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Posted: 1/11/2016 3:05:25 PM EDT
As part of a graduate program that I'm planning to do in the next year, I have to do an elementary statistics class as a prerequisite. I've previously done first year calculus, first year physics and 2 1/2 years of chemistry, so I'm not terribly worried about stats. I've just never had occasion to take a stats class.





I still have my beloved HP 48 calculator from physics in 1996 and I'm very comfortable with RPN. The class requires a calculator and it must do averages, standard deviations and linear regressions. Any calculator is allowed, and none is specified.







Am I fine to stick with the HP, or might I be better with a TI?


 
Link Posted: 1/11/2016 4:49:38 PM EDT
[#1]
Don't overlook the dozens of statistics calculators available for smart phones.

Link Posted: 1/11/2016 4:51:49 PM EDT
[#2]
As a former math teacher, I used my TI 83 for a few Statistics classes  it did everything that I needed it to do. Also, I was able to do some basic programming with it. Try this link for an explanation:

TI-83 STAT Functions
Link Posted: 1/11/2016 4:55:45 PM EDT
[#3]

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Quoted:


Don't overlook the dozens of statistics calculators available for smart phones.



View Quote
I have looked at a number of these. However, smart phones aren't allowed on the tests.

 
Link Posted: 1/11/2016 9:39:52 PM EDT
[#4]
I'm currently in school, and taking calc 1 this semester. TI-84 or TI-83 is what everyone uses, and is recommended by the teachers. Pawn shops usually have them for about $40 or $50.
Link Posted: 1/16/2016 1:19:32 PM EDT
[#5]
For homework learn how to drive Excel.
Link Posted: 2/8/2016 4:44:05 PM EDT
[#6]
I highly recommend the TI-Nspire CX CAS.

I bought it halfway through engineering school and I wish I had bought it at the start. It's incredible. It helps you do everything faster too. There is a learning curve to it, but you just focus on the parts you need and you'll be good to go in no time. One of the best features is being able to cycle through things you've already entered ( can select from the last 99 calculations I believe )  to calculate with new variable values or to edit a small portion of it.

You can cut/paste, store a multitude of variables/functions/matrices etc. It also has a whole library of statistics functionality. Probably the best single education-related purchase I've made in my life.
Link Posted: 2/17/2016 5:56:02 PM EDT
[#7]
TI-Nspire.
Absolutely an amazing calculator and often come with a TI-84 faceplate as well (So you get two calculators for one!)
Only calculator I will use now, makes your life a lot easier for stats, calc and everything else as well

Link Posted: 2/17/2016 6:03:41 PM EDT
[#8]
TINspire.


I teach grad level stats.  This is what I recommend and my students use.
Link Posted: 2/24/2016 11:35:05 AM EDT
[#9]

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Quoted:


TINspire.





I teach grad level stats.  This is what I recommend and my students use.
View Quote
You dont have your students just bring laptops and do everything on R/SPSS/Matlab/etc?

 
Link Posted: 3/2/2016 1:55:18 AM EDT
[#10]
Take a simple four function arithmetic calculator.
Link Posted: 3/2/2016 7:10:23 PM EDT
[#11]
As a followup, my instructor said that the calculator only needed to be able to do 1 variable statistics, linear regressions, etc. He recommended either the TI-30x iis or the TI-83/84 series. I could've used my HP 48, but none of the demonstrations in class would use it. On the upside, NONE of my classmates have any idea how to use Reverse Polish Notation, which is a shame.





I bought the TI-30, since it was only $16. It does ok, but it's very tedious to enter lists. So yesterday, I bought a new TI-84 Plus CE. The time saved in entering lists and data made it completely worth it.







And on the upside, when my 6th grader gets to 8th grade, he'll need a TI, so he can have the new 84.







I did break out the 48G and let me 17 year old daughter try it. Very funny to watch. And I also pointed out to her that the HP was older than she was.


 
Link Posted: 3/2/2016 11:21:42 PM EDT
[#12]
Why not buy a laptop and a student version of MatLab?
Link Posted: 3/3/2016 12:32:44 AM EDT
[#13]

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Quoted:


Why not buy a laptop and a student version of MatLab?
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Because you can't use a computer or smartphone or TI-89/N-Spire/TI-92 on the exams.
Link Posted: 3/23/2016 11:29:07 PM EDT
[#14]
I'm 64 years old. I remember using a slide rule for some pretty serious stuff. Damn they took my 12c from me in a grad final at OSU in 1978.
Link Posted: 3/30/2016 3:03:06 PM EDT
[#15]
I used my TI-84 Plus throughout college (including Engineering Statistics 1 & 2).  It served me well.  Some of the newer TI calculators allow you to load and view PDF's onto the calculator and have bigger screens so you can track yourself through the extremely long and involved processes of calculation that you'll experience in Statistics.  The newer ones also allow you to input confidence intervals (which will be valuable to you).

Good luck!
Welcome to the world of statistics and data analyses.
Link Posted: 3/30/2016 3:04:47 PM EDT
[#16]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
You dont have your students just bring laptops and do everything on R/SPSS/Matlab/etc?  
View Quote View All Quotes
View All Quotes
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Quoted:
TINspire.


I teach grad level stats.  This is what I recommend and my students use.
You dont have your students just bring laptops and do everything on R/SPSS/Matlab/etc?  


Awesome calculator! I wish it had been around when I started college.
Link Posted: 4/2/2016 2:48:37 PM EDT
[#17]
excel and minitab, anything less is just a waste of your time
Link Posted: 4/12/2016 11:33:39 PM EDT
[#18]
TI-83 excel and minitab. You will have all bases covered. Honestly, you could probably get by on any cheap scientific calculator and minitab. Mainly because minitab already does everything for you. FWIW I'm in biostatistics and business statistics.
Link Posted: 6/1/2016 11:45:58 AM EDT
[#19]

Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:


TINspire.





I teach grad level stats.  This is what I recommend and my students use.
View Quote
Yep.  I am also going back and getting my statistic degree, and this calculator is the best of the best out there.  I is so good, I will except nothing less.



 
Link Posted: 6/6/2016 4:07:13 PM EDT
[#20]
So the semester is over. How did you do?
Link Posted: 6/7/2016 8:53:24 AM EDT
[#21]

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Quoted:


So the semester is over. How did you do?
View Quote
I got an A. My total was 96%.

 
Link Posted: 6/7/2016 11:06:15 AM EDT
[#22]
Having done huge amounts of satellite orbital radiation analysis using not much more than Excel DATA ENTRY is the big problem.
After spending days getting data formatted (or writing software to read it in native format) an overnight computer run would cover almost all the analysis.

Nothing like having proprietary models of trapped protons and electrons.

We nailed a proton induced failure occurred every 23 months(+/- 2 months).
Three failures in just under 6 years.

Each failure took one proton to create.
The rate went from hundreds of protons/(cm^2-s) to over 15,000 protons/(cm^2-s) on different parts of each orbit.

When the third incident went off on schedule one customer asked us "What where you guys doing last Saturday?" in jest.
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