Re: Which TI does your school require

[Prev][Next][Index][Thread]

Re: Which TI does your school require

Eric Gross wrote:
>
> Joyce McKeown wrote:
> >
> > Are your students seniors who will be taking Calculus in college or
> > juniors who will be taking AP calc? The consideration being, of
> > course, the requirements of the College Board which doesn't allow the
> > use of the 92.
> >
> > Our precalc and calc students use 82's - which we supply for them -
> > and find that they do everthing they need without being difficult to
> > use. The 83's are supposedly as easy to use as the 82's with more
> > features, so I've been recommending them to anyone asking about
> > purchasing his/her own.
> >
> > Joyce McKeown
> > Mathematics/Computer Science
> > Framingham High School
> > Framingham, Ma
>
> In Medway High School they want you to use 82's. I think actually if
> your gonna buy a 83 for more features and a easier interface, you should
> buy a 85. They cost about the same but the 85 is way better. (A 85 user
> myself) If kids know how to use them in more sophiticated ways (like
> hooking them up to a computer and transferring files) it is way better
> especially with ZShell. (In case you don't know it is that little
> program that lets you run programs that directly access the processor of
> the calc, making them small and fast.
>
> Eric Gross
> Student in Medway High School
> Medway, MA
>
> (Small world - I live pretty close to Framingham)


Well, I think I have to offer an opinion, here. For those about to buy a
new graphing calculator, you should keep in mind that the TI-85 is a
very old machine--The 80, 82, 83, and 92 have all been introduced since
the 85 came out, and TI has learned a lot since the old 85 was designed.
Of course the 85 still does a couple of things just really beautifully
well, but it's so cludgy in so many areas that I can't see someone
buying one unless they had a very specific purpose.


And there is just no reason to buy a TI-82; it's replacement, the TI-83,
is so superior that the 82 shouldn't even be considered. The 83 can be
used side by side with 82s, there's a huge base of programs for it, and
it's now got expanded capabilities with complex numbers, business and
statistical functions, etc.


I've had a number of students who thought that becuase the TI-85 has a
bigger number and costs more that it must be better. Most traded them
back in for an 82 or 83.
<pre>
--
                                              Richard L. Taylor
                                              J. J. Pearce H. S.
                                              Richardson, TX  75080
                                              rtaylor@tenet.edu
</pre>
References: