Programmable Calculators

[RAD1]

Funny, I've been researching which fancy calculator to get or pocket computor, or laptop. I like the idea of having excell available. A friend has TI84 silver with excell installed. We are going to see if it will interface with computor. The pocket computor sounds like a good option, although it's $100-$200 more than the TI84s $124 price tag. But then you can install regular machinist calcutors and store notes etc... If I remember I'll let you know how the TI84silver works out.

[Dawai]

Most older pda's program with a bastich basic or odd C+. Programs are available free for download.

NONE of the new pda's have the "LOTS" of software the older ones do.

I have been working with one here as a DRO, not happy yet. They run Moto-boards, stamps, mini robots as a Human interface.

[BillH]

When I had my workshop, my TI 83 and TI89 were used almost as much as my milling machine, no I take that back, I used them everytime I was using the lathe cutting the train wheels. If I had a DRO, wouldnt of needed it.
I love em both, The ti 89, some one made a C compiler for it. The ti89 also helped me ace the required math classes early at my college.
The ti89 though, sometimes when doing division with very large numbers(think astronomy class) it will give you very wrong and funky answers, I had to reach for the cheapo pocket calculator for the right answer.
The ti 83 is also a great calculator but less featured.
In highschool my math teachers would make me erase the memmory on my ti83 before a test when they found out I could write programs on it to solve complicated problems.
Now I find myself writing java console programs for doing stuff. I wrote one program where I enter in feet and inches and it spits out the scaled dimensions in as many scales as I want. Helps me to visualize quickly just how big something might be. Since it loops, I dont have to do anything but enter feet and inches, enter in a negative number to make it quit. Yeh I know, basic stuff.

[skeeter]

Hey Fellows,

Here is a freeware calculator that does it all. It is the full featured PRN .

Great calculator. It is several types.

http://www.geocities.com/dbergis/freeware.htm

Have fun,

[sauer38h]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by lynnl:
From what I gleaned from the net, only the HP's use the RPN. I think I'd like to have that option. Sounds like once you get accustomed to the RPN it makes life easier.</font>

Too late. Even HP's just about abandoned RPN. When my 32s recently followed its predecessors into the calculator graveyard, I found that even HP is down to one or two RPN models. Too bad - if you're like most people, once you spend the thirty seconds or so it takes to master RPN, you'd rather eat broken glass than go back to that algebraic stuff.

[BillH]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by sauer38h:
... Too bad - if you're like most people, once you spend the thirty seconds or so it takes to master RPN, you'd rather eat broken glass than go back to that algebraic stuff. </font>

I ate broken glass one time, was crunchy and didnt cut my mouth open. Apparently a glass top to a serving dish broke and put glass into the food.
I never tried RPN so I dont know what I am missing.

What I like about my Ti89 is that I can enter in the algebraic equation directly and tell it to solve one of the variables and it does it. The calculator will make you stupid.

[phil burman]

I don't understand why anybody would want a programmable calculator. You have a PC so use a spread sheet. It’s an amazing tool for anybody involved in any kind of engineering. It's less of a learning curve and once you have learnt you will use it for all kinds of things. You can even graph the results to check the shape and print a table of the numbers for use in the shop. If you really want to get into a bit of programming then Excel has a very powerful visual basic/macro capability.
For those that need to do repetitive calculations and have never seen or used a spread sheet, the first time you see it you will say WOW can it really do that.

Am I missing something w.r.t. programmable calculators?

Best Regards
Phil

[lynnl]

Well mobility is the big issue.

I admit I know very little about Excel. I use it a little at my work, for maintaining simple tables and such. But can't say that I like it much. Yeah, I'm sure if I knew it better I'd appreciate it more.

[RAD1]

Marv, That is really good of you to put that site out there for others to use. I don't have the time to check it out really good right now but I'm certainly going too be using it. Thanks alot for sharing your knowledge with us.

[Dawai]

For the good of the community..Marv needs a medal..

I try to help others, I find myself lacking at times. I posted a lot of my code and programs and HOW TO's on www.bbssytem.com under robotics.

Sometimes while helping others you notice a knife in thier hand fixing to stab you in the back.

You do develop a good feeling by helping others.

[RAD1]

Lynnl,
Here is a website you can go to, and see what you can download into various TI calculators.

[lynnl]

Yes! I really like Marv's site. Lots of good info, and easily accessable.

Too many websites that I see get too carried away with the bells and whistles and window dressing, to the detriment of whatever content of substance might be there. I liked Marv's.

[RAD1]

OOPS!!!!
I forgot to give the website. It is: ti.com/home_p_calc

[lynnl]

Oops... RAD I think you forgot something...

Nevermind, I should've given you a little time

Thanks

[This message has been edited by lynnl (edited 01-02-2006).]

[Paul Alciatore]

Well, I guess I'm cheap because I have a couple of Casios. They probably don't do as much as the HPs or TIs, but I have yet to find anything I needed to do on them that they won't do. A couple or three years ago I got the CFX-9850GB on clearance at Wal-Mart for about $35. As far as I am concerned, you can't beat that.

For better or worse depending on your viewpoint, no RPN. But I am sure it could easily compute the X-Y coordinates for generating a sphere or other mathematical curve.

Paul A.