Which scientific calculator does it all for the beginner?

If you like HP calculators, get the HP49G+.

If TI is your favorite, get the TI89.

They both "do it all", and you'll pay for that capability.

Which scientific calculator does it all for the beginner? Thanks in advance.

You are 100% with the Direct entry of p,n,u,m,k,M,G,T. I have been looking for a calculator that does just that without have perform multiple key strokes!

buying

I use a casio fx-115MS, which cost about $20 US. I'm pretty impressed with it. It solves simple equations numerically, and does complex arithmetic, hex, octal, binary, etc, in addition to all of the stuff you generally get. It'll compute derivatives and integrals numerically. It does fractions (and keeps them in fractional form). It's solar powered, for the most part (it has a solar panel, but it also has a battery; I guess they keep the battery charged up, but also recommend you change the battery after a few years).

advance.

Any will do. They all have Engineering notation, Sin, Cos, Tan, Log, Lin, Sqrt, Reciprocal. Buy the cheapest. I've used a Casio Fx-80 and Fx451m for what seems like forever. Keep buying new ones to try, then throwing them away when I find the bloody things use "VPAM".

What I really, really want is a scientific calculator that's ...

Size and weight of a big book so it stays where its put. Able to enter a number in and *then* press Sin. A Printing mechanism to see where I've been.

And while I'm at it, please, please Santa, a simple, non-menued mobile phone, fitted with man sized buttons.

regards john

Sounds very much like mine. I've had Casio's fx-3400P for 12 years (second battery now) and there's nothing around all these years later that can touch it. Plus it's programmable, too. And it's taken a *lot* of use over those years. I'd thoroughly recommend it to anyone. Only cost about 20 dollars when new, too.

Isn't NewzHound777 missing?

I would get an HP49G+ [1].

Totally programmable -- and there's programs for almost anything at

It took a bit for me to get used to VPAM, or "Visually Perfect Algebraic Method", but now I like it. I guess that ruins me for other calculators.... it just tries to make the buttons follow the order one would read the entry on paper, so instead of typing [1] [0] [ln] to compute the natual log of 10, you type [ln] [1] [0] [=]. It is also nice to be able to reedit prior expressions.

Which later features you mention below may mandate!

Sounds like HP RPN, except that I guess you don't want to bring in RPN at the same time.

On a scientific calculator? Wow! I could use it. What I do now is use a calculator program I wrote for myself that handles physics units as well as mensuration support. I can then print out the page on the printer.

Yup. Make them hall effect or else reed relay keys, too?

Ah! Now, that would be very handy. I see why it is a big desktop thing, now.

Hehe. Looks like it's going to be an AC thing, all right!

On this narrow point, the very cheap Casio fx-115MS does it. I have access to f, p, n, u, m, k, M, G, and T during entry of numbers. I believe I paid slightly more than US$10 for one.

Jon

Nice thing about newsgroups is coming across people with similar interests who've already been there, seen it and done it. It's now worth my buying another calc with VPAM and persevering for a while :-). regards john

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Just looked up the Fx115ms on Google. F**k! F**k!. It's one of those I bought and threw away after 20 secs use, just cos of the VPAM thing :-( I'm buying another :-) regards john

I don't think it really matters... just use a Casio cheapie.

cheers,

Al

And while we're at it, which ones allow *big* Hex calculations, like multiplying two 32-bit numbers together. This would be really nice for programming use, but the calculators I've seen only handle what fits in the (limited) number of display digits. I wouldn't mind scrolling or something to see both ends of the value, if needed. This comes up so often in programming that I imagine *somebody* must make one. Or is there something like the Windows calculator app that handles big hex?

Thanks!

Bob Masta dqatechATdaqartaDOTcom D A Q A R T A Data AcQuisition And Real-Time Analysis

advance.

you

Casio (and others such as Sharp, etc.) have such limited hex - bin - octal conversions that they're nearly useless. Try converting 2CC hex to binary, then try converting 1011001100 bin to hex. Don't be surprised of you get an error! And worse, you'll get some fonky number such as FFFFFEC, which is clearly an error. :-(

advance.

or

Sadly, mine (rsccd.org/sac.edu) can't any more. Last summer they closed down the electronics tech program. This month we got word that one of the electronics instructors that retired last year died. :-(

Lin,

buying

use

Sounds like maybe you should use Windoze Calculator or an enhanced copy of it that has more features.

Try to obtain a copy of Mathcad. There are student editions for almost reasonable prices.

It's sign extending. However, if you need hex, the windows calculator does it. Unfortunately, it doesn't do complex arithmetic, which is why I bought the casio one.

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