Is a CAS Calculator Worth the Extra Cost for a Mech Engineering Student?

[jeckel7234]

Hi all,

I know this is very subjective and probably ask a few hundred thousand times. I'm an mech engineering student looking to upgrade from my ti 83. I know atleast so far my math classes won't allow a CAS capable calculator, and that you can get the interchangable keyboards to remove that function. And as far as I know there is know CAS program for the Prizm. Is the CAS system really that helpful?, I've never had the chance to use it. I know Id use the graphing feature of it a lot and integral/derivative features of them both and program in notes for formulas etc. Is it justifiable to spend another $50 on the Nspire if I can't use the CAS touchpad keyboard of it?

Thanks guys

I've posted this in Mech E forum as well hoping to get a wider variety of answers

 

[jedishrfu]

would be useful to reduce an equation or integrate a function symbolically which I am sure MEs would use:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_algebra_system