Every geek needs a calculator, and not just any calculator will do. A geek’s calculator must be able to handle very large numbers, fractions, trigonometry, and very large trigonometric fractions, among other things. The Staples BD-6703, which my mom picked up for me at Staples Business Depot for $9.99, fits all of the qualifications. Plus, it’s cooler than my brother’s calculator, so I can bug him about it.
Pros:
- It has a great two-line display; the top line for input, the bottom line for output. You can scroll though your input or output or the whole list of equations you’ve done to get the current answer. The display is clear and sharp, and the top line can display all sorts of characters besides numbers.
- You can input letters on the display. Well, not the entire alphabet; just A, B, C, D, E, F, X, Y, and M. It’s surprising, though, how many words you can form with those letters: DADDY. FAXED. BAD. There are also commas and colons and semicolons; if there were only a space key, you could write a novel on this thing (albeit a boring novel.)
- Functions galore! This thing handles not only your basic trig functions, but also factorials, statistical functions, random number generation, coordinate conversion, standard deviations, quadratic deviations, regression equations. Many of the functions cover things I haven’t even learned about yet. (Does anybody know what nPr and nCr stand for?)
- It handles fractions. You can input fractions anywhere in an equation, even mixing them with decimals, and your answer will still come out right. Better yet, you can convert decimals to fractions and vice versa, making this the ideal tool for cheating on your Grade 4 math homework. It even handles mixed numbers!
- It also comes with a handy hard plastic case that doubles as a stand for holding the thing up on your desk. I prefer to hold my calculator in my two paws like a cell phone, though.
- The price! You can’t beat ten bucks.
Cons:
- Aesthetic details. The whole calculator, but especially the glossy back of the case, is a fingerprint magnet.
- It sometimes takes a while (even as much as two seconds) to get an answer. And it takes about a second to turn on. Be patient.
- The manual is cryptic. You need a doctorate in Chinese-translated-English to read the thing. And it has lots of dumb warnings. Did you know you’re not supposed to burn calculators?
In conclusion, the BD-6703 is an excellent calculator. I can’t reccommend this device more.
Do you delight in bugging your brother and having cooler things than him?
Not really. But I do, sometimes. (Awkward question you ask there…)
Your grammar is bad, too. I think you meant to imply that my calculator is cooler than his calculator, not that my calculator is cooler than he is.
I had this calculator in black and it was so amazing and cool looking but then the screen broke so I had to get a new one. I got the exact same one but they didnt have it in black instead its this ugly silver and black one. Makes me sad.