TI-89 Vs Ipod Touch w/ CAS and graphing

College Majors Engineering Majors
#1

<p>What would be a better idea for an engineering student? I need to get a graphing calculator and am debating between the two idea's. The touch has some graphing calculator and cas apps that I could use </p>

<p>The Ipod would cost more, but have a lot more capability, but idk how that would fly with a professor.</p>

<p>Alternatively, I could be a cheaper graphing calculator w/o cas and buy an Ipod touch later. </p>

<p>PS-Is there any good apps for a mechanical engineering student?</p>

<p>Thanks for the help!</p>

#2

<p>Yeah, good luck getting a prof to agree to letting you use an Ipod (especially since you can record something and put it on there).</p>

#3

<p>Buy a TI-89 off of ebay, you can get them for so much cheaper than in the stores and will be a lot more worth it in the long run. I could never imagine a prof allowing you to use an Ipod during an exam anyway.</p>

#4

<p>Yeah, I doubt many professor's would think that an ipod be an engineering and math tool :P</p>

#5

<p>Yea with internet capabilities, I am 100% sure you will be breaking the rules - not to mention Ipod Touches are overpriced. an 8 gig will run more than $100 - I think almost $150 right now... I could buy a decent LCD TV with that money - which I will =).</p>

#6

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<p>Where the heck do you buy TV's!? Stolenville?</p>

#7

<p>lol $100 for an mp3 player and pseudo-web browser doesn't seem too bad to me. it probably has better graphics and a bigger screen size than a $100 lcd tv</p>

#8

<p>well im not buying a BIG LCD TV. I have seen a 19 inch LCD TV on amazon for $150, which I think I am going to buy, which is MORE than reasonable in a dormitory. I plan on using it with my computer - perhaps as a second screen and for my Wii. =O DORM PARTY!!!!!!!</p>

<p>Might go a little more expensive for $200 there is a slightly higher quality - but my point is its probably much better than buying a small mp3 player, which I verified now comes only at a minimum price of $260 (for an 32 gig 3g) and $170(for a 8 gig 2g) as they discontinued the smaller memory iPods that I once remember being for sale last year. Its just not worth it, I think Mac products have and always will be overpriced despite the apparent appeal of their appearance (which I will definitely admit is sleek and convenient).</p>

#9

<p>Trying to use an Ipod Touch as a calculator seems like it'd be...annoying.</p>

<p>And yeah, as everyone's said, you wouldn't be able to use it during an exam.</p>

<p>What's the difference in a cheaper graphing calculator and the TI-89? $30 or $40 at the most? Just get the 89...makes it so much easier, instead of trying to use both a calculator and an Ipod...</p>

<p>Honestly, it's the CAS that makes the TI-89 worth it for me...graphing is essentially useless. I could use a scientific calculator just as easily as a TI-83 or similar.</p>

#10

<p>The TI-89's ability to integrate is invaluable, though I strongly suggest making sure you can do it without the 89's help rather than letting it become a crutch like many people do. It should be a time saver, not something that takes the place of your brain.</p>

#11

<p>Ipod calculator is definitely out, no way they'll let you use it. Not like the professor will actually let you use the 89 on a test anyways. You can be almost certain that your math professors won't, and for the engineering professors who do, it's not going to help you if you don't understand how to set up the problem and interpret the numbers that the calculator spits out at you.</p>

#12

<p>Actually most prof. will let you use an 89 calculator if you are taking calc 2 or higher.</p>

#13

<p>I don't know anyone in the calculus/diff eq sequences at either of the schools I have attended who were allowed to use ANY calculator on the exams. Honestly, I would be suspect of a class that did. Where they are really useful is in the engineering classes.</p>

#14

<p>I wasn't able to use any graphing calculator in Calc II or III...just scientific...and Calc II didn't even require a calculator (I never used one).</p>

<p>However, I was able to use it for Physics exams.</p>

<p>But it's helpful just for doing homework. Saved me a lot of work, especially with long integrals that I didn't really want to do by hand.</p>

#15

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[quote]
Actually most prof. will let you use an 89 calculator if you are taking calc 2 or higher.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Ha! This was not the case for me. We were only allowed to use TI-83 or TI-84. Like Boneh3ad said, better off without the crutch anyway.</p>

<p>
[quote]
and Calc II didn't even require a calculator (I never used one)

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<p>Truth.</p>

#16

<p>I didn't get to use a calculator AT ALL for Calc I and Calc II</p>

#17

<p>^We don't get a calculator for ANY math. I did use one for physics and math homework that was taking too long.</p>

#18

<p>When your math class consists of far more theory and (greek) letters than numbers, see how useful that fancy 89 is. Besides, when the problem says "integrate by parts and show your work", you're not going to be able to show that work if you always just integrate on your calculator.</p>

<p>We were allowed calculators in my engineering classes because we were pushing big numbers around and had to get answers in real-world units. I could have used any old calculator for that (like my old trusty TI-30).</p>

#19

<p>If you are using a graphing calculator to do calculus, then you are in all likelyhood not learning what you should be..</p>

#20

<p>By the way, an iPod graphing calculator seems cool to have. Anybody have suggestions which app is the best?</p>

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