TI-30XS Multiview Calculator

Full Description

5 Reviews

1. Kid needed this calculator for HS. Found it for cheep on Amazon so bought it. I played around with it when I received it and it is fun. Lets you see the problem you worked on like it is written in the book. Pretty cool. I’m a retired engineer and when I went to college they wouldn’t let us use a calculator because it was unfair to those who couldn’t afford it. (I paid $100 for a LED, rechargeable, 8 digit add, subtract, multiply and divide) on sale. Had to use a slide rule. I still have one of those and I can use it to draw straight lines. If you need a good and cool scientific calculator, this one does a lot for $15.

2. I had always used Casio and this is my first TI. My “objective” verdict after using this for 2 years: It has a few good points but on the whole is a rather mediocre model. For what I do on a daily basis, though, I am fairly happy with it.

   Pros:
   1. This is the most important for me. You can “drop down” results or entire calculations from a previous run anywhere into your current run. This way you can break down complex calculations into smaller chunks and simply drop them into subsequent calculations without having to save each result to memory and trying to recall the correct one each time. You can also scroll up many sets of calculations to review your previous numbers. The drop down feature, I think, is very unique to this.
   2. Mathwrite: Many newer models have this so it is not a “set apart” feature but you can basically enter calculations exactly the way it is written on paper.
   3. Statistics: 3 column data entry in the form of a table. Again not unique. User friently but not very efficient.
   4. Build quality: This one is built like a tank. You can simply feel it.
   5. Square root: It automatically puts an open parantheses which is convenient. A TI thing. Casio does not.
   6. The cover: Some have said the closing and opening the lid is wierd. It was, initially. Now I am used to it, and actually kind of like it. More secure than a sliding cover.
   7. The “What is this?” factor: The design, looks and color of this thing has attracted quite a few curious colleagues to my desk to ask about it. Sets it apart from the old HP RPNs, the fancy graphing calculators, the ho-hum Casios and the oh-yet-another TI.

   Cons:
   1. Bulky: For a calculator of otherwise average features, this one is large and bulky and I don’t think there is an excuse for this. You cannot fit this into an average shirt pocket.
   2. Speed: For no reason at all, after many calculations, an hourglass will appear on screen for several seconds even as you are typing and the screen freezes up. It can be annoying when you are in a time crunch and want some quick numbers. I have resorted to routinely clearing the memory after several repeated complex calculations especially in Mathwrite mode. It has helped a little but does not completely avoid the problem.
   3. Keyboard layout: This I have realized is a TI thing. After using Casios for so many years, I have only one word to describe the keboard- CHAOS. Often, I have to search around a bit for a particular function like “log” or “pi”. There seems to be no rhyme or reason for the way the keys are organized. On a Casio or Sharp, functions are organized and grouped together in a very logical manner. The “E” or “x10^n” key is somewhere in the middle of all the functions even though it is probably one of the more used functions. Should you not have it down below next to the numbers?
   4. The “E” key: To enter 2E3, you type in 2 – x10^n – 3. Now if you need to do (2E3)2, you type in 2 – x10^n – 3 – x^2. Right? Wrong. That gives you the answer for 2 – x10^n – 6. Ridiculous. On a Casio, you simply type in 2 – E – 3 – x^2. Again, a TI thing and long time TI users are probably used to it but I think it is illogical.
   5. The Ans key: You need to hit the shift key located on the top left corner and then the “ans” key located on the bottom right corner. Irritating. Sharp I believe uses the same layout.
   7. The “Ans” approach: You can type in “+ 20″ and it will automatically treat it as “Ans + 20″. But you type in “sin” or “sqrt” and hit enter, it will NOT treat it as “sin(Ans)” or “sqrt(Ans)”. There will a “Syntax Error”. Casio will work just fine.
   8. Wasted real estate: There are two keys that essentially do the same thing- convert fractions to decimals and vice versa.
   9. The scroll pad: Small, hard and inconvenient. When you drop down stuff from previous calculations, you scroll up using the pad which is located on the top right, then hit enter which is on the bottom right. Bad layout.

   Verdict:
   My gripes about this calculator essentially boil down to its keyboard and input design. My “deal-sealer” for this calculator is its drop down feature. For what I do on a daily basis as an aerospace engineer, nothing beats it. It is almost like an RPN – Algebraic Entry love child. On the whole, I think it is a very mediocre calculator and a college student may be well-advised to get a Sharp or Casio. Yes, some of their models are built cheap and “plast-icky” but gone are the days when an engineer held on to his precious HP RPN calculator for decades like a rare treasure. Unless you are particularly careless with your stuff, even these calculators will last several years. If you are worried about it breaking down during your test, buy another one for back up. They come cheap. Ultimately, how good a calculator is depends on what the user wants from it. You could spend a 100 dollars getting a top-of-the-line model and use only 2% of its capabilities.

   Hope this helps.

3. More used to a TI 83 but it is pretty easy to figure out. Bought for SOA exams

4. I got the items I ordered even earlier than expected. The service is really great. The calculators I ordered are in excellent working condition.

5. The 30XS is a stellar scientific calculator. There’s a huge history that you can scroll through to copy old computations to your current computation via the arrow keys, and you can assign numeric values to 7 different variables (x y z t a b c). The calculator interface is very intuitive, after 5 minutes you’ll feel like there’s nothing you don’t know how to do with this calculator. A HUGE step up from the earlier scientific offerings from TI, its interface hints a lot from TI’s graphing line (nowhere near the features of a graphing calculator though).

   There’s lots of buzz around the FX-115ES versus the TI-30XS calculator, and if you’re heavy into complex numbers and definite integrals, the FX-115ES will shave time and save some paperwork. But the browsing history and interface of the 30XS will clearly make the better choice if you rarely if ever need those features on a scientific calculator.

   The calculator is built extremely well with a perfect button press feel. If you’re in need of a scientific calculator for classes/exams that don’t allow graphing calculators, this is the calculator to buy.