Gaming Anyone had the experience with this calculator ?

[Jakob95]

http://www.kmart.com/shc/s/p_10151_10104_018W021035160001P

I am planning to buy this. Anyone know if it is good? What is the difference between this and Ti-83/84?

 

[Nathan Drake]

It's just more simple, and thus, has less functionality. I've used my TI-83 since 7th grade and would have a hard time using a Casio over it.

 

[Jakob95]

Am I able to write notes in the calculator?

 

[doyama]

Somewhat ironic to me. I recall in my few months in Hong Kong, they told me they had standardized testing for pretty much every level of schooling. They had a LIST of calculators you could use. Each of these was STAMPED AND ETCHED with a certification marking on the front. Each test you were allowed

1 HB pencil
1 eraser
1 calculator

That's IT. Anything else was not allowed in. PERIOD. People laughed at me when I told them about 'open book tests'. Hell some people were genuinely confused as to what that concept was, even after explaining it. It just didn't make sense to them.

One group of cheaters went high tech though. Had mic and speaker hidden in their glasses. Relayed the question to a van outside that had around 10 people inside furiously solving the problems in real time. Then relayed those answer to anyone who 'paid' them through the same glasses. I think people were paying like $5k for it.

Ok yeah so back to the calculator. If you're not really 'into' any vendor right now (TI/Casio/etc) then really they're all kinda the same, at least in terms of there are price points for each vendor that do the same thing relatively. The TI83/84 can jailbreak a PS3 if you're really into that and have an old PS3

But the Casio homebrew community is also pretty robust too so you're not losing out either. But that Casio one is kind of on the 'low' end of the Casio lineup. It's not really comparable to the TI83/84. Just depends if you use the functionality really.

 

[Jakob95]

Somewhat ironic to me. I recall in my few months in Hong Kong, they told me they had standardized testing for pretty much every level of schooling. They had a LIST of calculators you could use. Each of these was STAMPED AND ETCHED with a certification marking on the front. Each test you were allowed

1 HB pencil
1 eraser
1 calculator

That's IT. Anything else was not allowed in. PERIOD. People laughed at me when I told them about 'open book tests'. Hell some people were genuinely confused as to what that concept was, even after explaining it. It just didn't make sense to them.

One group of cheaters went high tech though. Had mic and speaker hidden in their glasses. Relayed the question to a van outside that had around 10 people inside furiously solving the problems in real time. Then relayed those answer to anyone who 'paid' them through the same glasses. I think people were paying like $5k for it.

Ok yeah so back to the calculator. If you're not really 'into' any vendor right now (TI/Casio/etc) then really they're all kinda the same, at least in terms of there are price points for each vendor that do the same thing relatively. The TI83/84 can jailbreak a PS3 if you're really into that and have an old PS3

But the Casio homebrew community is also pretty robust too so you're not losing out either. But that Casio one is kind of on the 'low' end of the Casio lineup. It's not really comparable to the TI83/84. Just depends if you use the functionality really.

All I need the calculator for is Geometry and Trigonometry. Oh and what the heck is a open book test? If you could use your notes during the test then whats the point of even taking the test...

 

[Joe88]

Somewhat ironic to me. I recall in my few months in Hong Kong, they told me they had standardized testing for pretty much every level of schooling. They had a LIST of calculators you could use. Each of these was STAMPED AND ETCHED with a certification marking on the front. Each test you were allowed

1 HB pencil
1 eraser
1 calculator

That's IT. Anything else was not allowed in. PERIOD. People laughed at me when I told them about 'open book tests'. Hell some people were genuinely confused as to what that concept was, even after explaining it. It just didn't make sense to them.

One group of cheaters went high tech though. Had mic and speaker hidden in their glasses. Relayed the question to a van outside that had around 10 people inside furiously solving the problems in real time. Then relayed those answer to anyone who 'paid' them through the same glasses. I think people were paying like $5k for it.

Ok yeah so back to the calculator. If you're not really 'into' any vendor right now (TI/Casio/etc) then really they're all kinda the same, at least in terms of there are price points for each vendor that do the same thing relatively. The TI83/84 can jailbreak a PS3 if you're really into that and have an old PS3

But the Casio homebrew community is also pretty robust too so you're not losing out either. But that Casio one is kind of on the 'low' end of the Casio lineup. It's not really comparable to the TI83/84. Just depends if you use the functionality really.

All I need the calculator for is Geometry and Trigonometry. Oh and what the heck is a open book test? If you could use your notes during the test then whats the point of even taking the test...

one of my teachers allowed open book tests (not notes just the text book)
he wanted us to learn how to look up information quickly and apply it to what ever we needed to do
I probably learned better that way then actually studying

 

[doyama]

Actually I've had a few open book tests. They're actually a lot harder than a 'cheat sheet' test or a closed book test than you'd think. There's a certain assumption that's made so the test seem to be a lot friggin harder than a closed book one. Your book has to be littered with post its so you know exactly WHERE concept A is or you'll be wasting time looking up stuff. Usually the test are just long and have a lot more questions under the assumption that you can find information easily. I always felt time was really constrained on open book test, where as I could finish a closed book test with plenty of time to spare to re-check stuff.

Anyways if you ever get an open book exam, get your post it notes prepped before hand or you're in big big trouble.

 

[mysticwaterfall]

Another thing to consider is that a lot of schools teach using TI, so you'll have to figure out what to do on your own with Casio. Depending how good you are at figuring things out, that might be a consideration.

 

[Originality]

I had a SHARP graphic calculator. I learned to do many fun things with it, and became a bit of a graphical artist (using equations to paint a picture on a graph). I was told that calculators that included formula solvers weren't allowed, but they let me off when I told them I didn't know how to use it, and would wipe the memory before the tests started anyway. The only advantage it gave me was the ability to use multiple lines when entering/solving each calculation (including complicated fractions, routes and indices).

 

[Fishaman P]

TI-89 Titanium FTW!

...Seriously though, it can make your dreams come true. And the fact that a standard set of batteries lasts it a year is also very good.

 

[Originality]

...You actually have to change batteries? I can't remember how long it's been since I've even heard of a calculator that needed its batteries changed.

 

[CannonFoddr]

Each test you were allowed ..

• 1 HB pencil
  1 eraser
  1 calculator

That's IT. Anything else was not allowed in. PERIOD.

Bloody hell - you were lucky weren't you....
When I took MY exams (CSE/GCSE/'O'/'A' levels - many MANY years ago...) - we were only allowed Pencil & Eraser - NO calculators were allowed in PERIOD....
Any calculations we needed doing, we had to write it out on a seperate piece of paper - & even THAT had to be handed in after the tests

 

[Originality]

Don't they usually have 2 tests for GCSEs - a calculator allowed test and a non-calculator allowed test? There are some things in maths you just can't do without a calculator (sin, cos and tan anyone?).

 

[CannonFoddr]

Don't they usually have 2 tests for GCSEs - a calculator allowed test and a non-calculator allowed test? There are some things in maths you just can't do without a calculator (sin, cos and tan anyone?).

Not when I was at school - there was just the one test, & [IIRC] we had reference books of Sin/Cos/Tan tables to use in the tests

 

[Originality]

It makes me half afraid to ask your age.

 

[mysticwaterfall]

The PCAT (pharmacy school admissions test) doesn't allow calculators either. So it's not exactly an uncommon thing.

 

[Jakob95]

I bought the calculator today. Its working pretty fine. I don't really see any difference with this and the Ti-83.

 

[CannonFoddr]

It makes me half afraid to ask your age.

Well - I'm 'only' 44, if you call that old then I'm old....
.. I think it's just that when I was @ school (the school was a 'strict public' school, they still used the cane for punishment), it was the school made the exams rules & not the 'governmental education board' (or whatever it's called now)

It was the school that said 'No calculators' (although I DO have a vague recollection of some kids with their fancy 'new LCD digital watches with built in calculators' being in the exams

)

 

[Nathan Drake]

I bought the calculator today. Its working pretty fine. I don't really see any difference with this and the Ti-83.

The TI-83 literally has a few hundred different functions, most of which I don't even know how to use. It came with about a 200 page manual (all English, no flip into another language or something like that) explaining how to use it. You'll also find that if a teacher has any TI based programs that they use, that your calculator won't be able to use them. The teachers are also only really versed in the TI series, so any help you might need getting something to work right on your calculator will be best handled by yourself or a classmate with a similar calculator. Honestly, I would have sprung for a used TI-83/84 from somewhere local for about the same price, if not cheaper.

As it stands, by pre-calculus, nobody in my class even tries to use a non-TI calculator. It just isn't worth the trouble most of the time, as they never really take the time to learn where everything is on their calculator, and how to use it properly.

There is always the TI-89, but damn, those things confuse the hell out of me. They can do 3D graphing, circle graphing, all kinds of equation solving around all forms of math, it's pretty astounding. I could never see a non-college practical use for one though. Except for some short cuts when doing trig and calculus, the applications aren't plentiful in a high school environment.