Texas Instruments BA II Plus Reviews: November 2009

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

After many years of relying on my HP graphing calculators (48SX), I had to scale down to a one-line calculator for use in one of my exams. HP sets the standard for engineering calculators. Unfortunately, the graphing calculators are a little too powerful for use in certain exams, since you can almost program them to do the work for you. My professor specified "1 line calculator ONLY" for the final exam. It's actually not that easy to find a good scientific calculator that's only 1-line. Most are 2-line, or graphing.

For a 1-line calculator, especially for the price, this one is perfect. It's not as small as I had envisioned, but that's because of all the features/functions they have to accommodate. And if you're used to using a larger HP scientific calculator, you'll find this one fairly easy to get used to (despite the lack of RPN date entry mode, due to 1-line limitation).Get more detail about HP 9s Scientific Calculator.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Machinist's Calculator (1 Each)

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Datexx DS-834 Solar-Powered Scientific Calculator Review

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Order Aurora DT190 Dual Power Angled Display 8 Digit Desktop Calculator

The 5-star rating is for the calculator itself, but NOT the service.

I used to have a no-brand pocket size calculator which keeps moving around and has some rubber hard-to-press buttons. So this mini-desktop calculator is a BIG difference. 1. It won't move around when you're using it; 2. It is a nice size; 3. The buttons are easy to press; 4. It is cheap but not cheaply made.

The price was also great. This is the cheapest calculator I can find in this size. However it took Amazon 1.5 months to ship it to me! They stated that it is a special order and they put a 1.5 month range 'generous' shipping period. And then they really shipped when it was almost the LAST DAY of their estimate shipping period! I had to be sooooo patient. And since I never heard from Amazon after I placed the order, I did email & ask if they were really going to ship me the item when the last estimate shipping day was approaching.

So if you want this calculator in a hurry, don't order it when you see the word 'will ship in 1-2 months' or 'special order' from Amazon. They just won't ship you the item until the estimate deadline is arriving! Get more detail about Aurora DT190 Dual Power Angled Display 8 Digit Desktop Calculator.

Monday, November 23, 2009

Where To Buy Ativa AT-10 Financial Calculator, Silver/Blue

Get more detail about Ativa AT-10 Financial Calculator, Silver/Blue.

Shop For Aurora HC212 Dual Power Slide Case Style 8 Digit Profit Margin Calculator

Get more detail about Aurora HC212 Dual Power Slide Case Style 8 Digit Profit Margin Calculator.

Purchase Sharp EL9600C Graphing Calculator

This calculator is a very good one and one that works equivalently in all ways using either direct keystrokes or stylus motions. It is largely no longer available which is a shame, but some of the internal electronics software is clearly getting quite outdated (and a little bit sluggish compared to some other more recent calculators, etc.). It performs really well however, so if you want to try a stylus-based calculator to see if you would like a much more advanced one like the Casio Classpad330, this is a great one to try out.

All the expected standard (as well as several advanced functions) and numerous data plotting options (with split-screen capability including the option of both a table and a plot displayed simultaneously, etc.) and numerous and reliable statistical operations for detailed data analysis, etc. are available on this fine unit. It also comes with a slide-on, standard heavy plastic cover and a very good manual with very clearly explained operations and examples. I recommend it, if you can still find it, without any reservations.Get more detail about Sharp EL9600C Graphing Calculator.

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Discount Casio Algebra FX 2.0 Graphing Calculator

I have owned top of the line graphing and scientific calculators from TI, HP, Casio, Sharp, etc. This machine, the Casio FX-2.0PLUS, continues the Casio quality tradition and is definitely put together very well. It is also a very good improvement over its predecessor, the Casio FX-2.0, with a very fine portable design and now with a CAS (Computer Algebra System). The pros and cons as I see it are:

PROS:

1) It has all the standard regular features and also is supplied with a full set of CAS features that we have come to expect on such a machine.

2) The machine itself is reasonably 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.

3) It has a nice, but older style, body design that sits very nicely both on a desk or a table as well as in your hand.

4) It has a large amount of onboard main memory, plus additional Flash memory (See Con below) for tackling quite memory intensive problems.

5) Although it is called a calculator, it is really a small and fast handheld computer system which can tackle problems from the most simple to almost the most complex.

6) It has a very useful user interface system with multiple icons. The calculator functions are all controlled using an Algebraic Operating System (AOS).

CONS:

1) Some functions that you would readily expect to be available with a single key press on the main keyboard require instead multiple key presses, but usually with only a single shifted key press first.

2) Apparently the Flash memory is not extremely well made or of very high quality and can degrade significantly over a period of a couple of years time.
Get more detail about Casio Algebra FX 2.0 Graphing Calculator.