Krissieliz's Full Review: Texas Instruments TI-82 Graphic Calculator
Last year, my roommate looked at me quite quizzically when I pulled out a scientific calculator to balance my checkbook. Was it overkill? Perhaps. But what she didn't realize is that I'm perpetually dumb when it comes to mathematics, and this certain calculator saved my bum when I struggled through high school pre-calculus. Once I got to college, I shied away from any class involving mathematics (except my 4 pesky Econ. courses, which were required by Georgetown). But I couldn't leave my calculator behind. No, she just meant too much to me in my high school career. So I made a vow that I would use her for all my calculator needs, overkill or not. Ladies and gentlemen, the TI-82 is my security blanket.
I abso-frickin-lutely refuse to look like a dork!
Originally, I thought all people who used scientific calculators in class were dorks. There was no way I was going to fork over 80 bucks for a fancy-schmancy calculator when I could get a plain one at Target for 10 times less. By my sophomore year of high school, I think Texas Instruments owned the mathematics department. On the first day of class, the math teachers passed around order forms for TI's at a special student discount. I still refused to purchase one, although I noticed the teachers were gearing our geometry exercises to fit the capacities of the TI calculators. Simple graph plotting exercises became torture as I struggled to make my graphs accurate on graph paper, while my classmates accomplished perfect coordinates at the push of a button. But the real breaking point didn't come until high school physics class, where our teacher specifically told us we could use scientific calculators to program simple formulas for our exams. At this point, it became imperative that I have a scientific calculator. I mean, there was no way I was going to memorize the formula for acceleration when I could rely on an electronic cheat sheet! I ordered a TI-82 through the school, and thus began my reliance upon an artificial math brain.
You look smart just by holding it!
Let me tell you, this is one impressive calculator. I have but foggy memories of my high school mathematical career, but I remember what a thrill it was to be able to plot two- and even three-dimensional graphs on this calculator, then derive plot points, all at the push of a button. As previously mentioned, one selling point is that you can program a whole lot of information into your calculator. Lots of people take this to the extreme by programming answers to specific exam questions (bad kids!), but many professors openly sanction programmed formulas. While I never took calculus in high school or college, I know that this calculator performs many advanced functions that would be close to impossible to process without its help.
For those of you who aren't mathematically inclined, you do have to learn how to use the calculator. It is very complex and not very straightforward. Part of my math classes were devoted to showing exactly how to use the calculator for specific functions. In fact, often my teachers would hand out written instructions on how to process certain calculations. Purchasing this calculator isn't a simple fix if you're a mathematical dummy: you really have to learn how it works.
So what else does it do?
You can purchase linking cables that will allow you to transfer data from one calculator to another. This is especially helpful in transferring formulas, programs, and ... games. Yes, that's right, you can play Tetris and the like on your very own calculator - and your professor will be none the wiser! Not that I would recommend that, of course :)
I've also found the TI support staff to be very helpful. If it's the same as it was 4 years ago, their phone number is (800) TI-CARES (how sweet!). I've called them on several occasions (none of which were related to calculator failure, but rather my failure to understand its complexity) and they have always given me a clear solution.
My dedication proves it's a worthy product!
I've since used this calculator for all my mathematical purposes. I've used it in 4 college-level economics courses, and I use it to balance my checkbook. I've even used my trusty TI-82 to calculate tips for waitstaff! This calculator really is my security blanket, as I now feel that "regular" calculators just aren't up to par. Perhaps it's the size and weight of the calculator, combined with the large screen, that just make me feel it's more capable of handling my tricky math needs (!) For those of you on the search for a scientific calculator, I would highly recommend the TI-82. Texas Instruments is a very well-respected company that offers a lot of product support, and their calculators are top of the line. Trust me, once you go TI-82, you'll never go back . And, you never know, you math phobics might actually come to enjoy crunching numbers!
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