I bought the Casio CFX 9850GB Plus earlier this year because I needed to do some work that I heard it could perform. I never used to have a Scientific calculator before, just those small ones that could perform the basic tasks, like multiplying and dividing. I was amazed at the quality and the hundreds of tasks this calculator could perform, and at what speed and efficiency. The first thing that struck me was value for money. At only $65 this was a real bargain.

Screen
The screen of the calculator is about 6.5cm x 4cm, which is large enough to be able to clearly see your results. The screen is in 3 colors as well, which makes it great when your comparing results, especially graphs (yes, it draws graphs). My only slight complaint about the screen would be its brightness. If you are located in a darker room it can be quite hard to see the results, but you can change the color of your writing which can improve the view.

Menu
The menu contains 15 little boxes with a picture and the name of the task you want in each box. I will list the 15 tasks below but this is very handy and makes it very easy to use and find what you are looking. The menu is surprisingly bright so its very easy to see, and if you don't understand the abbreviations in each box, the pictures make it easy to understand what the function is.

Keypad
The keypad is located right underneath the screen and contains 50 buttons. These buttons will let you perform and function you please with ease. Each button has a name on it and (some) 2 other names above them. These other names tell you what other functions the button can perform if you are in a different mode. For example, 26 buttons have each one letter of the alphabet above them, which are there if you select to write something. The certain amount of memory lets you store information on the calculator, where it would be a set of results or a written message. Some of the more commonly used keypad buttons are in different colors. The shift button is in yellow while the delete and On/Off buttons are in gray. This just makes it easier to locate the most commonly used buttons faster. The keypad contains numbers 0 to 10 as well as other scientific information that will help you solve things like angles, equations fractions. These types of buttons include SIN, COS and TAN which for example help you solve angles of triangles. The keypad is very easy to understand. The buttons are big and some in different colors which helps you find things quicker.

Batteries
The Casio CFX 9850GB Plus uses 4 AAA batteries, and they are placed in the pocket at the back of the calculator. The batteries are very cheap and so far have lasted me over 6 months, which great considering how often I used it.

Functions
This calculator can perform so many different things, that with it I received a 452 page Manual. The manual basically goes through all the information you need to become an expert user. It is very nicely organized and easy to read and understand. The contents and index also help a great deal when you don't have enough time and want to find the right information quickly. This calculator can be used to draw and interpret graph and solve equations, or just to do your basic adding or subtracting. In the memory section you can also program it solve different problems by telling it to use certain equations.

Overall
Overall this is a fantastic calculator for any even the toughest jobs. At only $65 it's great value for money. It can perform hundreds of different and important tasks. It has a 3 color screen and and is very easy to use and reliable. It's useful for high school students especially, but can be helpful to anyone. The manual is a great help and while you may think it's too large and complicated, it's very easy to read and understand. The keypad has 50 buttons in total, which can perform a lot of important functions with ease. Some buttons are even color coded so it makes it easier to locate them. This is a fantastic and very reliable calculator. Great to have and a must need especially for students.

The 15 Menu Modes are:
RUN
STATistic
MATrix
LIST
GRAPH
DYNamic graph
TABLE
RECURsion
CONICS
EQUation
PRoGraM
Time Value of Money
LINK
CONTrast
MEMory

These functions will help you perform almost any task your looking for. A great calculator.

Recommended: Yes

Purchase Price: 65