Horizons832's Full Review: Casio CFX 9850GA Plus Graphic Calculator
I bought the Casio CFX-9850 Ga PLUS about a year ago, and I really couldn't wait to see what it could do. I found out soon just what it could do, and I was very impressed. The calculator has so many features that I don't even know where to begin!
I found the statistics and list modes not only useful for performing statistical calculations, but also for simply storing any list of numbers. With six files of six lists each, there was always plenty of space. The matrix mode as well was also very useful, and had no problem solving any matrix calculations I had.
One feature I found particularly useful was that the Graph, Dynamic Graph, and Table modes were all integrated. I simply typed the function I wanted once in any of these modes, and it was available in the others. The graph mode's "G-Solve" features were very helpful and allowed me to find roots, intercepts, extrema, and even derivitives anywhere. Perhaps one of the most used function of the calculator is the X and Y solve. Simply type in a value for X and you'll get the value for Y, or the other way around.
I rarely used the Conics mode, but it was nice to be able to enter functions in a form other than Y= form. The equation solver in the calculator is very powerful and solved just about all the equations I gave it. Sometimes, I needed to give the calculator a different starting value for the variable I was solving for before it would give me a correct answer. However, the calculator flawlessly solved all of my simultaneous and polynomial equations.
The financial mode was something that was added for this PLUS calculator, the original 9850G did not have this mode. It is extremely useful for interest and loan calculations, and I often used its feature of telling you how many days were left until a certain day!
The programming features in this calculator are, in my opinion, powerful, and unlike some other calculators, programs can be made right on the calculator. You can also use a cable to link two calculators together and transfer programs, variables, or any other data stored in the calculator. One downfall is that there is only 32KB of memory. I quickly ran out of memory in the calculator, and I recommend buying one with more memory than this if you want games or other large programs on your calculator.
Overall, I find this calculator extremely easy to use. However, one thing I do not like about it is the fact that there is no way to show solutions in "textbook" form. Everything is in decimal. Also, if you use calculus, it will not evaluate indefinite integrals, limits, and it will not differentiate and expression. It will, however tell you the derivitive in decimal form. I would have liked exact answers in radical form for trigonemetric functions as well. Aside from all this, I would recommend this calculator to anyone that is using it for basic calculus. If you need it for higher level math calculations, consider a Texas Instruments.
Graphing calculator perfect for math and science students 900+ advanced functions, including statistics, regressions, and financial calculations Graph...More at Amazon Marketplace
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