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What calculator do you use ?

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quarks:

--- Quote from: firewalker on November 11, 2012, 08:07:43 pm ---Just saw it.



--- End quote ---

That is great, thanks a lot for showing. I almost forgot about this one. Many years ago I had a colleague who really did his university with this mechanical wonder (he earned his master degree as a "watch maker" at university Geneva). When I first had it in my own hands I was blown away and tried to buy it from him. But of course I had no chance to get it.

In my very early days I had to work with this

chrome:

--- Quote from: jabramo on November 11, 2012, 10:32:38 pm ---Excel is a pain to do simple calculator math since you have to wait for the program to launch and then set up your function, where a calculator is usually at hand. But I do agree that it is a powerful tool especially when working with large data sets. I also agree that there are more advanced math programs and those programs will take even longer to set up. So I think you should use the simplest tool possible for the given problem because it will be most efficient.

--- End quote ---

Excel cold-boots under 2sec on my computer and a warm-start in under .5sec.

I can input much faster on my computer than on my TI-84+.

And I wouldn't use excel for stuff like 1+2 more like actual formula's.

If I'm at a computer without excel then i just use Wolfram alpha.

ErikTheNorwegian:

--- Quote from: chrome on November 12, 2012, 09:36:12 am ---
--- Quote from: jabramo on November 11, 2012, 10:32:38 pm ---Excel is a pain to do simple calculator math since you have to wait for the program to launch and then set up your function, where a calculator is usually at hand. But I do agree that it is a powerful tool especially when working with large data sets. I also agree that there are more advanced math programs and those programs will take even longer to set up. So I think you should use the simplest tool possible for the given problem because it will be most efficient.

--- End quote ---

Excel cold-boots under 2sec on my computer and a warm-start in under .5sec.

I can input much faster on my computer than on my TI-84+.

And I wouldn't use excel for stuff like 1+2 more like actual formula's.

If I'm at a computer without excel then i just use Wolfram alpha.

--- End quote ---

I did put all my formulas and calculations, and tables i need into my TI-nspire..
its  a Ti-84+ plus Excel and PC in one tool..  I do all the formulas finshed and load them from the PC into the TI-nspire and everything is a snap from there on to use. saves both time and the hazel of repeating the same keystrokes time after time.

PA4TIM:
I use the spreadsheet open-office. It is handy when having lots of data. But i use my calculators most often in my lab ( and most times I have no computer powered on there) or while designing and that I do while lying down without a computer, i draw schematics often on paper. ( i'm a bit disabled and can not sit very long)  so a programmable calculator is more easy for me. Upto now the HP-48GX app is becoming my favorite. I wanted to buy a HP50 but i read here  that it is not as good as the 48 and they changed several things again , not handy because  I'm just starting to know the 48.
I looked for used one, but they seem to cost even more as a new HP50, so it looks like the ipad app will stay my only HP48GX or maybe I better buy a HP50GX
Things I miss is the pi , lastx and x<>y button. I use those a lot. But i still have the 35's for the normal calculating jobs so not a real problem. What I like about the 50 is the size, huge screen and looks/layout. The 48 is ugly and so much knobs and text on it that I'm allways searching.

That is the thing I do not like from HP. On every calculator layout it complete different. Like pi is a yellow function on the 35s, a main buton on the 35, a blue function on the 15C and a softkey in a submenu on the 48, a yellow shift on the 42S ect. And brsides that every time above or under a different main key. ( like above Rdown on the 42S and above cos but under Rdown on the 35s)

Besides that, a spreadsheet does not have a solver. For instance my hp-48GX app has one formula for the thompson resonance formula. And using the solver i can get frequency, L or C. In a spreadsheet I need 3 formulas for that.


That Ti enspire is a very nice looking calculator with nice options but I thing to complex for me. I never had TI and I like the way HP works. So I stick to HP

ErikTheNorwegian:
I can certainly agree to that, the calculator is like the IT infrastructure in a company, it got to mirror the true use and needs of the users.  :)

TI nspire is not that difficult to learn, its mostly  made as like as windows as possible. Its like a good book, you cant put it down when you got it i had it with me all the time the first month i had it, everywhere. So much to explore and the  possibilities it has  is so good. Cant live without it!
One things with it , on the CAS model is  you have "what if" possibilities, gives a hole new dimension on problem solving in math, make a handle for a value and drag it with the mouse and everything in the calculation/tabels/curves/spreadsheets changes accordingly! Cant say how much that mean to me, but its so great!

So  it cover my needs..


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