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Whether you’re a middle schooler starting Algebra I, a college student enrolled in a calculus course, or a professional accountant, having a dedicated calculator is essential. Specifically designed for simple straightforward use, these user-friendly devices allow you to perform a wide range of calculations quickly, and powerful models can even tackle extremely complicated calculus equations. And yeah, when it comes to simple math, sure you can use your smartphone, but there’s something about the physical buttons and single-function design that still makes basic calculators useful to have around. The Best CalculatorsBEST OVERALL TI-84 Plus CE Graphing Calculator $129 TEXAS INSTRUMENTS...

My recent post (my other car is a cdr) brought forth the best of the high-functioning geeks that inhabit this here space. Since the thread veered off (as they always tend to do) into general computer language humor, mostly dealing with Lisp, I got to thinking about RPN (Reverse Polish Notation) and the Hewlett-Packard calculators that were popular in my post-college days working in IT around 1971 or so.Are there other FReepers that still like RPN over infix notation for math? My trusty old H-P has long since departed (wish I still had it) but I've found RpCalc to be...

A fifth of adults are so bad at math that they struggle to perform basic mental arithmetic, a survey has revealed. More than a third can only manage sums that total less than 100 and have to use a calculator for anything larger. One in 50 people were stumped by adding or subtracting in their head if the total was more than ten. And one in three parents believed their children’s ability exceeded their own. …

When I am at my bank, filling out deposit slips in the management of my vast financial empire, I often think that by adding up my check totals by hand rather than using the calculator stationed by the deposit slips, that I am preserving the ways of the Ancients. This feeling was reinforced when, not long ago, I was in the office of a recent hire who asked me to take a look at some problems that his sister-in-law was having difficulty with in an undergraduate business class. One question pertained to discounting cash flows (the mathematical expression of the...