I bought and tried out a few Casio and TI scientific pocket calculators recently.
My new favorite is the TI-30X Pro MathPrint. Was wondering what are other people's favorites and why?
What won me over with TI is being able to browse up the stack and push any value or calculation back into the prompt just by pressing the enter key. The Casios can browse up the stack but will only allow the last answer to be put into the prompt using the 'Ans' key. I'd only used Casios for >20 years but the inability to capture values became very frustrating after using the TI. The TI also doesn't have different modes, so the stack isn't lost when switching between using different functions or units - compared to the Casios that essentially reset themselves when switching modes.
The TI mathprint is also a nice step up from the TI-36X pro with a better screen, much faster, and gives answers in surds like the Casio. The latest Casios like the 991EX/CW do have more functions though.
The calculator experience reminded me of how it only dawned on me near the end of degree studies that I'd been using a 'GCSE' Casio 83/85 calculator the whole time and was missing out on functions such as summing integrals and sigmas that could be done on the Casio 991/570/115 calculators. I promptly hacked my Casio into a 991 with a simple soldering job on its circuit board.
This one, no idea what it is apart from Casio but it's over 20 years old now, had it since March 2003.

I'm looking at the fx85s I got for my A-Levels. It also still has the 'approved for examinations' sticker from Sheffield Uni on the back which has been there since 1997 🙂
For me being a land surveyor the casio fx 730P, basic language and trig calcs in degrees not radians. Also my old calculator that had a K function allowing multiple subtractions from an initial entry. Balls to memory recall A etc
Can't recall exactly what I had in the 80s, maybe a Casio FX-361 Scientific Calculator?
+1 for the mighty fx-115.
Although mine is a S, not MS...whatever that means. (sport, mega-sport?)
I can't believe how dear calculators are!
£363 for this Casio. https://www.casio.co.uk/s100x-bk-flagship-desktop-calculator-black
Fx115-W still lives on my desk, must be from 1995ish
I still have one of these, it must be 40 years old, still works fine. I got a better Casio one when I went to uni but I still have a soft spot for the old Sharp.

A Texas Instruments LCD job with quite "clicky" buttons from the early 1980s. The screen went blank when you pressed a key.
Edit - THIS! http://www.datamath.org/Sci/Slimline/TI-20.htm
Use a CASIO MS-108 now. Got an old CASIO fx-P401, but the my eyes don't like it anymore :-/
Mine is the Casio fx-4500PA Programmable that's beside me on my desk.
I still have my TI-52 from school on my desk, it is not far off forty years old

I use the standard fx85 or whatever it is on my desk but portable? Phone app, surely
Whatever is available in the work stationary cupboard.
My uncle had one of these - it was like stepping into the future. You could play a lunar-lander game which was incredible.

I had a TI-83 for A-levels/Uni and thought it was great. I simply use an interactive Python prompt these days though.
I had no idea how to use it though!!
I still remember that glowing feeling from understanding what every single button did. But did anyone ever actually use Gradians in real life?
But did anyone ever actually use Gradians in real life
Only if all the other angle measurements were gon.
If I needed a calculator these days it would be one of these https://www.swissmicros.com/product/dm42 or maybe the 41X.
Got to be my HP41CV. Spent all summer working on a farm to be able to afford it. Was about £250 back around 1982, so not cheap!
iPhone turned on it’s side?
As above, I've been looking at the Swiss Micros for a while, they look very impressive, but just can't justify one when Excel or a phone does everything I need.
Favourite? I had one and stopped using after I left school... Took some digging through draws but I finally located my Casio fx 115, purchased 85-86, last used in anger around '89 for my GCSE's. Solar powered and it still looks to work fine.
Followed by one of these for a-levels and uni
Favourite though is my very first one. From 1976 a Rockwell.

One of these bad boys
Ok not technically a scientific calculator. But hey ho.
https://www.si.edu/object/texas-instruments-little-professor-teaching-calculator%3Anmah_334611
First calculator was a Commodore 776M (had to google to remind myself).
http://www.arithmomuseum.com/album.php?cat=c&id=350&lang=en
But the favourite calculator ive had (still have) is a Casio fx-4500 like @keando
I can’t believe how dear calculators are!
My Sinclair Scientific back in 1975 was 30 quid. That's over £200 in today's money, though more importantly back then it was getting on for 200 pints. Plus it was rubbish at Trig so for surveying I still had to reach for the 7 figure log tables.
80085
FX-100 still sitting on my desk.
Bought for me as a birthday present in 1981 and used through O- and A- levels.
Still has an AbleLabel on the back with my parents' address and phone number: 4-digit STD (no 1) and 5-digit home number.
For degree (1986-1989) and PhD (-1992) I bought a Casio programmable calculator that saved hours of tedious calculations for lactose extractions, RIAs and the like. Probably tucked in a draw on the day I discovered Lotus123.

I had a Casio Fx-451 like Cougar’s - bought it in 1982 or 1983 from Millar’s in Queen Street. Served me for both my engineering degree and then a Masters. I liked the size as it fitted in the chest pocket of the ex-German Airforce flying suit that I spent many of my undergraduate years wearing having cycled in from the south side, chained my bike to the railings on Montrose Street, quick shower and dived into lectures in my onesie 🤣
A very similar one to the Sanyo pictured. Got it in 1988 when starting a job involving a lot of use of octal. Still going strong with original batteries having survived a subsequent teaching career as well. Fun showing kids welded to chargers, a calculator whose batteries went in 20 years before they were born.
Am I going to be the first to claim the geek kudos of loving an RPN calulator? I remember having to get my mum to write a cheque to buy one of these from the computer triader magazine (Micro Mart???) BITD.

Though I did recently buy a TI-85 that I could only have dreamed of while doing my A-Levels.
In reality, I nearly always use the app on my phone, the above calculators are a bit like riding the bike you wanted from the 90s...
FX-39 baby ! (I bet it's in the garage somewhere)
http://www.arithmomuseum.com/album.php?cat=c&id=53&lang=en
FX-39 baby
I happen to have a fx-19 which is just a couple of years older and is very similar, It probably has the same vacuum tube display which I like using especially the clicking sound it makes when first turned on.
Thr fx-19 was the first calculator with a fraction button but it doesn't have bracket buttons like the fx-39.
Am I going to be the first to claim the geek kudos of loving an RPN calulator?
You certainly claim that crown, although the previously mentioned swissmicros are inspired by the HPs and also use RPN logic. I've never used RPN and not sure how long it'd take me to get used to it.
I also use the calculator on my phone but it is just nice to use a calculator with mechanical buttons when at my desk.
I've also found the implementation of things like precision to be very variable on the phone calculators e.g. the samsung app applies a lot of rounding whereas the google one has much better internal precision.
Always been a Casio fan here. Growing up in the 80’s they were just better built than others (IMHO).
Did my GCSE’s with this:
FX-7500G SCIENTIFIC FOLDING GRAPHING CALCULATOR 1988
Both kids have done well at maths and being a geek dad have both had Casio top of range (I mean they are about £100… so compared to other crud we spend on an investment) graphing calculators at age 15. My suggestion is buy them in YR11 as if they are mathematically inclined they will doss about and learn the calc ahead of when they need it at A-Level.
I still had to reach for the 7 figure log tables.
I remember using those for basic trig in Junior school, probably aged 10. Barlow's 5 figure tables IIRC...
Favourite though is my very first one. From 1976 a Rockwell.
Blood and stomach pills, I think I have one of those squirrelled away somewhere still.
Am I going to be the first to claim the geek kudos of loving an RPN calulator?
Back in college we used to call RPN "Egdelp." If anyone can work out why, it's possibly the geekiest joke I've ever posted onto the Internet and that's a pretty high bar.
FX-81
I’d post a pic but I’m loath to attempt it again and be presented with some new and unfathomable reason as to why it’s failed.


