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

I bought the TI‑36X Pro Calculator while preparing for engineering exams and it has quickly become my go-to calculator for both studying and everyday calculations. The multi-line display is one of the best features. Being able to see equations exactly as they’re typed makes it much easier to catch mistakes when working through longer problems. It also handles fractions, matrices, complex numbers, and unit conversions surprisingly well for a non-graphing calculator. Pros Clear multi-line display Powerful functions for engineering and science Allowed on many standardized exams Durable and easy to navigate once you learn the layout (even my 11yo uses it) Cons Not a graphing calculator Some advanced functions take a little time to learn Overall, this is a fantastic option for students in engineering, math, or science who want something more capable than a basic scientific calculator without stepping up to a full graphing model. This is also a really nice calculator for middle school students! Highly recommended.

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!

Great calculator for STEM/Engineering students. It has most features you need for courses where only scientific and non-graphing/programmable calculators are permitted. Definitely has a learning curve if you intend to use many of its features but it is worth the time. Size-wise, it's slim and light-weighted compared to other graphing/programmable calculators (my favorite trait of TI-36X Pro). If your kid is going to college soon, buy them at least two of these.

Finally had to graduate from my TI-30XII, served me way longer than it should have. Literally almost out of college and it finally couldn't keep up with big physics equations anymore. The 36 is just so much more convenient, love the ability to do fractions right on the screen, you can set up entire problems and not have to do like 5 steps.

TI-36X Pro calculator (A non-graphing scientific calculator) I originally reviewed a TI-30XS Multi-View and a Casio FX-115ES when I took the Professional Engineer exam because they were the only ones available at the time that I could use without too much difficulty. I took 3-4 months before the exam to familiarize myself with the calculator before I took the actual exam. I felt the Casio FX-115ES was far superior, although the TI-30XS MV had a much cleaner interface and a sensible layout. But the FX-115ES was very easy to use once you got used to the menu/layout as Casio hasn't changed its scientific calculators very much over the years. Many of the features I favored in the FX-115ES were not available in the TI-30XS MV such as complex numbers and handling matrices, and even working with different base numbers. The TI-36X Pro seems to have resolved many, if not all, of the TI-30XS MV shortcomings. Had the 36X Pro been available in late 2008, I would have most likely used it for the exam along with my FX-115ES as a backup calculator. The 36X Pro interface/layout is similar to the TI-30XS MV which makes it easy to use. The answers default in approximations (decimals) versus exact numbers (fractions) with the FX-115ES. This makes it easier for engineers since I always had to press the convert key on the FX-115ES. The TI-36X Pro treats complex numbers the same way as the FX-115ES, just make sure to set it in the Complex mode for polar or rectangular values. I still prefer the TI-89's treatment of complex numbers without having to deal with different modes (square root of -1 = i without going to any different modes), but it isn't too hard to change a few settings in the 36X Pro and it even has a key for i albeit it is a multi-tap key, but it works in the REAL mode. Different number bases with the 36XP Pro require navigating more menu layers versus the FX-115ES. With the Casio, you could directly switch between DEC, HEX, BIN, etc... whereas the TI 36X Pro requires you to convert the values. Again, this isn't a big deal it is just a matter of a few extra seconds of time. The TI 36X Pro has a better menu, but the FX-115ES is more direct. I guess that is probably a Japanese trait as well! The TI-36X Pro has lots of conversions and constants, and they are actually described in the menu which makes it very easy to use versus the cryptic FX-115ES. Again, the FX-115ES can be more direct - but that is the same for Microsoft DOS or Unix. They can be very quick and direct, but no one wants to use cryptic commands. A GUI or touch-screen is far more intuitive and that is where the TI-36X Pro shines. However, the TI-36X Pro conversions are very basic and limited to some common conversions. For exams, this isn't as big of a problem. For scientific or engineering work, I would prefer more conversions available on the spot. The multi-tap keys on the 36X Pro are an excellent idea. TI probably had to do this because they ran out of room for more buttons or a "3rd" key. The multi-tap keys are easy to use, just repeatedly press them until you get the command you want. The color scheme of the calculator itself is an improvement over the TI-30XS MV. The 30 was white with a teal/blue green color. The white has now turned yellow, and the 30 always looked like a kid's calculator. The TI-36X Pro is a black/dark gray motif and there are 7 keys coated with a metallic color. It makes it hard to read the symbols, but TI did etch the 6 keys with their commands. My only guess as to why they did this was that the keys tend to rub smooth with repeated use. I had my TI-86 for the longest time since 1996, and most of the keys were polished smooth by the time it started to malfunction and use up batteries in a few days. So the etching/molded keys aren't a bad idea - I just wish they used a more visible/contrasting scheme for those keys. The solar assist comes in handy for exams because you don't have to worry about changing your batteries too often. Although TI does mention this is just a solar assist to lengthen the battery life probably by using whatever photovoltaic source you can get via the cell but relying mainly on the CR2032 lithium coin cell. I removed the battery and the calculator refused to turn on even under direct sunlight. So apparently the calculator does run on the CR2032 battery and utilizes some assistance from the solar cells. I am not a big fan of the hard case, as it clips at the bottom and top. I prefer the slide case of the TI graphing calculators although the 30XS/36X Pro case has better retention. It's not going to come apart in a backpack. To sum it up, I'd recommend the TI 36X Pro in situations where you cannot use a graphing calculator. I am still split on the Casio FX-115ES and the TI-36X Pro, although I feel both are on-par in terms of features. The TI-36X Pro is definitely more user friendly. Overall: 4/5 stars

Good price for all you get. Cover helps and it’s durable. Trusted brand for a reason. Learn to use it in courses and use the manual or google it or YouTube for button instructions if lost. Otherwise excellent.

I use this calculator every day in my field of work (surveying) and I don't think I will use another model or brand for quite a while. While I dont utilize every aspect of the calculator, I find that the value storage and four-line screen make a lot of what I do very convenient. The calculator has a pretty decent memory bank if you ever need to go back through your calculation history. My calculator has been exposed to rain, sweat, dust, cold, and heat and is still trucking. I leave it on my dash in the middle of summer under a hot Texas sun and have yet to run into any issues. The calculator is large enough that I'm not fat-fingering keys, but small and slim enough to throw in any pocket comfortably. Great tool!

Works well, sleek design does everything I need it to. For a not so expensive ti this is a great buy