Texas Instruments TI-36X Pro Engineering/Scientific Calculator | 9.7 Inch | Black.

As a current highschooler I needed a calculator. Of course this is possibly the most common one around and for good reason. It’s very easy to use and I haven’t had any problems with using one. Very worth it

For this review, Im going to be comparing the TI-36X Pro (from here on shortened to TI for the sake of brevity) and the Casio fx-115 ES (shorted to Casio). Both calculators are excellent, but whether or not the TIs shortcomings make up for the Casios features is up for debate. ------------------------------ What I like about the TI The buttons. Theyre far more clicky on the TI then on the Casio. Dont get me wrong, the Casios button are still pretty good, but theyre inferior to the TIs buttons. Calculation history. When you turn off the TI, all of the calculations youve done are saved inside the calculators memory. For example, you enter 2+2 and press enter. You then turn off the calculator. When you turn the calculator back on, you can scroll up and find that calculation saved, results and all. Add in the fact that this calculator even saves calculations that results in errors, and this calculator could be a potentially useful way to cheat on tests. Take the quadratic formula as a example, you can type it into the calculator a couple minutes before you take a test over it and pull it up right when your proctor walks away. Once you have it written down on your test, you can just clear the TIs memory and itll then be impossible to prove youre cheating. Im not saying you should do this, Im just saying you could do this. The Casio instantly erases your history the second you turn it off. It also does not save any calculations that results in a error. The anti-slip pads on the back. I have no idea what those little pads are called, but thats what Ill call them. Basically, there are four little pads on the back of the TI which creates friction and makes it almost impossible for the TI to slide on slick surfaces. The Casios plastic casing wouldve instantly slipped from the surface of a slick, angled surface. (It doesnt necessarily have to be a slick surface, just any surface that doesnt create friction, such as a wooden surface thats been waxed) ------------------------------- What I dont like about the TI The third button. On this calculator, Texas Instruments (the manufacturer of the TI) decided to put in a peculiar take on multi-purpose buttons. For example, there is one key on this calculator that, with one tap, inserts x, two taps inserts y, and so on. (x, y, z, t, a, b, c, d) There is also a 2nd button that, if clicked in conjunction with the previously mentioned button, brings up the clear var dialog. Because of that, a single button on this calculator could potentially do eight different functions. The Casio only has 1st, 2nd, and 3rd buttons. The maximum number of functions a button on the Casio could do is three. The way Texas Instruments decided to implement mixed fractions. I dont really want to get all technical, and someone else can probably explain the problem far better then I could. Just do a Google search for Supposed TI-36X Pro Error. (Include the parenthesis. Yes, you heard that right, include the parenthesis.) In practice, I dont find that bug to be very bothersome. I rarely use mixed fractions. The Casio doesnt exhibit this problem. ------------------------------ Overall, you cant go wrong with either calculators. Its just a matter of whether or not youre willing to accept the TIs faults in exchange for its features. The price difference is negligible, at least at the time of writing. The TI was more expensive by about $5.

I personally would rather use a graphing calculator for my work but this is the best calculator for the NCEES FE Exam in my opinion.

Classic TI calculator. Does the job.

My child is in Jr high and they have these rather expensive calculators they use in class but I needed one for to use at home. This works prefect!! And it doesnt cost $80+ like the ones at the school!!

I now have two of these calculators along with a Casio and HP. I took it upon myself to try all three leading up to my EIT exam. I almost always reach for the TI-36XPRO. It should be noted that there is a bug in the calculator regarding how it handles mixed fractions. Ive never considered this an issue for me personally because I calculate everything to a desired amount of decimal values. Even with the bug I consider this calculator worthy of 4.5 Stars. It is still very odd that TI hasnt attempted to address this issue with newer makes or models. I rounded up to 5 instead of giving it 4 stars. The multi-tap functions can seem tedious at first but consider that youll almost never have to dig through the calculators menus for most of your functions. The pros over the Casio are the multi tap and clearer button layouts and button prints. The Casio button layout and print are frustrating to even look at at. The same goes for the HP. This calculator is at par with the HP except it doesnt require the RPN learning curve which can be significant for some. I see the RPN debate as this...RPN observes order of operation which is the way you calculate. The Ti 36 and Casio inputs are linear which is similar to the way you write. You might write 10 lines of math for every couple of calculator calculations which means the linear input is probably more common and easier for your brain to input initially. A linear input calculator doesnt stop you from inputting calculations according to order of operation either which is where linear input calculators are better than RPN. With RPN you stuck to one input logic. The final Pro for this calculator is cost. I have two of these and will order a third one soon. All three calculators should cost me the same as one HP.

I am a fan of this calculator, it is an updated version of the one I used through high school and part of college. I got this for my son for high school, it took a little bit to teach his some of the functions, but it made a real difference once he got the hang of it. It is something that is worth every penny.

Broke after a short term of use

I am used to TI format, so this is just right for me. I am a chemical engineer student (sophomore at the time of this review), but I bought this in high school. This suited me for most of my needs in high school. Fine for geometry stuff and can actually solve cubic and quadratic functions for x. Doing calculus on this using integrals and differentiating was slightly time consuming, so if time is a factor for that look for graphing calculators. For stats, I got through perhaps half of the class/functions necessary with this calculator. This doesnt graph but can generate data tables. Now for college uses. I attend UT, and calculators are usually not allowed. The ones that are (at least for the classes I take like chemistry, maybe biology, intro engineering courses, physics I think) dont allow graphing calculators. Thats where this thing shines. It can store data in several variables for easy access, scroll to previous calculations, solve quadratics and cubics, convert fractions/decimals, aaaaaaand access preloaded scientific constants like planks constant or avagadros number. The interface is well designed, and do not underestimate the ability of that fraction button that allows you to type a numerator and denominator for fractions within fractions. I have had this for over three years, and have never had a problem with it, or needed to change the battery. I would recommend this to anyone who needs a scientific calculator. TI 84 or 83 a thing of the past in college. If you need a graphing calculator, id say learn to use TI 89 in college (Might be banned in high school).

I read the reviews before purchasing this calculator. This thing is gorgeous. Built to last and the feel of the keys is very durable. Love the way the cover clips on and completely protects the calculator. The back side of the calculator has 4 inlaid rubber feet that will stay on forever. If you want to take the lid off and clip it onto the back, it also has the 4 rubber feet. This calculator looks handsome and not faddish. Easy to see the characters on the keys and easy to read on the display. If you are concerned about your child (or whoever) being rough on stuff, this is an excellent choice. Has tons of great reviews. It is more expensive but not that much more expensive. If you are one who is always misplacing or losing stuff then get a less expensive one. If you are concerned about long lasting durability, then get this one. It seems to be very statistics oriented according to my math tutor today. He has a Casio FX 260 solar and says it got him through all of his engineering courses. I also have a Casio FX 260 and my adult GED classes were supplied with this GED calculator. It is the official one used on the GED exam. My math tutor told me that I dont need one this advanced to get through Trig and Calc. but I love this TI-36XPro calculator and plan to learn how to use it. Comes with a nice little instruction manual, not like those stupid fold out sheets. Others reviews have commented on its use. I am emphasizing its appearance, build quality , design,and instruction manual. One person commented on the silver keys on the right being difficult to read, but it is a no brainer arrangement. It takes 1 second to learn them by position and you remember it forever. I plan on really enjoying using this calculator. I would compare it to the Subaru Cross Trek of automobiles. Hope this review helps someone. not learned how to use it yet; however