Hello everyone!I need your help to choose a scientific calculator.Actually,I need one because I am a student of electrical and computer engineering.

I was thinking about a Texas Instruments Scientific Calculator.I heard that these are the best.I am between these three:

1) http://education.ti.com/educationpor...us_nspire.html

2)http://education.ti.com/educationpor...spire_cas.html

I read somewhere that they can not plot 3d graphs,but I read here: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/in...4140527AACyOGl the solution of this problem.The problem is that I do not know if these things that suggests are actually correct.So,if anybody has a TI-Nspire(CAS or non-CAS) or has knowledge on these things I would like him to tell me if these things are correct or not,because 3d graphs are important for my studies.

3)http://education.ti.com/educationpor...us_ti89ti.html

Which one do you recommend?If you want to suggest another company or another model of TI do not hesitate at all.I have no idea about scientific calculators,so I hope you help me.

I also I was wondering what is the difference between the graphing calculators and scientific calculators that says here : http://education.ti.com/educationpor...s_product.html

Does the graphing calculator can do what a scientific calculator + the graphs or they are seperate and different things?

Slightly OT, but I compiled XCas/Giac for the tablets some time back, but the UI is rather cluttered so perhaps not overly usable (though a lot of functionality in there!): http://www-fourier.ujf-grenoble.fr/~parisse/giac.html

Are there requirements for your calc? Are there specific models that you are allowed to use in exams, etc.?

I'd be tempted by a combination of something like giac and Octave+gnuplot on one of the Nokia tablets, but that's just me

Actually,I want it to do pretty much everything a scientific calculator can do.Equations,matrices,(single,double,triple..) integrals (of any kind),geometry things and other things which I can not remember right now.
They didn't tell us anything about which models are allowed in the exams,but my classmates told me that a scientific calculator is more necessary for my daily homework.

Anybody?

Well, I don't know if it is enough for you but I'm studying civil engineering and using Casio Algebra FX 2.0+ . It is a programable scientific calculator, which can also plot equations, do some matrix things etc. Recommending you to have a look at it

Dude, I beg you don't get any of that TI crap. There is only one scientific calculator to rule them all. It is called the HP49G+ (HP 49 G plus). Although not made any more you can still pick them up on ebay/amazon etc.

I don't even know where to start talking about the functions this beast has. It would be like compairing the capabilities of an iphone to that of an n900. One is a toy, the other is a computational weapon!

Imagine if you will a COMPLETE computer algebra system on your calculator (imagine gnu octave+gnu plot) that is completely user extensible with over 1000 functions.

This bad mutha even works in full RPN mode!

You can program it in more than 4! different languages! if I can recall there is sysrpl, algebraic, c, assembler, saturn assembler and probably another one.

Of all the pocket sized machines you are alowed to take into an exam this mother ****er shits on everything else.

You can enter an equation (either as you would see it noted in a textbook OR as a CAS string) have the calculator manipulate it in ANY way (solve for particualr variables, transpose, differentiate wrt particular variables, integrate, etc, etc) then plot that **** and save it as a variable for further computation.

Further more it will show you the steps it took to arrive at it's solution!

Yes, I am saying you can have it differentiate an equation (in textbook format), show you the working and provide the answer (in textbook format).

Need more?

You can also install the equation library that contains over 150 tech/math/engineering equations (with diagrams) that you can dump strait to the command line and start substituting in your values straigt away!

MORE???

This thing handles imaginary numbers AUTOMATICALLY without even blinking, factorising, surds? no problem! You can script this *****, it even has a built in matrix editor, stats pro workbench, graphical equation editor, file manager, several megabytes of storage, serial port for transffering data to/from the calc. It has so many calculus functions you'll **** eigenvalues for a month.

In short the HP49g is the single most badass, most powerful calculator ever made and if you ever chose that TI garbage I will make it my personal goal to have you tar'd, feathered and castigated for the rest of your mathmatical days.

That is the most bad-***** comment for a calculator I have ever seen! Makes me wanna get one even though I don't require it lol.

Yeah, just re-reading it makes me wanna dig out my hp49g and do some calculus just so I can feel it's smooth plastic body against my fingers, the tactile 'click' of the keys and the dangerous whiff of infinite precision floating point calculations...

I should also add I used mine to get me through uni doing my hons degree in electronic and computer engineering.

honestly, i havn't even scratched the surface of what this calculator is capable of.

Like the n900, it was the last of it's kind. The zenith of pocket sized graphing calculation, cut down before it's time by a company that lost sight of what a graphics calculator should be.