Calculators Buying Guide
If you've ever walked down the calculator aisle at Staples, you've probably gotten a little overwhelmed--especially if you're searching for the right model for one of your child's classes, and have the added stress of wrecking his or her educational career with the wrong one.
When In Doubt, Ask
- The first step is to check in with your child's teacher as to what brand and model most of the kids will be using in class.
- Or, Google the class and the end-of-the-year test your child will be taking, like the Key Stage Exams, or the A-Levels. That way, you'll both get an appropriate model for the course and guarantee that your child won't need another one because his or hers isn't allowed.
- Have your child sneak a peek at the calculators his peers have. The teachers will usually give their instructions on calculator use based on the model most of their students have. Therefore, you don't want your child to have a Casio
when everyone else has a TI --he'll be in for a tough year.
The Categories
- Consider the basic needs the calculator will serve.
- They generally fall into four categories: Basic, Scientific, Graphing, and Financial.
- Consider your child's age level; if he or she is seven or eight, chances are the brand of calculator used to add and subtract will be a non-issue.
- Physics, Calculus, and Statistics students, on the other hand, will require more specific capabilities.
| Basic |
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- Perform all basic functions, like adding, subtracting, dividing, multiplying, etc.
- These models are usually built for speed and comfort; large screens, clear numbers, and roomy keypads are pretty standard.
- Cheap and often at least partially solar powered.
- Great for basic calculations at home or in the office, but kids may no be allowed to use them in class. Check with teachers.
- Popular models include: Casio, Canon, Sharp, HPTI.
- Printing calculators are a great way to keep records of the data you find, especially for budgets.
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| Scientific |
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- Can perform basic functions in addition to 2-variable ones.
- Recommended for general maths, algebra, trigonometry, physics, chemistry, and statistics.
- Great for conversions, data plotting, and regression analysis.
- No graphing screen, but a two-line display.
- HP33s have the widest variety of functions.
- Middle of the road price-wise.
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| Graphing |
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- The most advanced calculator, and the most expensive.
- Some models are made for younger kids with the purpose of helping them visualize equations.
- Most, however, are a requirement for advanced maths classes, such as Calculus.
- Depending on the amount of memory a model has, you can load applications and functions to perform repetitive functions for you--or remember formulas.
- Since graphing calculators are so powerful, it is considered cheating to use them on certain tests. Before you buy, check out the TI website to be sure your child will be allowed to use one.
- Favourite models: TI-73 Explorer, TI-89
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