Calc II Calculator

<p>So on my Calc II lecture description it says that students are expected to have a TI-89, and then on the discussion it says I should have a TI-86. From personal experience, which calculator did you\your peers use, and which one would you recommend? I also have my TI-84 which I barely used for Calc I.</p>

<p>A TI-89 would be infinitely more helpful than a TI-84 due to the fact that it can integrate - but in my Calc 2 class, we never used calculators. Just to check our work. If you need one in class however, I would definitely go with a TI-89. For homework, I would use wolframalpha.com</p>

<p>We weren’t allowed calculators :frowning: But wolframalpha, as said above, is a lifesaver.</p>

<p>TI-84 is fine (it can integrate too). It worked fine for me second semester of BC calc. I don’t see what you absolutely need the TI-89 for at the calc II level.</p>

<p>Just get something that graphs.</p>

<p>TI-Nspire CAS CX</p>

<p>Cheaper than TI-89 Titanium, full color screen, everything the 89 can do and much more (such as 3d graphs, dif eqs, etc.) (came out in June - not available everywhere yet)</p>

<p>It’s also much more intuitive than TI-89</p>

<p>For example to differentiate on the 89 you have to say what variable you want to differentiate, even if there’s only one. Nspire CAS CX will do it with just the differentiate command…no annoying , syntax</p>

<p>The TI-84 will work just fine, but the TI-89+ will be a great tool. The nSpire CAS is also a great choice these days (it’s a much newer product), even though I haven’t had any experience personally with it.</p>

<p>After my Calc III days, I haven’t used a calculator.</p>

<p>Honestly you want the TI 89 or the N Spire. I have always used the 89, but only because the N Spire raises too much suspicion. At my school we are not allowed to use any calculator with a CAS. </p>

<p>The TI 89 will pass your classes for you! Get the TI 89 for dummies, and any class that you have in science or math download a cheat program from the TI share website as well as the paid “_____ made easy” program if you need it (Chemestry made easy was a godsend for me)</p>

<p>Calc 2 with an 89 isn’t the even Calc 2… what the hell?</p>

<p>That’s like photography but you can use photoshop…</p>

<p>… or football and steroids.</p>

<p>Unless he just wants you to have it because he doesnt want you to get stuck but thinks you can’t use the internet.</p>

<p>I was never allowed calculators in my calculus classes because the calculators just do the work for you… And then you’ll never learn what you’re supposed to. If you are truly learning calculus, you should not need any sort of graphing or computing device. </p>

<p>There’s no point in taking calculus if you have a graphing calculator. No learning will be going on if you have one.</p>

<p>I have a pretty low opinion of calculus classes that let you have an integrating or differentiating calculator. A standard graphing calculator without a computer algebra system is all you need. I recommend the TI-82, dirt cheap and does more than what you need for a calc II class. I do not know if the 83, 84, 85, or 86’s are better with matrices and vectors or not. If you are going to take linear algebra, better matrix/vector capability will help.</p>

<p>Most calc classes ban the 89, 92, or other calculators of that capability. Years ago I took a calc class that actually issued you a 92 for four years if you were a CS or math major.</p>

<p>I have a ti 84 plus silver edition, it’s kinda my baby lol will I have to replace it?</p>

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<p>This is just foolish. Not sure about your Calculus class, but mine wasn’t focused around merely raw computation of derivatives and integrals. In a class like that, maybe a calculator could do everything for you. </p>

<p>In my calculus classes we were only given long word problems and had to set up the integral/expression/model ourselves, so no matter what kind of calculator you had, if you didn’t know the calculus concepts, you’d fail. The calculator just gets you through the excess algebra which is not the focus of a calculus course. </p>

<p>If you can ace a calculus course by putting everything into a calculator, you’re in a badly taught course.</p>

<p>But Yakyu, setting up the integral is the easiest part. Its the actual calculation that is difficult, especially when you need to use more advanced like integration by parts, or trig substitution etc. A calculator does that for you. </p>

<p>The only good calculus classes have no calculator use whatsoever.</p>

<p>The learning is what is important. To stay on the OPs intended topic, follow what the professor wants, get the TI-89 if you don’t have a calc, I’d you do, yours will be just fine</p>

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<p>This…</p>

<p>If you need a calculator to integrate, you don’t know math</p>

<p>I have a 84 that I used sparingly through high school (AP Calc AB/BC and HL IB Math) and that I intend to use in Calc III/ Diff Eq this upcoming year.</p>

<p>TI-89 is old news. Nspire-CX CAS is the future (and can do much, much more than the 89). I had an 89 for almost a decade, and got the Nspire last week - so much better. Being able to do dif eq’s, 3d graphing, etc. is amazing + it’s in color.</p>

<p>How different in the new Nspire, as in ability to use and button placement, as well battery life?</p>

<p>It’s got a rechargeable battery (CX models) which you can wall charge or plug into usb on comp. It takes some getting used to, but things are simplified. If you want to differentiate, you go to calculus, press the d/d[] button. You fill in the variable using the left/right/up/down button, then type in whatever you want.</p>

<p>Similarly, if you want a 3rd derivative theres a d[]/d[] button, where the first [] is superscripted, so you would type in 3 in the first box, x in the 2nd box to get a third derivative. It’s really simple, no annoying ,x) at the end like the 89 or memorizing how to do things.</p>

<p>It’s more like a computer program than an 89…it even has a touchpad and mouse. It takes some getting used to since it really is different to any calculator before, but it’s cheaper than the 89 titanium, is in color, and definitely seems to be the future.</p>

<p>edit:
A lot of things are in second screens. For example, cos, sin, tan, sec, csc, cot, and inverses are all displayed when you press the trig button. You just move your cursor left/right with the buttons to choose which.</p>

<p>Cool, sounds like a mobile Wolfgang alpha! Does it display derivative formulas or just the value? (like dy/dx for x^2 is 2x, or does it only show values?)</p>