Everyone I know used the TI-89 in Engineering school.
I’ve more calculators than I know what to do with
Mostly TI
I was cleaning out the basement and just tossed a 4-inch thick 3-ring binder of paper instructions on how to program the HP-41 (I think?). Scientific stuff so you could run the calculations on the calculator. Pretty sure they were written before PC’s were around. It was nice to have the programs out in the field to do some rough checks of the data, even once we were able to have computer software that did it.
All sorts of various programs written by various different people that were experts in their fields at the time.
I did keep a few of the papers as keepsakes.
One of my TI calculators is 45 years old but doesn’t really look dated
I still use my HP-11c occasionally.
No Gakulator?
My old TI 83 is fine. First time around in college was a TI something in 1977. It’s still working. They never let us use calculators on tests back then
Bought a TI financial calculator for a corporate finance class 20 some years ago. Used it one semester and never looked at it again.
Most engineers I went to school with used HP RPN based calculators. I still do. Have an HP-50g for graphing, 12c for financial. I have emulators on my phone for an HP-21, HP-41c, HP-12c. RPN is so much easier.
I still have my workhorse HP 12C from ~1980. Few people ever borrow an HP calculator, since the RPN input is very confusing to the casual user.
Bkmk
As well, the superior processing power of the iPhones makes them run even faster.
Another hidden trick, when in the iPhone calculator app, rotate the phone into landscape orientation and many of the advanced functions of the HP calculators will appear.
RPN makes my head hurt...
I bought both the 12C and 11C when they came out. The 11C for my technical engineering work and the 12C for my MBA program. Once you master Reverse Polish Notation, you’ll never go back to “conventional” calculators. The stack on the 11C and 12C makes so much sense.
These days, I fire up Excel no matter how small the task. There’s nothing like being able to save your work and I often find I look up earlier calculations I’ve saved.
Up until high school graduation, calculators should not be allowed to be used, imo.
Nothing beats the using a pen and paper.
I’d rather have 100 questions solidly answered through steps than 500 from a calculator.
Took two models of calculators with different capabilities to an exam. Plus two backups, in case the batteries died. Should have spent more time studying.
The HP-12c isn’t made as well as it used to be. Not looking forward to the day my old one is unusable.
I don’t go no where without my Lewiss & Briggs. If it was good enough to get us to the moon it’s good enough to calculate Bidenflation.