Scientific Calculators

[nbritton]

So the Sharp EL-W506X is on Sharp's USA website, but it isn't for sale anywhere in the USA. However, the Sharp EL-W516X is available in the USA, but it isn't on Sharp's USA website. WTF? As far as I can tell the EL-W506X and EL-W516X appear to have the same features. I'm getting irritated at Sharp for making me so confused.

[setq]

Casio are just as bad. You can't get the 991EX in the UK; you have to get it shipped from India.

[Warhawk]

Interesting, I am just dealing with this topic because my father asked me for a replacement for his old SHARP.

My findings (but I am not 100% sure):

Casio:
FX-115ES and FX-911ES is the same calculator with different labels for different markets.
There is also updated "plus" model. The "plus" model has faster MCU, few more functions and slightly different look. There is also a special "DE" variant for Germany with more functions.
I expect that other, country-specific versions, exist which may or may be not identical.

Version FX-570ES is again identical but without the solar cell.

The most recent model of 115/911/570 series is  the "X" version. It has again modern look, some extra functions, new menu. Also exists in "DE" version which is the most advanced, but however only with German manual and menu.

Sources:
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casio_fx-991ES
http://www.numericana.com/answer/casio.htm

Sharp:

The answer on that from Sharp is "EL-W506" and the updated model "EL-W506X". The X version comes in different colors. I got it from amazon and I am going to return it immediately. First, I got the "violet" version. Second, the mechanical construction and overal look and feel is terrible. Over and above the front face, including buttons, is "piano black".... (do I need to comment on this ?) .

In the US, this calculator is sold as W516XBSL.

Sources:
http://www.sharp-world.com/products/calculators/sc_calculator/index.html
http://sharpcalculators.com/index.php/products#!/EL-W516XBSL-Advanced-Scientific-Calculator-with-WriteView™-4-Line-Display-&-Solar-Power/p/44939237/category=11711077

Isn't that madness ?

I would go with Casio "X" version (non-de). However I can not find this on Amazon.de so I may buy him EL-W506 (the old model) or Casio ES+ variant (that one is also available here in English).

I hope it helps.

[Mechatrommer]

$15-20... https://www.amazon.com/Casio-FX-570MS-Scientific-Calculations-Calculator/dp/B0044AH1Z4

[TohKah]

I use( still do today)  the ol $14 TI-30xIIs. used it for years in highschool and college. Never have owned a graphing calculator. Does all the usuall scientific claculator stuff and can type in an equation (watch your parentheses) and it can figure it out. I used the store function alot so bigger equations I broke down into chunks then stored the answers and plugged them into the final equation to get an answer. it can add subtract multiply and divide fractions and mixed fractions and convert to decimal.


I did have a casio something I got strictly for adding and converting binary, hex, octal, decimal numbers. Done enough of that crap long hand so not anymore haha.

[nbritton]

I received both the TI-36X Pro and Casio fx-991EX a few days ago. My first impressions are I love the Casio. Every time I've tried to use the TI-36X Pro I ended up getting frustrated with it really quickly and end up putting it down and picking up the Casio fx-991EX. To me the Casio has been way more intuitive to use, within minutes I was being productive on the Casio whereas on the TI I still haven't figured out the basics. The build quality of the Casio is also better, it feels like a better and more modern calculator. The 192 x 63 dot matrix display on the Casio puts the TI to shame, when you look at both calculators side by side it makes the TI look antiquated.

Casio has a 200+ page activity workbook for the fx-991EX here: http://edu.casio.com/education/activity/

[borjam]

Would really like a 15c but they are just so expensive and hard to find.

Not the real thing, but pretty close: https://www.swissmicros.com/

I ordered the large 16C (DM-16L) from them and it's pretty nice. I own a real HP-16C and the re-issued limited edition of the HP-15C. The keyboard in the HP reissued calculator is not that good: keys bounce now and then. I haven't experienced any bounce on the Swiss Micros 16. As a downside, the keys are a bit too stiff, but reliable. The tactile feedback is excellent. The package is pretty solidly built, and as far as I know they run the HP firmware on an emulator, which is how the limited edition 15C works.

The smaller, credit card size models don't have the advantage of a nice keyboard, however, so I would recommend the "large" ones.

These RPN calculators can be tricky to use at first, but once you get used to them you won't want to go back. The full featured model is the DM-15L, the equivalent of the sorely missed HP-15C

[nbritton]

Update: So the Casio fx-991EX has become my daily driver. For a $13 calculator the things that this thing can do are amazing. I spent twice as much as that on just my set of colored erasable pens, so what you get for $13 is an incredible value. I'm not sure if I even touched the TI-36X Pro since my last post. Every time I compare the two calculators side by side the overwhelming thought in my head is the TI is an obsolete relic because the screen on it is just so shitty when compared to the screen on the Casio.

The table mode on this calculator is a great time saver, simply plug in your equation with x variables and it will generate a table with x, y values. It's a good alternative for those who don't have access to a graphing calculator for whatever reason. It came in real handy the other day when the teacher had me graph a sixth degree polynomial by hand on an exam. The function had a hidden vertical asymptote with a discontinuous triple step jump that I was able to see using table mode once I changed my increments to 0.2 steps.

I was going to mention a few cons about the Casio, but honestly I can't even remember any that are worth mentioning. Most of the ones I was thinking of are just quirks or minor annoyances.

[setq]

Learn how to use the solver as well. That saves me a lot of algebra

[billfernandez]

I see the OP has found a solution.  Congrats.

Just to add my 2 cents to the general discussion:  I prefer RPN, and have found the HP 35s very satisfactory for daily calculator use in my office, and the pCalc app very satisfactory on my iPhone.

[TimFox]

Would really like a 15c but they are just so expensive and hard to find.

Not the real thing, but pretty close: https://www.swissmicros.com/

Yeah I've seen those. Wonder how close to the real thing they are.

I took delivery of the swissmicro 15C clone just before travelling.  It's beautifully built, with very nice button feel.  I haven't tried anything exotic yet, but it does have a three-position setting for the heaviness of the font--I preferred the medium setting, but it defaults to the fine setting.  The battery is a modern Li cell, instead of the -hp- alkaline cells.
RPN is the only way to go on regular hand-held calculating.  I own four real -hp-s from pre-Carly days.  The battery life is very long, and the mechanics are robust.  Actual computation speed is not an issue for hand-held use.  If I need to do real computation, I use a computer.
The manufacturer claims that there is no copyright in the original -hp- microcode from the years of production, and therefore copied it.

[saturation]

AFAIK Casio is the only one to use QR codes to pass calculator values to another device and offset a need for added cost in making a graphing calculator.  QR is more convenient and flexible over USB or IR used in the past since most everyone has a smartphone, tablet etc., to pass data to a website then abstract from there. It also ties one closer to Casio.

One can also use the less intuitive virtual calculator from Casio to do everything and not have a hardware calculator, once you get the syntax right, and use it on your phone:

http://keisan.casio.com/keisan/service.php


Casio spreadsheets have small data sets, e.g. in the stat function I see the 991EX has N <= 160; table are N < 45.  On the older FX260 N ~ unlimited but no table functions. 

There are ~ 100 more functions on the German "991EX DE".

What I like with hardware calculators is if I can use it faster than anything else: software via phone, tablet, or PC, its in my workbench.

[ez24]

I'm taking a refresher mathematics course and the teacher won't let us use graphing calculators on the tests because she believes that not everyone in the class can afford to buy one.

I went through the same thing.  We were using slide rules and I argued with the teacher to allow calculators.  He said that when they cost as much as a slide rule, he would allow them.  One day during the class I showed him an ad that proved they cost as much as a slide rule. So I asked if they would be allowed and he said yes, but for the next semester's class.     That was the end of slide rules.

[Hydrawerk]

I have a Casio FX-5800P since september 2009. It works very well and i love it. It runs on one AAA 1,5V battery.

[TimFox]

I'm taking a refresher mathematics course and the teacher won't let us use graphing calculators on the tests because she believes that not everyone in the class can afford to buy one.

I went through the same thing.  We were using slide rules and I argued with the teacher to allow calculators.  He said that when they cost as much as a slide rule, he would allow them.  One day during the class I showed him an ad that proved they cost as much as a slide rule. So I asked if they would be allowed and he said yes, but for the next semester's class.     That was the end of slide rules.

An unfortunate consequence of the obsolescence of slide rules is that no one understands "slide-rule accuracy" anymore.

[ez24]

Now scientific calculators are obsolete:

http://www.mathlab.us/calc/index.html

[setq]

Now scientific calculators are obsolete:

http://www.mathlab.us/calc/index.html

This is a typical comment I hear when it comes to app based calculators.

It doesn't have real buttons. That's the biggest gripe with these things. You need tactile feedback when entering things into a calculator. Plus all the other distractions, updates, battery life, display etc.

No thanks.

[HighVoltage]

Try to find a Sharp PC-1350 and you can program everything in to it with a pretty large display for an ancient calculator.
I use this one or a HP 15C as a daily calculator.

[Maxlor]

Try to find a Sharp PC-1350 and you can program everything in to it with a pretty large display for an ancient calculator.

Hah, I have one of those too. But... while you can program everything on it, an ancient line-based BASIC with rather crude editing capabilities is really not what I'd want to use on a daily basis Also, heh, the keyboard is horrible. And yet, when it came out it was impressive in its features and capabilities.

[HighVoltage]

Also, heh, the keyboard is horrible. And yet, when it came out it was impressive in its features and capabilities.

Very true.
It has a RS232 serial port and it was my first "PC" to be hooked up to an instrument, reading out data and analyzing it.
That was kind of impressive in the early 80s

[borjam]

I've got an ancient PC-1430.

And now, for something funny. It suffers from a buffer overflow, you can bypass the password used to protect the programs