Need advice from Engineers who are also TI users

[drdbthompson]

Mait,

I know you're asking about TI calculators, but I thought I'd offer you my thoughts. I'm a practicing civil engineer (surface water hydrologist) and my "grab-it" calculator was an HP-11C (vintage) that stays on my desk. That unit will be replaced by an HP-41CX (just acquired) and I'm learning its keyboard now.

The 11C has gone with me to many meetings and is a great form factor for carrying. It's plenty capable for routine calculations. The 41CX is only slightly larger and brings a lot more capability in only a slightly larger package. It will carry well in my travel kit.

For anything a little more challenging, I have an HP-48GX in its case on my desk. I have written a number of programs for it that will solve problems that are not amenable to hand calculations (solve Mannings equation, energy equation, specific force equation, etc). I don't care for it as much because it is so much larger and doesn't really fit in the hand like the other calculators do. It is a beast, though, and it is one I bought new back in the early 90s when my HP-28C decided to drop memory routinely.

I had a TI-59 many years ago (couldn't afford an HP) in graduate school. I had many programs for that calculator (some I wrote; others were shared). It was a good calculator, but nothing like the HPs that were available.

I have no experience with Casio calculators. They never appealed to me.

In any event, I hope these musings help you along your way to a new calculator.

Good luck!