Best Calculators Review

Texas Instruments TI-89 Titanium Graphing Calculator

2009-12-17T15:07:00.001-08:00

... I have owned top of the line graphing and scientific calculators from TI, HP, Casio, Sharp, etc. Back when I was a student, TI's were very cheaply made and often broke quite easily. This machine, the TI-89, Titanium, is definitely not cheaply made and is definitely put together very well. It is also a good improvement over its predecessor, the TI-89 with more memory and with an improved keyboard and improved keyboard "feel" and a much better feature set, etc. The pros and cons as I see it are:

PROS:

1) It has all the standard and CAS (Computer Algebra SYstem) features that we have come to expect on such a machine, plus many nice very detailed and topic as well as course specific APPS that are already preloaded or can be added in electronically and quite simply from the TI website. The interface with a computer is fast and easy to set up.

2) It has a very nice calendar and note storage system for keeping track of coursework and daily workload assignments.

3) It is quite fast with a nice graphical interface and resultant plotting system. The resultant plots are high quality and with the many added features available for enhancement are very intuitive for the learning process.

4) The icon system for choosing where you want to be on the machine can also be converted to a much easier and quicker to navigate text-list system.

5) It has a nice and quite modern, curved body design that sits very nicely both on a desk or a table as well as in your hand.

6) It has a large amount of onboard main memory, plus additional Flash memory for tackling quite memory intensive problems.

CONS:

1) There is no SD card slot as on the HP50g.

2) Integrals are completed by a table look-up process and not by direct manipulation so very little insight can be found by students as to why the result appears the way it does. On the HP50g, in step by step mode, much insight can be gained by the manner in which the integrals are performed for example.

3) The algebraic operating system is the only choice available on this machine which usually requires many more keystrokes to do a complicated problem.

4) The available programming languages are quite limited on this machine as compared again to the HP50g.

5) Some functions that you would readily expect to be available with a single key press require instead at least two key presses, but usually with only a single shift key press first.

6) The color coding choices are not nearly as distinctive and easy to quickly recognize as on the HP50g.

7) As with the HP50g, it require multiple batteries plus a backup coin cell battery to save everything briefly when changing the main batteries.

8) TI should also impliment a fine backlight system for viewing the screen at low light levels, as recently included on the Casio FX-9860g Slim version for example. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Texas Instruments TI-89 Titanium Graphing Calculator

HP 50g Graphing Calculator (F2229AA#ABA)

2009-12-16T14:28:00.001-08:00

... It can do almost anything, including the ability to play games on it (I have played SF2 on it, wow), it can resolve equations of almost all kind, but the manual is terrible and I haven't found a way to make programs on it ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on HP 50g Graphing Calculator (F2229AA#ABA)

Texas Instruments TI1795SV Solar Calculator

2009-12-15T14:44:00.001-08:00

... I've been using these at work for years, and everybody keeps stealing them from me because they are great. They're great desk calculators with big numbers for quick, easy, and accurate entry and a -/+ key for entering negative numbers. Can't believe I'm writing a review for a calculator, but I really LOVE these. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Texas Instruments TI1795SV Solar Calculator

Sharp EL-W516B Scientific Calculator with WriteView (Black)

2009-12-14T14:31:00.001-08:00

... This is an excellent choice for those that have to work with computers. I examined lots of calculators. I even bought an HP33 and a TI model as well. What I need most is logic operations and number system conversions. AND NOT OR NOR XOR, etc. Plus I need Hexadeciman and binary number systems. Lots of calculators offer these features, but they are buried in multiple key combinations and special modes. This calculator has the logic operations written on the keys. This is good because 6 months later you will not recall any special instructions so if its not intuitive and its not readily available, you will be going back to the instructions. So having these operations listed on the keys was an absolute must for me. It also has the number system conversions listed so I can convert from decimal to hex and binary easily too. The one thing that could be better is entry of numbers in different systems. It will not really add numbers from different systems together. If you want to add two numbers, you will have to convert them to the same system first. Its easy to do, but it just adds some steps no needed by say the HP33. But of course the HP33 requires more steps for other more important things, so this calc still gets the nod. Not to mention its far superior price. And its also got Pent number system which I assume is base-5. Nice touch though I can't imagine anyone require this.

I like the write view though I am still getting used to editing it. I like the fraction display. I like the Fixed/Scientific/Engineering notations. I keep mine on engineering with TAB 9.

I'm sure it does other things, but I will let other people comment on those things. I'll just say that its an excellent calculator for a computer programmer / designer.

...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Sharp EL-W516B Scientific Calculator with WriteView (Black)

Casio HR-100TM 2-Color Printing Calculator

2009-12-13T13:16:00.001-08:00

... I was looking to replace a very old ten-key adding machine with a calculator with enough digits to display the large numbers I work with. I could find 8 or 9 digits, but I needed something much larger. I found this Casio Printing Calculator with 12-digit display at a very reasonable price. Thank you. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Casio HR-100TM 2-Color Printing Calculator

HP 10bII Financial Calculator

2009-12-12T14:22:00.001-08:00

... The calculator was in perfect condition actually it was brand new and it was half the price. I'm happy... ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on HP 10bII Financial Calculator

Texas Instruments TI-84 Plus Silver Edition Graphing Calculator

2009-12-11T14:52:00.001-08:00

... I use this calculator in all of my math and science classes and it works great! I also plan to use this for college, so it is a great investment for any high school or college student. Have had no problems at all with it. I highly recommend this calculator. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Texas Instruments TI-84 Plus Silver Edition Graphing Calculator

HP 12C Platinum Financial Calculator

2009-12-10T15:07:00.001-08:00

... It is a very good machine. I need this calculator for this examn that i am taking in december. thanks. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on HP 12C Platinum Financial Calculator

HP 35s Scientific Calculator

2009-12-09T14:33:00.001-08:00

... I have owned top of the line graphing and scientific calculators from TI, HP, Casio, Sharp, etc. Back when I was a student, TI's were very cheaply made and often broke quite easily amd similar HP products lasted almost forever. This machine, the HP35s, continues that HP tradition of the HP35 and is definitely put together very well. It is also an extremely good improvement over its predecessor, the HP33s with more memory and with a much improved keyboard layout and improved keyboard "feel" and a much better feature set overall, etc. The pros and cons as I see it are:

PROS:

1) It has all the standard features that we have come to expect on such a machine with the exception of statistical regressions beyond those that are strictly in the "linear" approximation (See CON below).

2) The machine itself has about 30kB of RAM with ~8000+ available memory storage registers and overall operates quite fast.

3) It has a nice and quite modern, curved body design that sits very nicely both on a desk or a table as well as in your hand. It emulates the old 1970's HP35 quite well, just as it was designed to do with a very fine keyboard feel.

4) Either the famous RPN (Reverse Polish Notation) and an algebraic Equation Operating System (EOS) are available to be chosen depending on the wishes of the user and on the problem to be tackled.

5) As on all such HP RPN models a very fine self-test system is available to make sure your machine is fully functional all the time.

CONS:

1) Some functions that you would readily expect to be available with a single key press require instead at least two key presses, but usually with only a single shift key press first.

2) The learning curve is quite steep, although very well worth the considerable effort, but this will heavily deter some good students from learning the RPN skills that can be effectively used for your entire lifetime once they are successfully mastered.

3) The HP35s requires two coin cell batteries which are usually much harder to find than traditional AA or AAA batteries, but as a result the unit is almost pocketable and is very light.

4) HP should have already added into the ROM the other standard common regression types (power law, exponential and logarithmic curve-fits) instead of having to waste valuable programming memory space for them after they have been programmed in by hand by the user. These as well as many more types are now readily available on both simpler HP algebraic-only machines (HP Smartcalc 300s) as well as on competing similar models by both Casio (FX-115ES) and by Sharp (EL-516B or EL-506WBBK).

5) There is no computer user interface available at all or even an external power adapter port.

6) It will not take the square root, etc. of negative numbers (it simply gives an error message) as many scientific calculators will readily accomplish currently. It will work with complex numbers, but this lack of capability is very limiting in my opinion.

7) HP should also add a backlight system for viewing the screen in the dark as implimented very nicely in the new clam-shell design on the Casio FX-9860g Slim version for example. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on HP 35s Scientific Calculator

Aurora HC110X Dual Power Compact Style 8 Digit Hardcase Calculator

2009-12-08T14:49:00.001-08:00

... I bought this for a class that just needed regular math. It has performed well and the cover keeps it turned off even in my backpack. Small and convenient. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Aurora HC110X Dual Power Compact Style 8 Digit Hardcase Calculator

Sharp EL243SB Handheld Calculator with Hard Cover

2009-12-07T14:32:00.001-08:00

... It's a good calculator for a good price. The cover protects the keys and folds flat to the back when open, so it's out of the way. It has all the basic features and it's small. Just what I was looking for. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Sharp EL243SB Handheld Calculator with Hard Cover

HP 12c Financial Calculator (12C#ABA)

2009-12-05T14:22:00.001-08:00

... The item was in excellent condition and the shipping was timely and well packaged.
I have used such a calculator before and this one replaces one I have used for over 20 years. I expect this new one to be of comparable quality.

...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on HP 12c Financial Calculator (12C#ABA)

Texas Instruments BA II Plus Financial Calculator

2009-12-04T14:53:00.001-08:00

... Having used for a month. Have to push a key very hard in order to enter something. Otherwise, it will just skip. This becomes really annoying when you need to type in something fast, for example, in an exam! ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Texas Instruments BA II Plus Financial Calculator

Casio FX-300MS Plus 229-Function Scientific Calculator

2009-12-03T15:10:00.001-08:00

... I acquired this calculator to do physics problems during my residency program. What I find most useful is the ability to keep track of the numbers that I am tabulating in a formula format so it is synomous with writing out the formulas by hand (i.e. Sin 37 = 0.6018). This is easier than older calculators where you had to enter the number then push the function key (i.e. 37 -> Sin = 0.6018). With the parentheses you can enter a series of calculations rather easily. A button for fractions is quite useful for day to day use.

A 4 directional button in the center lets me backtrack without having to re-enter numbers in more complex calculations.

The Solar Power works very well compared to 1st generation calculators. The sliding case protects the buttons and the solar cell from damage.

Luckily, I passed Physics and all I use my calculator is to do simple calculations such as volume and adding up numbers for bank statements.

I like the added versatility of this calculator over standard non-scientific calculators.

I highly recommend it. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Casio FX-300MS Plus 229-Function Scientific Calculator

Casio SL-200TE Solar DualLeaf Pocket Calculator

2009-12-02T14:28:00.001-08:00

... This Casio 200TE folding pocket calculator is OK.

Pros:
Nice slim/Sleek design. It's Big enough if you need to see large numbers and you will Not lose it in a bag or pocket. The real dimensions in the (closed position) is about 4.5" x 5" (Amazon has the wrong dimensions listed- theirs may be the package sizing, Not the product)

Cons:
I would not consider it "Travel" size. I have the folding Casio SL-100L (Now this is a travel calculator!) It will fit into your hand bag, shirt/pants pocket, etc with ease. Closed Dimensions are about 2" x 3.5". Both the 200 and 100 are basic calculators. The screens are both the same size. The 200 has bigger buttons & frame.

-Although the 200TE is advertised as having a Tax & Exchange rate feature, it is Unnecessary! It takes the same number of button pressing to calculate tax or an exchange rate as it takes to press the codes. You are only multiplying or dividing. If you had to convert between 3 different currencies (1 being the U.S.), all within the same exact session, on a daily basis, perhaps it could save you "some" time ~1 less button press.

When it comes to travel, the more compact 100 does the trick. Amazon's price at (9.99) is a little on the higher end than what I found, but the risk is not finding it in the store.

...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Casio SL-200TE Solar DualLeaf Pocket Calculator

Canon LS-85H Portable Display Calculator

2009-12-01T14:45:00.001-08:00

... This is a great calculator for the money; easy to use, display is great. Have purchased Canon calculators in the past, and they are always good quality for the money with great features. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Canon LS-85H Portable Display Calculator

Casio FX300ES 2-Line Scientific Calculator

2009-11-30T14:32:00.001-08:00

... The functionality of this calculator is 4.5 stars. The display is not as good. I purchased both the Casio fx-300ES and fx-300MS. If the display on the fx-300MS is a 10, the display on this calculator is about 8. The package of the fx-300ES does not allow you to press down on the clear plastic to see the display because the gap between the clear plastic and the face of the calculator is too deep. This design appears to be intentional because they don't want you to see what the display really looks like. There is also a plastic tape that is suppose to simulate what the displays looks like. This tape is misleading because the actual numbers are a somewhat light blue and not black like what the tapes displays shows.
...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Casio FX300ES 2-Line Scientific Calculator

Texas Instruments Voyage 200 Calculator

2009-11-29T13:19:00.001-08:00

... I have owned top of the line graphing and scientific calculators from TI, HP, Casio, Sharp, etc. Back when I was a student, TI's were very cheaply made and often broke quite easily. This machine, the TI Voyage 200, is definitely not cheaply made and is definitely put together very well. It is also a good improvement over its predecessors with a differnt form factor, the TI-89 (and even an inprovement over the TI92) with more memory and with an improved keyboard and improved keyboard "feel" and a much better feature set, etc. The pros and cons as I see it are:

PROS:

1) It has all the standard regular and CAS (Computer Algebra System) features that we have come to expect on such a machine, plus many nice very detailed and topic as well as course specific APPS that are already preloaded and these can also be added in electronically and quite simply from the TI website. The interface with a computer is fast and easy to set up. For a good manual instead of the skimpy documentation provided by TI, just use the TI-89 manual and you will be just fine on its overall capabilities and operations.

2) It has a very nice calendar and note storage system for keeping track of coursework and daily workload assignments.

3) It is quite fast with a nice graphical interface and resultant plotting system. The resultant plots are high quality and with the many added features available for enhancement, these are very intuitive for the learning process.

4) The icon system for choosing where you want to be on the machine can also be converted to a much easier and quicker to navigate text-list system.

5) It has a nice and quite modern, large slate-like body design that is quite large and that sits very nicely both on a desk or a table as well in your hands.

6) It has a large amount of onboard main memory, plus additional Flash memory for tackling quite memory intensive problems.

7) This TI Voyage 200 machine is to the TI-89 Titanium as the Casio FX-9860g Slim is to the Casio FX-9860g. The much improved form factor on both these former machines is great for computational and viewing purposes, but the TI machine is much much larger and less portable overall than the Casio which is extremely portable and pocketable.

CONS:

1) There is no SD card slot as on the HP50g.

2) Integrals are completed by a table look-up process and not by direct manipulation so very little insight can be found by students as to why the result appears the way it does. On the HP50g, in step by step mode, much additional insight can be gained by the manner in which the integrals are performed for example.

3) The algebraic operating system is the only choice available on this machine which usually requires many more keystrokes to do a complicated problem.

4) The available programming languages are quite limited on this machine as compared again to the HP50g.

5) Some functions that you would readily expect to be available with a single key press require instead at least two key presses, but usually with only a single shift key press first.

6) The color coding choices are not as distinctive and easy to quickly recognize, but much better than on the TI-69 Titanium.

7) As with the HP50g, it require multiple batteries plus a backup coin cell battery to save everything briefly when changing the main batteries.

8) TI should also impliment a fine backlight system for viewing the very large TI Voyage 200 screen at low ambient light levels, as recently included on the Casio FX-9860g Slim version for example. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Texas Instruments Voyage 200 Calculator

Casio FX-260 Solar Scientific Calculator

2009-11-28T14:22:00.001-08:00

... I got this to replace an older Casio I've been using for nearly two decades until it finally gave up. I work in a laboratory, so it was well used, dropped, dripped on... Because it lasted so long, I got the same brand. So far, I like this new one even more. It's sturdy, good-sized buttons & a nice sliding lid. I use it only for simple calculations, so I don't use the function buttons much. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Casio FX-260 Solar Scientific Calculator

TI-30XS Multiview Calculator

2009-11-27T14:54:00.001-08:00

... Having taught math in urban school setting for over 5 years where funding and student buying power is limited, I've recently discovered this calculator as a cheaper alternative. Integrated math textbooks use graphing calculators extensively. The problems rely on students being able to generate tables, statistics and graphs quickly on the calculator. While the 30XS can not do graphs it can do tables (which is rare in calculators, particularly under $20) from which students can plot their own graphs. The statistics features are also fantastic featuring the mean, standard deviation,5 number summary and more. While this calculator is not as feature loaded as a TI-84, its has most of the features my High School students needs. As a bonus its mostly solar powered so I don't need to buy AAA batteries!

I have been a TI sales person in my classroom telling students if they can not afford a graphing calculator ($80 and up) this is a good choice. I do wish TI had some sort of teaching tool like TI-Smartview for this calculator, however its features are not so dissimilar to a TI-84 which makes teaching features easier. If you are fortunate enough to have a document camera, problem solved. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on TI-30XS Multiview Calculator

Aurora HC127 Dual Power Executive Foldable Style 8 Digit Hardcase Calculator

2009-11-26T15:08:00.001-08:00

... This was a replacement after 5 years of heavy use. It has a number of pluses: 1) A cover that stays closed until you are ready to open it, 2) a larger screen, 3) bigger keys, 4) Decidely durable whether in pocket or purse. Prior to finding this calculator, I was replacing them about every 6 months. Out of a max of 5 stars, I give it a 6. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Aurora HC127 Dual Power Executive Foldable Style 8 Digit Hardcase Calculator

Texas Instruments TI34II Calculator

2009-11-25T14:28:00.001-08:00

... My son uses this calculator every day for his math. It's amazing and makes things so much easier for him. Excellent purchase. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Texas Instruments TI34II Calculator

HP 17BII+ Financial Calculator

2009-11-24T14:44:00.001-08:00

... I've always had good luck with HP products, but the HP 17bII+ is a bit of a clunker. The problem is that the keys are what can only be described as 'sluggish.' Meaning that it sometimes takes 2 key presses in order to be recognized. As you might imagine, this causes a LOT of errors. Rather than being able to use the calculator as one might do, that is, without really having to concentrate on the device itself, the HP 17bII+ forces you to take your mind off your real task in order to make sure that key presses are properly registered. Sorry, but I can't recommend this product.

One other thing... I DID call HP customer service about this a few months ago. They had me remove the batteries and do a complete reset of the static memory. It seemed to solve the problem for awhile, but eventually it returned. ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on HP 17BII+ Financial Calculator

HP 33S Scientific Calculator (F2216A)

2009-11-23T14:32:00.001-08:00

... I have owned top of the line graphing and scientific calculators from TI, HP, Casio, Sharp, etc. Back when I was a student, TI's were very cheaply made and often broke quite easily amd similar HP products lasted almost forever. This machine, the HP33s, continues that HP tradition and is definitely put together very well. It is however very poorly implimented as a portable HP scientifc calculator and to boot the keyboard is very poorly designed, oddly assembled in a characteristic V shape and overall just not very useful as a professional device for handheld computations. The pros and cons as I see it are:

PROS:

1) It has all the standard features that we have come to expect on such a machine with the exception of statistical regressions beyond those that are strictly in the "linear" approximation (See CON below).

2) The machine itself operates reasonably fast (in some cases it is actually faster than the now revered successor, the HP35s).

3) It has a nice and quite modern, curved body design that sits very nicely both on a desk or on a table as well as in your hand, but I don't like the "feel" of its keyboard.

4) Either the famous RPN (Reverse Polish Notation) and an algebraic Equation Operating System (EOS) are available to be chosen depending on the wishes of the user and on the problem to be tackled.

CONS:

1) Some functions that you would readily expect to be available with a single key press require instead at least two key presses, but usually with only a single shift key press first.

2) The RPN learning curve is quite steep, although very well worth the considerable effort, but this will heavily deter some good students from learning the RPN skills that can be effectively used for your entire lifetime once they are successfully mastered.

3) The HP33s requires two coin cell batteries which are usually much harder to find than traditional AA or AAA batteries, but as a result the unit is almost pocketable and is very light.

4) HP should have already added into the ROM the other standard common regression types (power law, exponential and logarithmic curve-fits) instead of having to waste valuable programming memory space for them after they have been programmed in by hand by the user. These as well as many more types are now readily available on both simpler HP algebraic-only machines (such as the HP Smartcalc 300s) as well as on competing similar models by both Casio (the FX-115ES) and by Sharp (the EL-506B or the EL-506WBBK).

5) There is no computer user interface available at all or even an external power adapter port.

6) It will not take the square root, etc. of negative numbers (it simply gives an error message) as many scientific calculators will readily accomplish currently. It will work with complex numbers, but this lack of capability is very limiting in my opinion.
...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on HP 33S Scientific Calculator (F2216A)

Canon HS-1200TS Desktop Calculator (7438A003AA)

2009-11-22T13:17:00.001-08:00

... HI All,

GREAT all around calculator which works well for a casual user as well as a business user. The display is large and the buttons are great for folks with large fingers. One great plus point is that it operates with both a built in battery and on solar power....so in case you cant get enough solar juice you are not out in the cold. It just works.

The price is great and amazon shipping makes it even a better value.

5/5 ...
Check Amazon Price and Read More Reviews on Canon HS-1200TS Desktop Calculator (7438A003AA)