Mad skills with the calculator

Author's Rating:

Pros: Takes a licking and keeps on Ticking. Intuitive layout.

Cons: Makes math your friend ...

The Bottom Line: 
Dont get a bummer from math class - get a Ti-83 plus and foil your teachers' plans for world domination !

Author's Review
Texas Instruments are the standard for graphing and advanced function calculators. What makes the TI-83 plus special :

1. Its not just a TI 83, but a TI 83 plus.
Obviously, some changes were made. So it must be better than its predecessor

2. Intuitive controls.
I needed a graphing calculator for my calculus classes. Unfortunately, our teacher demonstrates use of Casio graphing calculators, which are only OK. So was I going to be the overachiever and buy another calculator just for this class ? Heck no ! I toughed it out, but it wasnt that tough because the TI's controls were so nicely laid out I could easily remember or find functions. It seems my classmates and teacher with their Casios had a lot more trouble doing the same exercises. Texas Instruments has the layout down. I dont know much about HP calculators by the way, but they are supposedly for very higher end students. I laugh at my classmates.

3. Speed
Compared to the Casio (yes I did some unofficial side by side testing), The texas instruments are just plain juiced. Not only that, I only needed to replace the batteries after 7 months of heavy use.

4. Rugged
The Ti's are just plain shockproof. I keep mine in my backpack, and after countless drops, spills, bumps, and shocks, I notice absolutely no difference in my performance.

5. Other functions
The ti-83 plus has statistical and financial functions that the casios dont making this an especially versatile calculator. Its because of this software on the Ti that i think makes ti's more expensive than the casios. Many business math classes, statistics classes, and financial calculus classes REQUIRE the ti because of these built in functions. If you are in high school and want a calculator that will really last, then the ti-83 plus is what you're looking for.

6. Design
The ti is kinda goofily designed, but it doesn't detract from the TOTAL MATH EXPERIENCE you get from ti calculators.

7. Other
The ti has link cables so you can do some really cool stuff. IT is also electronically upgradable and has quite a spacious cache of RAM.

8. Results
I must say this calculator has been an invaluable tool. While in all math classes you should know how to do most everything by hand, knowing how to use a good graphing calculator in addition (the ti-83 plus) will make you nearly invincible... highlander laughs at his math teachers. Anyway, I got a 5 on Advanced Placement Calculus AB with the help of this awesome tool the ti 83 plus.

Maybe one day there will be a graphing calculator that is dual powered by light and battery.