Are you trying to figure out what calculator to buy or otherwise? Here is my TI-84 Plus Silver Edition review:
Ideal For school
The TI-84 Plus Silver Edition is great for school, but you can also get by with the more affordable TI-83 plus and TI-84 plus graphing calculators. All three of these calculators are taught in math and science classes across America, as well as featured in textbooks.
If you want to be successful in your middle school, high school, or college math and science classes, it’s important that you get either a TI-83 or TI-84. Other calculators brands are just as good, but lessons in most school are designed with the 83 and 84 graphing calculators in mind. Contact your school for more information.
Capabilities
The TI-84 Plus Silver Edition has similar capabilities to the TI-83 Plus and TI-84 Plus. I write more about specific things about what these graphing calculators can do in my respective articles on the TI-83 Plus and TI-84 Plus, so if you want a general idea of what these calculators are capable of, start there.
The TI-83 Plus, TI-84 Plus, and TI-84 Plus Silver Edition are basically interchangeable, meaning that if you own a TI-84 Plus Silver Edition, you be able to operate a TI-83 or TI-84 Plus without much problem.
So what do you get with the extra money you pay for when getting a TI-84 Plus Silver Edition?
Here is my TI-84 Plus Silver Edition review of its unique features:
Operating System
The regular TI 84 Plus has 480 kB of memory, while the TI 84 Plus Silver has 1.5 MB. The TI 84 Plus Silver also runs faster.
Different Colors
The TI-84 Plus Silver Edition has 14 different colored faceplates to add a personal touch.
Applications
The TI-84 Plus has 13 preloaded applications, while the TI-84 Plus Silver Edition has 30. More apps can be downloaded from the Texas Instruments website, mostly for free.
I was originally going to write more about the apps in this TI-84 Plus Silver Edition review, but there is so much to say about them that I created a separate article! Click here to learn more about the applications available for the TI-83 and TI-84 graphing calculators.
Although the TI-84 Plus Silver Edition does has more preloaded applications, all of the applications I described in my TI-84 Plus Silver Edition review can be uploaded to a regular TI-83 plus or TI-84 plus. Thus, if you really want some of these applications, but don’t want to spend the money to buy Silver Edition, you can always just upload the applications from ti.com.
That said, the Silver Edition does have more memory to fit the apps that you want.
UPDATE: The TI-Nspire with Clickpad comes with a TI-84 Plus keypad that can actually emulate the TI-84 Plus. This calculator is cheaper than the TI-84 Plus Silver Edition, has higher resolution, and a more advanced operating system. Read my TI-Nspire with Clickpad review, it’s worth a look.
Overall TI-84 Plus Silver Edition Review
It’s a great calculator with a lot of capabilities. however, it is significantly more expensive than the regular TI-84 Plus. In my opinion, you will get the most bang for your buck out of just the regular TI-84 Plus.
That said, if you are looking to buy a graphing calculator for school, at least consider spending the extra money on this edition. If you go to a good school system, chances are, as a student you will use your calculator every year from grade 7 through college. Buying a graphing calculator is a real investment that is going to last you for years, and if you’re going to be using the same calculator for upwards of eight years, you may want to buy the best calculator you can, rather than risking a calculator with a slightly inferior operation system and fewer apps.
I hope this TI-84 Plus Silver Edition Review was helpful! Where should you buy a calculator? I found that the best deals for these calculators are on Amazon.com. Click the link below to order yours.