Texas Instruments TI-89 Advanced Graphing Calculator
by Texas Instruments
|
List Price: Buy Used: from $68.95 (click here) Category: CE See more product details |
|---|
(Click here)
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Texas Instruments TI-89 Advanced Graphing Calculator
Customer Review: Best Graphing Calc Out There
Summary: 5 Stars
Don't let the 92's name affect your opinion of the 89. The keyboard is useless and geometry isn't that helpful unless your taking an advanced geometry course (post-High School). Well, with those features removed and the price dropped, this 89 is all that you will ever need. Don't get too addicted to it however; you've got to spend the time actually SOLVING the equations once in awhile. It becomes very easy to become over-dependant on the calculator, so you have to gauge yourself every once in awhile. It's a good thing my Advanced Algebra + Functions teacher never let me use this mini-computer on any of his tests or quizzes. I'd be the first one finished but I'd never have the steps to prove I'd actually done it!
In Honors Pre Calc I actually get to use this, and most of my class has 82s or 83s, so they're stuck factoring and all that tedious stuff while I'm playing Tetris (the version that actually moves when you press the keys).
Games on this calc are phenomenal. There's a version of Final Fantasy 7 and of Street Fighter that are great! They take up lots of memory, but they show off the power of this calc quite conspicuously. Every website on TI-89 games has a large variety games...THEY'RE FREE!
Though the calculator is still a little expensive, it is a must-buy for high school honors math.
Customer Review: Incredible Tool, but not for everybody
Summary: 5 Stars
This calculator is an incredible piece of machinery. It can perform hundreds of tasks, and provide you with tools, such as the program editor, to perform thousands more tasks. It will make many subjects, like Algebra I and II, Precalculus, and the beginning of Calculus a breeze. However, this calculator is by no means for everyone. If you are currently taking Algebra I or II, it's really nor necessary. In fact, it is much less user-friendly than some other calculators, primarily the TI-83, which is recommended by most high school teachers. The TI-83 is also built for statistics, and even though the 89 can perform the same statistical functions, it is definitely not as easy. In addition, most people who will not take Calculus or higher mathematics courses could be adamant to shell out the money required to purchase this item, and instead, once again, go with the much cheaper TI-83. Basically, it is incredibly powerful, a necessity for engineers and other advanced math students, makes math a breeze, and will help you in math immensely. But, unless you are really lazy and don't want to do the work, if you can afford [paying] for a new calculator, or if you are planning to take other advanced math courses, this calculator is helpful but overall not required. I give it 4 stars because I use it frequently.Customer Review: TI is serious about its calculators. HP is not.
Summary: 5 Stars
After a month or so of frustration with the HP 49G, I gave up and bought this one. I got it a few hours ago. I opened the manual (which is about 10 times longer than the HP49G's) and, at random, worked through some examples. To my surprise, they all worked: 3d graphs, intercepts, programming, factorization! The examples REALLY worked! Clearly someone needs to let HP in on this little marketing gem.If you want to know what TI thinks of its calculators, go to their website and look at what they have for the TI-89. Download and peruse the manual. Look at the free (and not free) software you can get. Check out the links. Get a feel for how serious they are about their product.
Then go look at what HP has for the 49g. It's pathetic. Try to find links *anywhere* on the web for the 49g. You won't.
20 years ago many believed that HP was the calculator for the "serious" scientist/engineer. If the HP49g is evidence, HP no longer has any interest in calculators.
I have no reservation in recommending the TI 89 to students, scientists, and engineers. I have already written some short programs, and am farther along after a few hours than I was with the HP after a few weeks. It's simply fun to work with the '89.
Customer Review: The best out of all the TI calculators.
Summary: 5 Stars
This calculator has put me ahead of the class in all my Calculus classes, there are many operations that it can do that the TI83 and TI86 cannot do! Such as derivatives, anti-derivatives, factoring, etc, etc. I've use the TI86 before and there is no comparison, I am now taking Discrete Mathematics, and this calculator helps me out every time. Most of my classmates bought the TI83PLUS or the TI86, and now they are all angry since they did not spend their money wisely. One of the other features is on the display itself; it is incredibly clear and very sharp. The menus are very easy to get around, and graphing is a snap. Everyone in my class loves the calculator! Some of the other things that it can do, is actually load games, like packman, asteroids, etc. There is a website that can help you get the most out of the calculator, with instructions on how to use it, plus many questions that you may have on how to perform calculus, or algebraic operations. It also gives you detailed information on the differences between one and the other, but I ask you to take my word for it. This is a "must have" if you have to take calculus or any other advance math class in the future; I hope this information was helpful!Customer Review: Makes the TI-83 look like its from the stone age
Summary: 5 Stars
I used to own the TI 83 Plus. When my class hit trig and pre-calc however i upgraded to the 89. This calculator does much more than the 83. First off the solve function is great. The other day we ended up at an equation of 0=x^2+17.32x+6. While the rest of the class was doing the problem a different way I was done using the solve which gave me the two values of x. Second, the factor feature easily factors down quadratic equations. The calculator automatically simplifies anything you input into it too. For instance, if you put log(5)it will give you ln(5)/ln(10). If you input variables with negative exponents it will change them to positive exponents as well. For trig, this calculator is great also. If you ask for the sign of pi/8 you will get the root of 2 minus the root of two over two, instead of .3826. The 3D graphs are also neat and the tons of memory allow students to put the periodic table and other features on the calculator. So what is the downside of this calculator? You have to do the work on your own sometimes! Seriously, this calculator is a great investment for any high school student.