a standard machine with no programs/data files. Put the SD card in and there are hundreds of applictions including one to mark and grade my students and detect cheating!)
The other matter to consider is the learning curve - I've had my 50g for nearly three years now and I am still finding new things it can do.
Personally at your level I would use a relatively simple machine, preferably an HP for the RPN which has a large display and an "unlimited" stack (not the old style 4 level stack). I am not so familiar with all HP's models that I can quote model numbers to you.
Regards, Adrian Evans

 

[only_huce]

wencke530,

If you're an undergrad in EE all you really need is a TI83. That's what most classes recommend. Alot of courses engineering related, at least at my school, don't allow you to use calculators on exams. And I know many people who used TI89's to do the calculations for their homework assignments in calc 3, linear algebra, etc. and therefore didn't learn how to do it on their own for the exams which hurt them in the long run. So save your money and just get yourself a TI83, it'll take you longer to do the HW problems in some of your math classes but you'll be thankful when you know how to do it all on your own come exam time.

Also, a lot of the stuff EE's deal with like laplace transforms and other stuff can't really be done with an 89 or 50g alone. You need MATLAB or mathematica if you want something to compute the more complicated math for you. Although I may be wrong about the 89 aned 50g not being able to do that.

 

[jtbell]

At my school, almost all science students use a TI83+ or TI84+ (or the earlier non-"plus") models because that's what the math department recommends for their calculus classes. They use the graphing capability extensively. For anything that can't be handled by that level of calculator, people switch to appropriate computer software.

The TI89 is a nice machine, but I think it's overkill for most undergraduates, as is the HP 50g. On the other hand, amazon.com now sells the 50g for about the same price as the TI84+!

I've used HP calculators since graduate school (late 1970s), and prefer RPN to algebraic data entry. Until recently my newest HP was an 11C that has to be more than 20 years old because it was discontinued in 1989 according to the Museum of HP Calculators. I still use the 11C at home, even though I now use TI's at the office so as to be compatible with my students.

Last week I noticed that Best Buy had the HP 50g on clearance at about $95 (less than I paid for my TI84+), so I grabbed it. I haven't had a chance to play with it yet.

 

[Count Iblis]

My father let me play with his HP 11C when I was in primary school. I think that helped me master abstract math. I later bought the HP 28s. Never was that any substitute to doing homework problems. Quite the opposite; it allowed me to do far more things than I would otherwise have done.

If you are in high school you have plenty of time on your hand. If you are a bit ahead in math and physics and find these subjects interesting, then a calculator like the HP 50g should be the best present your parents can give to you. It will make it easier for you to explore the world of math and physics, causing you get far more experience with these subjects at a young age.

 

[ibcnunabit]

For those hesitant about the HP because they're unsure about RPN, just know that it works not only in RPN, but in algebraic mode as well. The HP 50G looks and feels great in addition to being uber-powerful. And how many calculators can you play Doom, Tetris, Dune, Mario Bros., or Pac-Man on? Or use as a remote for your TV? (Imagine using it to turn off crap TV in the student center.) ;) Not that you should buy it for those things, but they do illustrate the excess power and flexibility of the device.

 

[ibcnunabit]

...Anyway what's the use of reducing keystrokes when very little of the time a proficient calculator user spends is on entering things?

Well, it DOES make a difference, particularly on very in-depth calculations. But more importantly, it allows you to better keep track of intermediate results and access them immediately and intuitively (and faster). That's big, for me. ALSO, note: you don't have to use RPN unless you want to! It also has an infix algebraic mode, as well as a visual "textbook" mode--so you have ultimate flexibility. But once you "get" RPN, I dare say you won't go back. You have to experience it to really understand how much better it is.

You can also program it in C, User RPL, System RPL, HP Basic (not BASIC), Saturn Assembly, and ARM Assembly. Since you mentioned Scheme, if anyone decides to write a basic Scheme interpreter for the HP 50G, please post it here! That would be AWESOME and I would award you many haxor points. :D

--Mike

 

[sixfor]

hello everyone

what is the maximum size of memory card that can be supported by hp 50g? can someone explain to me in brief

 

[ibcnunabit]

Sure--it can handle anything up to a 2 GB SD card. The standard for SD was expanded for any size card AFTER it had already been incorporated into the HP 50g, otherwise there'd be no limit. But there's little chance you'll EVER fill up 2GBs on your calculator, and even if you did, you can just pop another card in.

--Mike from Shreveport

 

[ibcnunabit]

I am going for a B.Sc. in EE.

Is the 50g overkill? Would it be a better investment to purchase a 35s, as I would likely not be able to use a 50g on an exam?

I'd rather become familiar with the device I am actually going to be using. I'd hate to spend $150.00 on something that I won't be able to use on the exams.

-Robert

Overkill? Not for EE, are you kidding? You'll especially need that power. Engineers are one of the main groups of people this calculator was created for--probably electrical engineers more than anybody. There are some great EE programs out there for it, too, from what I can recall.

As for exams, there is a risk of it not being allowed in some class or other, but I can tell you that it is accepted on the AP Calculus, SAT I/II, and PSAT/NMSQT tests. You should be able to check the calculator policies of your school and find out what calculators are allowed in various classes.

This info was provided on the HP site:

ACT®, PLAN® and EXPLORE® are registered trademarks of ACT, Inc., which was not involved in the production of and does not endorse this product. For more information, go to www.act.org[/url]. AP Calculus requires a graphing calculator. [B]Any scientific or graphing calculator (Excludes models with QWERTY (i.e. typewriter) keyboards, electronic writing pads, and pen-input/stylus-driven devices) is permitted for the following College Board tests:[/B] AP Chemistry, AP Physics, AP Statistics (a graphing calculator with statistical capabilities is expected), PSAT/NMSQT, SAT® Reasoning and SAT® Subject Tests™ in Mathematics Level 1 and Level 2. For more information go to [url]www.collegeboard.com[/URL]. Policies are subject to change. AP® and SAT® are registered trademarks of the College Board. PSAT/NMSQT® is a registered trademark of both the College Board and National Merit Scholarship Corporation which were not involved in the production of and do not endorse this product.

 

[sixfor]

Sure--it can handle anything up to a 2 GB SD card. The standard for SD was expanded for any size card AFTER it had already been incorporated into the HP 50g, otherwise there'd be no limit. But there's little chance you'll EVER fill up 2GBs on your calculator, and even if you did, you can just pop another card in.

--Mike from Shreveport

thanks but i don't really get what u said heheh

 

[jtbell]

There are actually two different types of memory card that have the same physical shape and size: SD and SDHC.

SD cards have a maximum capacity of 2 GB. Larger-capacity cards that look like SD cards are actually SDHC cards, but people often call them "SD" anyway. The 50g was probably designed before the SDHC standard was created, so it accepts only SD cards.

There is a similar situation with digital cameras. Older ones accept only SD, but newer ones accept both SD and SDHC.

 

[ibcnunabit]

There are actually two different types of memory card that have the same physical shape and size: SD and SDHC.

SD cards have a maximum capacity of 2 GB. Larger-capacity cards that look like SD cards are actually SDHC cards, but people often call them "SD" anyway. The 50g was probably designed before the SDHC standard was created, so it accepts only SD cards.

There is a similar situation with digital cameras. Older ones accept only SD, but newer ones accept both SD and SDHC.

Exactly, but they're essentially the same "type" of card *physically* ; the "HC" in SDHC is for "high capacity." The standard was jiggered to eliminate the 2 GB limit. So SDHC cards are SD cards, but SD cards aren't necessarily SDHC cards.

 

[ibcnunabit]

Negation is an operation; it's an example of a http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unary_operation" .

No, according to the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_operations" , -2^4 = 16.

There is no law that prohibits a company from marketing calculators or computer software (e.g, Microsoft Excel) that use a non-standard order of operations, but I think it is silly to do so.

This reminds me of a joke I once read. How many Microsoft employees does it take to change a burnt-out lightbulb? None. Microsoft declares darkness the standard.

A standard order of operstions aids communication; if everyone follows the standard, then everyone knows what a given expression means. In the standard order of operations, the power operation takes precedence over negation.

As an example, consider the equation

-x^2 + 16 = 0.

According to the standard order of operations, x = -4 and x = 4 are solutions to this equation. According to your non-standard order of operations, x = -4i and x = 4i are solutions to this equation, which seems quite bizarre.

I applaud TI for using the standard order of operations. Maple also follows the standard order of operstions and returns -2^4 = -16.

Agreed.

FORTUNATELY, if you have an HP 50G and use RPN, all this drama becomes moot, because your intention is unambiguously executed:

If by -2^4 you mean (-2)^4, then you just punch in: ( "[ ]" signifies a given key )

[2] [+/-] [4] [Y^X] and get: 16

But if by -2^4 you mean -(2^4), then you just punch in:

[2] [4] [Y^X] [+/-] and get: -16

In both cases you get your intended answer, and in neither case do you have to add parentheses. In fact, you push 4 keys each time, which is the very minimum that you could punch into get the answer. This is just a basic, basic, minimalist example of why RPN is so great--it's SO much better when you have a complex computation.

 

[KimbaWLion]

Hello there Peoples :-)

JUST my 2-3 cents. My daughter went into Algebra 2 this year. All the kids in class has either a TI-83, TI-83+, 1 had a TI-89 and one even had a TI-NSpire. I have ALWAYS been a fan of HP, my first being a HP-21 and my father's being an HP-25C. I eventually replaced that HP-21 with my still working and useful HP-41CV with the math/stat pack.

Since its for my daughter it JUST had to be an HP. I got her an HP-50G open box, but new, complete with everything off ebay for $76.00, pretty good pricing. Here is what I found out the hard way. The school is TOTAL geared for the TI calcs. While the HP MAY do all that and more than any of the TIs it does not do it natively. Her teacher even tried to help her, to no avail, on how to make it do what the TI did automatically. I am sure that it can,the HP-that is, but my 10th grade daughter is not into programing her HP-50g nor does she really have time to learn, and me being a Civil Engineer makes programing very time consuming for me.

So for this year she demanded another calculator because with the summer homework pack she could not get her calc to do what she wanted, and she did try. We went to a local chain office supply store that had all the calcs the cheapest in the area. I tried to talk her into the TI-NSpire or the TI-89 and she was having NONE of that. She made me get her a TI-84+ silver edition ( includes downloads and SAT and ACT downloads and greater memory) she is now whizzing through her math homework where she was totally stymied with the much more powerful HP-50G. So if your looking at this from a kids point of view you have to consider that. In a world where a LOT of schools are geared for the TI, having an HP can cause pain. Now if somebody were to make a program to make your HP work JUST Like a TI-84s or 89s menus that would be really useful.

The end result is while the they are both great calcs., my preference being the HP-50G, it proved to a large hurtle for my daughter to climb and I ended up buy a new TI-84 silver edition for MORE money that the much better HP-50G. Totally ironic uh? I had to get her another less powerful calculator so she could function in class. Maybe in college it may be more useful but I am going to guess in 2 years MOST likely either of these calcs. will be totally outdated though I hope not. Once again JUST my 2-3 cents worth. Hope this helps somebody.

 

[AllPurposeGur]

This is exactly what I've seen. TI provides tons of input, including free hardware to the writers and to the book publishers, and gets their calculators' keysequences published DIRECTLY in the book. Some publishers even offer purchase of the calculators at a discount courtesy of TI.

I personally think it sucks. One, I have to buy my son what I would consider to be a HORRIBLE calculator, the prices of which are elevated because of the in-built demand, and the education suffers because not only is the text written such that the TI calculators are required to follow the flow, but far too much dependency is placed onto the calculator.

If the publishers were to write books that did NOT assume a particular calculator paradigm, or, for that matter, NO calculator paradigm, the students would, IMHO, fare much better than they do now.

(and I'm not being an old curmudgeon. I've had a HP-41CV since 11th grade.)

The fact that I had to learn how to use it, rather than being told "press Solve, then 0, then 100, then .1, then ")" then "ANS", actually helped me to understand what was going on BETTER.

Hello there Peoples :-)

JUST my 2-3 cents. My daughter went into Algebra 2 this year. All the kids in class has either a TI-83, TI-83+, 1 had a TI-89 and one even had a TI-NSpire. I have ALWAYS been a fan of HP, my first being a HP-21 and my father's being an HP-25C. I eventually replaced that HP-21 with my still working and useful HP-41CV with the math/stat pack.

Since its for my daughter it JUST had to be an HP. I got her an HP-50G open box, but new, complete with everything off ebay for $76.00, pretty good pricing. Here is what I found out the hard way. The school is TOTAL geared for the TI calcs. While the HP MAY do all that and more than any of the TIs it does not do it natively. Her teacher even tried to help her, to no avail, on how to make it do what the TI did automatically. I am sure that it can,the HP-that is, but my 10th grade daughter is not into programing her HP-50g nor does she really have time to learn, and me being a Civil Engineer makes programing very time consuming for me.

So for this year she demanded another calculator because with the summer homework pack she could not get her calc to do what she wanted, and she did try. We went to a local chain office supply store that had all the calcs the cheapest in the area. I tried to talk her into the TI-NSpire or the TI-89 and she was having NONE of that. She made me get her a TI-84+ silver edition ( includes downloads and SAT and ACT downloads and greater memory) she is now whizzing through her math homework where she was totally stymied with the much more powerful HP-50G. So if your looking at this from a kids point of view you have to consider that. In a world where a LOT of schools are geared for the TI, having an HP can cause pain. Now if somebody were to make a program to make your HP work JUST Like a TI-84s or 89s menus that would be really useful.

The end result is while the they are both great calcs., my preference being the HP-50G, it proved to a large hurtle for my daughter to climb and I ended up buy a new TI-84 silver edition for MORE money that the much better HP-50G. Totally ironic uh? I had to get her another less powerful calculator so she could function in class. Maybe in college it may be more useful but I am going to guess in 2 years MOST likely either of these calcs. will be totally outdated though I hope not. Once again JUST my 2-3 cents worth. Hope this helps somebody.

 

[AllPurposeGur]

I even found my son a TI-83 clone that runs on his iPod (called PI-83) but he's scared to depend on it because of the total dependency of the class on the calculator.

*sigh* at least the stupid TI-84+ is on sale this week at Target...

Hello there Peoples :-)

JUST my 2-3 cents. My daughter went into Algebra 2 this year. All the kids in class has either a TI-83, TI-83+, 1 had a TI-89 and one even had a TI-NSpire. I have ALWAYS been a fan of HP, my first being a HP-21 and my father's being an HP-25C. I eventually replaced that HP-21 with my still working and useful HP-41CV with the math/stat pack.

Since its for my daughter it JUST had to be an HP. I got her an HP-50G open box, but new, complete with everything off ebay for $76.00, pretty good pricing. Here is what I found out the hard way. The school is TOTAL geared for the TI calcs. While the HP MAY do all that and more than any of the TIs it does not do it natively. Her teacher even tried to help her, to no avail, on how to make it do what the TI did automatically. I am sure that it can,the HP-that is, but my 10th grade daughter is not into programing her HP-50g nor does she really have time to learn, and me being a Civil Engineer makes programing very time consuming for me.

So for this year she demanded another calculator because with the summer homework pack she could not get her calc to do what she wanted, and she did try. We went to a local chain office supply store that had all the calcs the cheapest in the area. I tried to talk her into the TI-NSpire or the TI-89 and she was having NONE of that. She made me get her a TI-84+ silver edition ( includes downloads and SAT and ACT downloads and greater memory) she is now whizzing through her math homework where she was totally stymied with the much more powerful HP-50G. So if your looking at this from a kids point of view you have to consider that. In a world where a LOT of schools are geared for the TI, having an HP can cause pain. Now if somebody were to make a program to make your HP work JUST Like a TI-84s or 89s menus that would be really useful.

The end result is while the they are both great calcs., my preference being the HP-50G, it proved to a large hurtle for my daughter to climb and I ended up buy a new TI-84 silver edition for MORE money that the much better HP-50G. Totally ironic uh? I had to get her another less powerful calculator so she could function in class. Maybe in college it may be more useful but I am going to guess in 2 years MOST likely either of these calcs. will be totally outdated though I hope not. Once again JUST my 2-3 cents worth. Hope this helps somebody.

 

[KimbaWLion]

While reading this the reply to this thread one thing did come to mind. When she has either Calc. or AP Calc. next year she MAY ready for that HP50G since I believe the TI-84+ silver edition is just not going to be enough, at least that is what I am hoping. I do hope that HP is hearing all that is out there and the people going to that calculator convention. I would LOVE to see a new top of the line completely explain easy to use powerhouse, I CAN Dream can't I?

 

[AC2000]

I'm about to buy a new calculator for my son...mainly for his high school math...

I used to own a HP-41CV when I was a EE student about 20 years ago. It never disappointed me and helped me to survive those years.

As many others pointed out, those who use RPN never want to switch back to non-RPN calculators. I'm one of those, thus I personally prefer HP-50G...

The only other consideration...I found out that TI-89 is very popular for high school students and got a bigger user support groups than HP.

It is a hard decision to make...any suggestions?

 

[KimbaWLion]

As I have wrote in my previous post, my local HS as well as almost every other one is geared for the TI, it matters little which, 83-89 in HS. (I can not speak or think for everyone but that's my best guess). I would bet soon either or the HP or the TI will end up being replacing these as they are years old.

I learned the hard way, for HS if your school is geared for TI, go TI. My daughter learned this the hard way because of me and I needed to buy 2 calculators since the HP-50G did not do specifically what was required natively and I ended up paying more for a less powerful calculator and that REALLY hurts...

 

[Count Iblis]

I'm about to buy a new calculator for my son...mainly for his high school math...

I used to own a HP-41CV when I was a EE student about 20 years ago. It never disappointed me and helped me to survive those years.

As many others pointed out, those who use RPN never want to switch back to non-RPN calculators. I'm one of those, thus I personally prefer HP-50G...

The only other consideration...I found out that TI-89 is very popular for high school students and got a bigger user support groups than HP.

It is a hard decision to make...any suggestions?

If your son is someone who likes to do math, then the HP- 50G would be the best option. That calculator is way superior to the TI, but it may require a bit more study to use it properly.

It is a bit like buying a new DVD player for your aging parents. You should not buy a very sophisticated thing if they can't be bothered to study the manual and try out the various functions for themselves.

 

[KimbaWLion]

If your son is someone who likes to do math, then the HP- 50G would be the best option. That calculator is way superior to the TI, but it may require a bit more study to use it properly.

It is a bit like buying a new DVD player for your aging parents. You should not buy a very sophisticated thing if they can't be bothered to study the manual and try out the various functions for themselves.

As I posted previously my daughter's school was totally geared for the TI. The HP-50g did not do a lot of what was required easily or natively, and the teacher even borrowed the instruction manual and the calculator. She could not make it do what was required and she was the Math Dept. head and a very intelligent person.

I am sure it can do what was required, and so was she, but neither my daughter, me or the teacher could get it to do in a manner that was fast and easy or in some cases at all. It was in reference to how it graphs and tables that it required. I am sure it can do it but there is a limit at times that one has to get work done.

My daughter is in all advance classes including AP Physics this year with Trig., and should have AP Calculus next year. It is there that I think the HP-50G will shine because it IS a more powerful calculator. In math classes where the books and the teacher require specific answers in a specific manner native to the TI it has little to do with more study to use it properly. I was very disheartened to have to buy a TI for my daughter since my trusty HP-41 has been so useful over the years, and still is btw, and the thought of her using a non HP kind of bothers me in small way.

I know this sounds like like I am downing TI, this is NOT the case. I am just an overly loyal HP user and firmly believe that overall, over time the HP will do things better for her. It is just that the school makes it a LOT harder not to be one of the "pack". I agree with the statement that the HP-50g is a superior calculator I have ended up using both due to this.

What made my life easier was watching my daughter and her girlfriends with TIs come over and do their summer homework packet together and getting identical results the same way and being able to help and show each other what do when one went "awry". It reminds me of my trig/math functions class in 11th grade so long ago. They all had TI-30s and I had an HP-21 and with RPN ran circles around their TI-30s which are long dead and my HP-21 still works like new after being able to modify the battery pack. Now that was and is quality. My father still has his HP-25C and the printing verison of that HP-19C was it? I forget...

The end result is see what the school is pushing and think about what you son needs for now and in the future. For her Algerbra class I ended up having her borrow the teachers calculator since I had bought her the HP and asked the teacher to see if there was a class lender so I would not have to buy another till the next school year. I saw the school adds and picked the TI-84+ silver which I knew was going to be at the lowest price of the year. There was one TI-Nspire in the class as well as one TI-89 for the record.
Good luck in whatever choice you make!

 

[fmttu]

TI users just don't get it. It's like when you learned cursive in 3rd grade. Yes, there was a learning curve, but once you learned it there was no effort in "translating" from printed letters. Afterwards you wondered why anybody would ever print. RPN is like that. Once you learn it, it's natural, much faster and easier. I can't even work a TI anymore - and wouldn't want to.

Last year I worked with our school's calculator math team that took dead last the year before with TI's. We pitched those in the trash and bought HP 35S calculators. The kids loved them - they hated the TI's. At the end of the semester they won 1st place and every one of them attributed it to the ease of the HP.

I, myself competed twice at the TX UIL state level with an HP 32e. I started out with a TI and man am I glad my math teacher showed me the HP way. I'm now an engineer and I use several HP's daily. I use a 35S on my desk. I use an HP emulator for windows and one on my Blackberry from Lygea. All I can say is give RPN a try - you'll love it or I'll gladly buy your HP from you.

 

[Count Iblis]

Hmmmm:

In math classes where the books and the teacher require specific answers in a specific manner native to the TI it has little to do with more study to use it properly.

I would remove my child from a school that teaches math this way. Thing is that you don't even need calculators to learn math. A simple calculator that can evaluate logarithms, exponentials, and trigonometric functions is more than enough.

 

[lodc]

I found the same bias towards TI calculators when I was in HS some years ago, to the point where one teacher insisted I would not be able to do the classwork with my 48SX.

Being the type of guy (nerd?) who enjoys math and playing with calculators, I took this as a challenge and in fact did very well in the class using my HP. The process of converting from the lame TI "press this, now press that" instructions into the equivalent process on my HP forced me to understand what we were doing and why we were doing it. I wrote some simple functions to speed the translation, and in doing so probably came to understand the TI process better than those using the TIs.

That said, for an average student I would probably recommend getting whatever the instructor recommends, which will probably be TI due to their sadly effective marketing. You will pass the class with less effort, although also with possibly less understanding.

 

[sixfor]

s = h[64*(theta/beta)^3-192*(theta/beta)^4-192*(theta/beta)^5-64*(theta/beta)^6]

can someone teach me how to plot the regarding graph
thanks in advance

 

[jtbell]

Which calculator are you using?