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

The TI-36X Pro is hands-down one of the best non-graphing calculators out there. I’ve been using it for engineering coursework, and it handles complex math, statistics, and scientific functions like a champ. The display is super clear, and I love the multi-line screen that lets you see inputs and results at the same time — way better than older models. It's intuitive once you get used to the layout, and the functionality is top-notch for everything from calculus to matrix operations. Also love that it’s permitted in exams where graphing calculators aren’t allowed — huge bonus!Solid build, sleek design, and definitely worth the investment if you're in any technical field.

I bought this calculator for my upcoming FE Exam in October 2013. I have been using it for the past couple of months to get acquainted and to study. When I was in school I used the TI-89 Titanium religiously. Unfortunately that's not permitted on the FE exam so I chose this one. Upon using it I must say that for a non-graphic calculator it's fantastic. The shortcut keys (for exponents, powers of 10, fractions, etc.) are a nice touch. The built in equation solver, polynomial equation solver, system of equation solver certainly shave a lot of time off of my calculations concerning static equilibrium, quadratic equations and circuits. This calculator also does Matrices, up to 3x3 and vectors in three dimensions. It even has popular constants (permittivity, Boltzmann, Ideal Gas, standard atm, etc) built in along with a whole conversion menu. On top of that it does numerical integration and numerical derivatives and plenty of other things I'm probably not going to mention.I consider it to be more user friendly than the TI-89 Titanium because of the shortcut keys and nice interface. For example, to calculate a determinant on the TI-89 you must press 2nd, MATH then scroll to Matrix, then select Det( and press enter. Then you have to remember the syntax which is det([a1, a2, a3][b1, b2, b3][c1, c2, c3]) and finally press enter.On the Ti-36X Pro all you have to do is press 2nd, Matrix and scroll to edit and enter how many columns and rows you want in the specified matrix, press enter and then put in your values. Then once the values are saved you go back to the Matrix menu and select Determinant and put in the name of the matrix where you saved the information. Pretty slick for a smaller calculator.The four line display provides enough room to see what your doing and the text is fairly large which I like. With the bigger calculators you usually have to squint to see some numbers, especially in low-light situations. This calculator also features Mathprint. This means that fractions, integrals and most other mathematical notation shows up as it's supposed to. However if you don't like this there is a feature to turn it off. This is especially useful for when you're calculating something like a parallel resistance circuit and you want to see that big fraction to make sure you didn't make a mistake.Of course no review is complete without listing the gripes. There's not too many problems with this calculator however there are something that really bug me. The first one being that there is no option to toggle "insert" like the TI-89 has. Usually I find myself needed to edit an equation that I just entered. Therefore I have to press second, then insert and put whatever I needed into the equation. Not a big deal but can get annoying at times.Second, I don't like the chrome arithmetic buttons. At times I find myself hitting the subtract button when I wanted to do some addition. However I solved this problem by running a fine-tipped sharpie over the buttons and rubbing off the excess on the surface. Now the symbols have a black color in contrast with the chrome. Much easier to see and I suggest this method if anyone else has this problem.Third, you must press a button multiple times to get what you need. For example say I want to type a complex number (3+5i) on the screen. I press 3, +, 5 and then I have to press the "pi, e, i" key three times just to get the "i" symbol. Can be a bit annoying/frustrating and you might make a mistake if you've had way too much caffeine as I normally do. Although I suppose they had to do this to consolidate space in the design process so I can respect that. Just a little annoying but I guess it comes with the territory. This can add a bit of time to the learning curve if you're not used to these "multipress" buttons.That's basically it. For a non-graphing calculator I give it a 9/10. Comparing budget calculators, I've had the TI-30Xa and the Ti-30XIIS before and this one blows them out of the water obviously, hence the name TI-36X PRO. I've never had a Casio calculator so I can't compare. With this many features and usability at the price of $17 or so it's certainly an exemplary buy. A great budget engineering calculator and certainly the best to use on the FE exam in my opinion. Go with this one!

This calculator packs a punch, and I love it. I used to primarily use a TI-84 as a physics major, but I had to purchase this calculator (TI-36X) for an engineering course. I was surprised to discover how useful it is, so I now use this primarily for both lab and lecture courses.It is easily portable and does not require a charging cord, so I never have to worry about not having a charged calculator for an exam. There are several useful functions I use often--the definite integral function being one of them. This calculator can also solve simple systems of equations. These are great for double checking hand calculations during an exam or lab. The rational number function is also great, and it will provide answers as fractions that can be turned into decimals. I am also able to switch back and forth between scientific and engineering mode, which is also very convenient for expressing answers in SI units with prefixes.Although it may seem like a "downgrade" from my TI-84, I really do not see it that way. I like having a simple calculator for exams and daily use. Compared to my TI-84, I am able to crunch numbers more quickly, in my opinion. Of course, I still use both calculators, but this one is my favorite of the two for these reasons.The only problem I have really ever experienced with this calculator is that there is a limit to the number of "entries" that you can type at once. I ran into this problem while computing several exponentials at once, but things can always be broken down into separate calculations.