2 X WriteView Calculator Scientific Battery-Power 4-line 335 Functions 2-Key Rollover - Ref ELW531B

:Disclaimer: I do own both this and a Casio fx-85GT PLUS (the most current model I believe at the time i write this) which I compare to.Also, for a short summary if you cba to read much: I feel as if i've never ran into a problem with this, whereas the casio competition have been giving me issues, beyond simply being a new format to use when I switched. Would definitely recommend.Performs well and reliable. Easy to understand format and an all-round quality product. Suitable for Maths GCSE A-Level and even University (I used it for all 3, I'm currently studying MechEng at Uni of Bath and its superior to the various Casios I've been tormented with in the exams.It seems to be much more thoughtfully designed - it handles standard form sensibly, the scientific modes are ideal for Physics; it has binary, pent, oct, decimal and hex - useful for computing and boolean; and the WriteView is great, meaning your fractions are displayed clearly as well as square roots and other functions such as trig. This differentiated it from some of the Casio calculators which blankly refused fractions, struggled with square roots and chucked brackets everywhere for functions.Casio scientific models do have some advantages, the solar panel in the top right corner being one - this seems a nifty addition, but on the other hand my Sharp battery has never run out in 4 years of constant use (We're talking roughly 150+ days a year). It also has a variety of functions, some of which the Sharp doesn't have and vice versa - its hard to be specific on this but after some decent usage on the casio, it doesn't seem to be lacking or gaining too much over the Sharp. Both are acceptable for mathematical use, but the Sharp is just easier to use and more useful, in my opinion.p.s. through all the long secondary school lessons I didnt really try that hard in, I got quite acquainted with this Sharp calculator, through lack of other things to amuse me. While I would never advocate cheating, I'm just saying if you delve into some of the Stats functions, you can definitely skip a lot of pointless grunt work. Fiddle around with some of the buttons, you can really get a speed increase or check your work easily. Related the nCr and nPr buttons are super useful if you know what you are doing.- Rob

Sharp WriteView Calculator.This is a nice scientific calculator which is ideal for A level and up.Build quality.==========It's nice a solid and feels good in the hand. They key have a positive feel and everything is clearly laid out. It comes with a cover.In use.=====Well it's a calculator but I feel it's a bit better than some of the cheaper ones. It correctly formats numbers which helps cuts down on mistakes. One million is displayed as 1'000'000 and not 1000000 as my cheaper one does. This helps to cut down on errors. The display is nice and large and has four lines. You can enter formulas directly and they appear correctly just like in a book. For example a quadratic equation calculation can be entered and displayed just like a written one on the page. This helps cut down on procedural errors and general errors. It is a well thought-out scientific calculator.I am a Biologist and love this calculator as it is great for my job.Functions.--------------There is nothing I can find missing for teaching degree level science and basic statistics using a calculator. If you want pure stats then a graphical calculator or one of the many statistical apps for iOS Apple or Android devices would be better.Overall.======A nicely made machine with a good display and direct entry. Now my calculator of choice.

This is a very good calculator which retains its memory after you switch off. It puts the other more expensive Texas calculators to shame as they make it so difficult to access the memory as it is used for their convoluted calculations This si a very reasonable price also

In many respects this calculator is similar to others of it's ilk but with the sometimes useful "WriteView" facility. This it must be said however rather frustratingly gives the answer in fractions no matter how cumbersome and further button pressing is required to get a decimal result. Most scientific calculators have minor differences in operation and are quickly adapted to so maybe not of too much import, but for me the main flaw is that the keys are far to sensitive. Just moving it about on a busy desk can inadvertantly cause a character entry and upset your work. I persevered but eventually found the Canon F-718SGA to be far better in this respect, requiring a firmer button press, and it is now my preferred calculator. Maybe not important, but I find the Canon far more aesthetically pleasing with it's very dark grey matt case. The Sharp looks like cheap shiny black plastic. A further advantage of the Canon is that it has solar powered ability as well as battery.

I've been using this calculator for 8 years now (the same calculator, in fact; I only bought a second to have a spare one on hand), and through both secondary school and university (Physics) it's what I always come back to.It's more powerful and functional than you'd expect, and it's incredibly reliable and can handle a lot of abuse.

I purchased this after comparing it with the equivalent Casio model, and this seemed to out-spec the Casio. When it arrived I systematically went through the manual and got to know every function, and it has everything needed for my OU Science degree. If the result is expressable as a fraction, it will display this format first, but the change button will give you the decimal equivalent. One interesting facility is that calculations involving roots will be simplified before display the fractional result. I think though that the fractions would be more useful to pre-GCSE students.One other feature that is no use to me is its ability to pose easy maths tests, with questions coming in random sequences, and also do the same for multiplication table tests. This would be handy for children just starting out with mathematics.