31 out of 31 people found this review helpful.
I'll Never Look At The Sine Curve The Same Way Again!
Date of Review: Aug 8, 2000
I usually write here on epinions about books, movies and music, with an occasional review on travel or electronics... but writing about a calculator is certainly a new experience for me.
The TI-83 was a requirement for an Honors Precalc. class my junior year of high school. Although the main purpose of a graphing calculator is to graph, we were still expected to have a full understanding of what we were doing, and only use the TI-83 to confirm our answers which were derived algebraicly. For most us, this was perfectly fine, considering that the TI-83 is as complicated as a small computer. The instruction book that comes with it describes everything in detail; however, I don't actually know anyone who read the whole thing. Even if you do read it, it is nearly impossible to get to know all of the functions unless you actually need to use them.
Yes, the TI-83 has lots and lots of functions, but what good are they if you don't know how to use them? Some functions which I learned to use, (other than the basic graphing functions), were related to the CBL (Chem-Bio Lab)Unit that works together with the TI-83. With a link that usually comes with the calculator, you can attatch it to the CBL unit. For my science experiments, this was heaven-sent! Connected to the CBL, the instrument will measure heat, light, acidity and several other factors with different probes, and then graph it for you. Once that is done, you can connect the calculator to a computer and get a clear print out of everything. This is the easiest, most efficient and convenient way I know of to gather data for an experiment!
My favorite thing about the TI-83 is that it allows you to store formulas in the memory. Not only formulas, but pretty much anything you want. You can type it in right with the letters and symbols provided by the calculator. This came especially handy in classes like AP Chemistry and Physics where the use of a graphing calculator was allowed for calculations, as well as formula storage.
What most of my peers seem to like best about the TI-83 is the games. Once again with the link provided, you can copy various games on the TI-83 from computers and from other TI-83 calculators. However, if you're trying to copy something from a different model, like say a TI-83 Plus or a TI-85, the link will not work. The most popular game seems to be Tetris, but it is a bit difficult to resist not getting caught playing during class. Many teachers get very upset if they see you using your TI-83 as a Gameboy.
Although I found the TI-83 definately useful, my biggest problem with it is how hard it is to use. I've had the TI-83 for about a year and a half now, and I still don't know the use of more than half of the functions of the calculator. Also, when you need a specific symbol, it is sometimes difficult to find the category under which the symbol would be listed. For this, one must often reffer back to the instruction book which comes along with the calculator.
My personal opinion is that if you can get along without a graphing calculator, do so. It is just an unnecessary hassle if all your math skills revolve around algebra and arithmetic. However, if you are persuing higher mathematics and complicated science, the TI-83 will definately be an asset.
California Computer Cente
