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Modern students will find skills in the arena of math and technology are more important than ever before. The present-day workplace is sophisticated, necessitating logical thinking skills and computer related knowledge. That’s why it’s not unexpected that calculators are becoming more and more important in the mathematics classroom. They show up in almost every fresh textbook release and are even necessary on several advanced tests such as the AP Calculus examination.

There are many suitable scientific calculators on the market today. There are 3 main makers of handheld graphing calculators, Hewlett Packard, Texas Instruments, and Casio. Unless you are a math teacher, you are probably not familiar with all of them. How can you select which one is correct for you? When considering the possibilities available for a scientific calculator, bear in mind these considerations: your needs, price, and features.

Begin by considering your needs. Some graphing calculators come with a computer algebra system, or CAS, but some do not. This ability means the calculator can perform operations on variables such as x’s and y’s and not only numbers. This is important for a couple of reasons. First, the ACT prohibits calculators that have a computer algebra system. If you are planning to take the ACT, a computer algeba system is probably not the desired thing for you. Also, a CAS is awfully helpful in calculus and other advanced classes. If you are going into AP calculus or the SAT, these sorts of calculators are encouraged. If you’re looking for a CAS capable calculators, consider a Texas Instruments TI-Nspire CAS. Also, the HP 50g and HP 40g are great choices. If you decide you need a non-CAS calculator, you’re likely going to think about the TI-Nspire from TI or maybe the Casio fx-9750GII. From HP, look at the HP 39g.

Looking at price, the most affordable is almost always Casio. Casio makes some really cheap graphing calculators that are jam packed with features. Go with the Casio fx-9750GII if you’re looking for an affordable calculator or the fx-9860GII if you can spend just a few dollars more and want one of the most feature loaded scientific calculators available. TI tends to make the most expensive calculators, and Hewlett Packard manufactures some nice selections that are in between the other two.

Which manufacturer has the calculators with the best features is up for debate. Texas Instruments definitely holds features back that it could definitely add to its cheaper models at minimual cost in order to force math students to purchase the more expensive models. On the other hand, the fairly new TI-Nspire is their model with the most features. Casio has done job including terrific features in the fx-9860GII. It’s also incredibly easy to use, but it’s not as aesthetically elegant as the Nspire. As usual, Hewlett Packard is in the middle, blending a good choice of features with asomewhat good set of graphics on the HP 39g.

Considering all the options who’s the winner? Each of the big 3, Texas Instruments, Casio, and Hewlett Packard, has at least two calculators for sale that I recommend. For Texas Instruments, it is the TI-89 Titanium and the two versions of the TI-Nspire . For Casio, look at the fx-9750GII and fx-9860GII. And from HP, think about the HP 50G or HP 39G. If you purchase one of these calculators, you will have a calculator you can count on.

To learn more about graphing calculators, go to Tech Powered Math. On the site, you can locate information on scientific calculators, like a TI-Nspire review.

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