Graphing Calculator Help
 

Ok, so here is the deal:

Ever since my 8th grade year (when I took Geometry), I've used my trusty Ti-84 Plus Silver Edition graphing calculator. Now that I've finished Pre-Calculus, and am going into AP Calculus and AP Physics, I'm thinking it could be time to upgrade. I've been looking a lot at the Ti-89 Titanium Edition, which has some nice 3D graphing and algebra functions. My sister is going into Geometry next year, so I would give her my old 84.

Only problem with this is that the 89 doesn't have the same commonality with the Ti-83 that the 84 does, so I would have to translate any instructions my math teacher gives us to work on the 89. There are other people I know who use 89s, though, and they have no issues with it.

Anyone here know enough about graphing calculators to tell me if its a good idea to get the 89, or should I just keep my 84 and get my sister either an 83 or an 84?

Thanks!

I had to take calculus without a graphic calculator. I've still got my trusty TI-30 SLR+. I think I bought it in junior high.

Wow :eek:

A graphing calculator is required for everyone taking Algebra II/Trig and above here, and strongly encouraged for anyone taking Geometry...

I had one of the first generation of graphing calculators in high school. We were allowed to use them for homework but not tests or anything like that. Went through differential equations in college without ever using one.

Once again..wow. I've been using my graphing calculator for every math test since 8th grade. You had to write out all your sines and such? That must have been torture...

I'm about to start on a Newton bio- I'll let you know how he fared without one.

Did you guys get to use like...slide rules or something?

*is glad to be going to school in the age of technology*

I have a TI-86 and i don't have a clue how to make it do anything but add, subtract, multiply and divide.

Remember DF, a whole slew of people went through Algerbra, Trig and other classes without graphing caculators being around. :p

Oh and in my high school math classes we wern't supposed to use anythng but a basic caculator and in college no caculators for several of the classes. Gotta learn to do it by hand first.

Yeah...I guess its just hard to imagine having to do every single problem without a calculator. I know how to do everything I can do on my calculator by hand, but I have no idea how I would ever finish a math test in time without one.

I honestly wish I knew how to use a slide rule.

In my class last year, my teacher had one hanging on the wall in a frame. On the frame, in big red letters, it read INCASE OF EMERGENCY, BREAK GLASS.

It was pretty funny, considering she had to explain why a ruler was in a box on her wall to the class (mostly everyone had no clue what it was). :D

at least i know what one is! My dad has one in his desk. He never got around to a lesson in slide rule operation, though.

Of course, this is the same guy with two functional teletype machines. Giant steel monstrosities one could use to communicate between basement and loft.

I remember that we had a thick book of tables for sines and cosines, but I don't remember much more about mathematics. I sucked at it.

Beginning in seventh grade, we were allowed to use calculators. We were encouraged to buy "scientific" calculators, thus the TI-30.

Graphic calculators came out while I was in high school, but, unlike Alex, I didn't have one. It did seem to me, though, that the students who had them were at no advantage.

So, you don't have to graph sines and cosines? Just what DO you do in math classes these days?

Wish I could help. All I can do in this thread is add my voice to the many who say that I used a slide rule in AP Calculus. I've never used a graphing calculator. Kids today...

For the most part the only thing me and my friends used our graphing calculators for was programing games into them. It was a good exercise. And then when we made it to the state math team competition* we wrote a virus into one of our games (it was a version of Defender) and spread it around the competition when we used the IR port to share the program with other people.

Much fun.

(where we were again not allowed to actually use the calculators during the competition.)

As I recall, though, the actual need to graph things generally wasn't very big once past the initial trig and calculus instruction and once you were into three dimensional equations the calulators weren't useful at all (though maybe they are now).

They were shorter and/or classes were longer.

The main thing I used my graphing calculator for was to cheat. I'd type in the key notes, then wrote a program that made it look like I was erasing the memory (in case anyone ever tried to call me on it).

Of course, by the time I was done taking the time to type in the notes, I memorized them. So I rarely actually used the illicit information on a test.

Other than that, my TI-85 was great for playing mine sweeper and snake.

We have to graph them, but there are also equations and problems where you can use your calculator to quickly find the answer.


BarTopDancer, you are probably right. Our classes are 2 hours long, but we don't normally use the entire period for the tests (which are normally around 30 questions)

Alex, one of the main reasons I'm looking at the 89 is that it has the ability to do 3D equations, which would be useful in the future for me.