HikoSeijuro

Whats the best graphing calculator to get for calculus? I have a TI-84 Plus but I heard the TI-89 Titanium is better for calculus. Is it worth getting the TI-89 Titanium?

CdaeloV

Yes! The TI-89 Titanium is worth getting, however, some calculus professors won't let you use graphing calculators on the test simply because you can automatically get the answers. You'll definitely have to have strong algebra & trig skills...not skills in punching in numbers and getting the right answer on the graphing calculator. Professors will usually allow you to use a scientific calculator.

You'll most likely use the TI-89 titanium when you start your engineering courses...for example, linear regression or whatever. You'll definitely have an advantage there.

HikoSeijuro

Is it worth throwing away a new TI-84 Plus just to get a TI-89 Titanium? And you could use graphing calculator on some homework.

aibarr

I still use my old, trusty TI-83 that I got in seventh grade. That makes it... eleven years old now. (Yikes!) That which I couldn't do on my 83 during undergrad, and even now in grad school, I would just do on a computer. More number-crunching power on that, anyhow. If you don't want to invest in an 89, it's definitely not required, just make sure that you've got a calculator whose bells and whistles you know how to *use*.

HikoSeijuro

Hmm... I still don't know half the funtions on my 84 plus. I just don't want to be disadvantaged by not having the best calculator (TI-89 Titanium) which can do calculus effortlessly.

karthikkito

i have a ti-89. whetever you do (ive said this in other threads too)...DON"T get dependant on your calc. learn to do the math without the calc.

zantedeschia

If you're buying a new one, I'd go with the TI-89, but if you already have a 84, I think that should be sufficient.

aibarr

Karthikkito, as a tutor and TA of a bunch of the nation's "most promising young engineers" who can't add in their heads, your suggestion makes me extremely happy!

funkyfunnybunny

naw... learning to do the math on your own is overrated. I heart the TI-89.

aibarr

Not knowing how to do simple math quickly will irritate both your instructors and your future employers and will lose you recommendation points.

soulzmischief

Most professors won't let you use an 89 on tests.

beck86nj

Or go with an HP, because rpn is awesome

peck191

or learn to do it yourself..they managed to do this stuff before calculators

Of course i'm not saying you should have to write out pages of long division or anything, but you get my point

wrprice

I think the highest TI models I was allowed to use were the 82/83 and the 85/86, which were in the same "family" for the most part.

The 89s and higher will make homework easy... but could hurt you big time on the exams if you become dependent on the little calculator that could.

For the record, I own two slide rules. Always considered bringing those into a test just to see people's reactions. :-)

hdotchar

i feel the ti-89 is a great tool. although we can't use them in most math classes (my vector calc did let me use it), you might be allowed to use it on engineering exams/physics exams, which still makes it incredibly useful. i often find it useful for finding answers quickly for things were there is no answer key. in addition, downloadable programs can greatly expand its functionality (calculating divergence, curl, gradients, multiple integrals, tensors, etc...) in addition i have found it incredibly useful for 'experimenting' for example if you want to verify certain things through computation you can do it very quickly w/ the 89 w/out actually grinding through the computation yourself.