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

More functions than you’ll need, but I wouldn’t buy a calculator with less functions, especially for the price. My son needed this for High School math. With that said, you’ll need time to learn more advanced functions, it’s a very powerful device. Graphing, get out.

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).

Havent wrote a product review in a while, but this calculator warrants it. It does everything you can think of except graphing and that is a HUGE plus. First off, graphing calculators really are not needed. I took Calc 1, 2, and 3 without one. Instead of relying on a calculator, one should recognize the formats of the actual graph without having to graph it. Yes it can speed up calculations, like max and min, but you should do them by hand in school to actually learn what is going on. Graphing you should only check your work. But anyways, this thing is great. I have a HP 50g, love the CAS and wanted another HP calc. I had a TI 36 from years ago that I used as my basic calculator but the screen was dimming so I was looking for a replacement. I was surprised to see the features on this. I hate having to whip out my huge calculator to do simple stuff. I am an engineering student, but most of the time I dont need a lot of the features. Thats where the TI shines. Its non graphing, so it can be used on more exams. Professors wont know the capabilities of this thing. Matrices, vectors, stats.... easy as pie to enter. Just the other day my circuits professor asked the class to verify the answer and I was the first one to say yes. Its small and light, automatically turns off, and is solar powered. NICE! It will solve simultaneous equations, 3 x 3 matrices, quadratics, even diff equations in the menu. Even puts answers into its own variables automatically. Its been good so far, and I put my HP 50g in my desk drawer. Give me another year to try it on more advanced classes but honestly, anything short of you being in a research lab, and this calculator will easily get the job done. Probably the best feature I like is the fraction key. I always loved the way TI deals with fractions. Push one number, click a button, push another and there are your numerator and denominator. And it will show you in the complex fraction form the answer in the display. Then you can push one button above the enter key to display it in decimal format... So bottom line, the calc is 22 bucks, a stupendous value for what you get. And its fast. You dont have to wait that second or 2 for an answer. Time to get back to my physics hw.... :O)

Im not sure if they allow this type of calculator for the ACT. But it works well altough there are a few things I cant figure out. It helps a lot and its simple to use once you figure out where everything is but for right now Ill keep struggling.

I got this while taking civil engineering courses and it has been able to do everything Ive needed for those courses. It is a process to learn all the functions, but I think thats expected.

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!!

This calculator has become one of my favorites, I like that you dont have to worry about keeping it charged like some of the more advanced TI calculators.

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.

TI-36X Pro calculator (A non-graphing scientific calculator) I originally reviewed a TI-30XS Multi-View and a Casio FX-115ES when I took the Professional Engineer exam because they were the only ones available at the time that I could use without too much difficulty. I took 3-4 months before the exam to familiarize myself with the calculator before I took the actual exam. I felt the Casio FX-115ES was far superior, although the TI-30XS MV had a much cleaner interface and a sensible layout. But the FX-115ES was very easy to use once you got used to the menu/layout as Casio hasnt changed its scientific calculators very much over the years. Many of the features I favored in the FX-115ES were not available in the TI-30XS MV such as complex numbers and handling matrices, and even working with different base numbers. The TI-36X Pro seems to have resolved many, if not all, of the TI-30XS MV shortcomings. Had the 36X Pro been available in late 2008, I would have most likely used it for the exam along with my FX-115ES as a backup calculator. The 36X Pro interface/layout is similar to the TI-30XS MV which makes it easy to use. The answers default in approximations (decimals) versus exact numbers (fractions) with the FX-115ES. This makes it easier for engineers since I always had to press the convert key on the FX-115ES. The TI-36X Pro treats complex numbers the same way as the FX-115ES, just make sure to set it in the Complex mode for polar or rectangular values. I still prefer the TI-89s treatment of complex numbers without having to deal with different modes (square root of -1 = i without going to any different modes), but it isnt too hard to change a few settings in the 36X Pro and it even has a key for i albeit it is a multi-tap key, but it works in the REAL mode. Different number bases with the 36XP Pro require navigating more menu layers versus the FX-115ES. With the Casio, you could directly switch between DEC, HEX, BIN, etc... whereas the TI 36X Pro requires you to convert the values. Again, this isnt a big deal it is just a matter of a few extra seconds of time. The TI 36X Pro has a better menu, but the FX-115ES is more direct. I guess that is probably a Japanese trait as well! The TI-36X Pro has lots of conversions and constants, and they are actually described in the menu which makes it very easy to use versus the cryptic FX-115ES. Again, the FX-115ES can be more direct - but that is the same for Microsoft DOS or Unix. They can be very quick and direct, but no one wants to use cryptic commands. A GUI or touch-screen is far more intuitive and that is where the TI-36X Pro shines. However, the TI-36X Pro conversions are very basic and limited to some common conversions. For exams, this isnt as big of a problem. For scientific or engineering work, I would prefer more conversions available on the spot. The multi-tap keys on the 36X Pro are an excellent idea. TI probably had to do this because they ran out of room for more buttons or a 3rd key. The multi-tap keys are easy to use, just repeatedly press them until you get the command you want. The color scheme of the calculator itself is an improvement over the TI-30XS MV. The 30 was white with a teal/blue green color. The white has now turned yellow, and the 30 always looked like a kids calculator. The TI-36X Pro is a black/dark gray motif and there are 7 keys coated with a metallic color. It makes it hard to read the symbols, but TI did etch the 6 keys with their commands. My only guess as to why they did this was that the keys tend to rub smooth with repeated use. I had my TI-86 for the longest time since 1996, and most of the keys were polished smooth by the time it started to malfunction and use up batteries in a few days. So the etching/molded keys arent a bad idea - I just wish they used a more visible/contrasting scheme for those keys. The solar assist comes in handy for exams because you dont have to worry about changing your batteries too often. Although TI does mention this is just a solar assist to lengthen the battery life probably by using whatever photovoltaic source you can get via the cell but relying mainly on the CR2032 lithium coin cell. I removed the battery and the calculator refused to turn on even under direct sunlight. So apparently the calculator does run on the CR2032 battery and utilizes some assistance from the solar cells. I am not a big fan of the hard case, as it clips at the bottom and top. I prefer the slide case of the TI graphing calculators although the 30XS/36X Pro case has better retention. Its not going to come apart in a backpack. To sum it up, Id recommend the TI 36X Pro in situations where you cannot use a graphing calculator. I am still split on the Casio FX-115ES and the TI-36X Pro, although I feel both are on-par in terms of features. The TI-36X Pro is definitely more user friendly. Overall: 4/5 stars

This calculator is great and is, at the time of this review, allowed for use on the FE Exam. I love the fraction button and how easy it is to find everything. It also lets you see what you are typing, unlike the TI-X30. This calculator has all the features that I would actually use on my TI-84 without all the extra fancy stuff.