Power and Proven Acceptance

The TI-86 Graphic Calculator has far more features than the TI-83 plus, and can be used for most College Courses and is approved for use on SAT exams. This calculator has been discontinued by Texas Instruments, and has been replaced by The TI-89, which is NOT ACCEPTED on SAT exams, and is NOT ACCEPTED in most College Classrooms. So don’t buy the TI-89. Buy the TI-86 instead, while you still can.

This Calculator is good for Algebra, Trigonometry, Applied Calculus, Calculus II, Calculus III, Differential Equations, Advanced Engineering Math, SATs, GREs, most Engineering certification exams such as Professional Engineer and Engineer-in-Training. It is really not intended for use as a “Business Calculator”, or as a “Financial Calculator”, but these kinds of capabilities can be downloaded from the manufactures web site and put into the calculator, as long as you have a “Graph Link”

Use “Nickel-metal hydride batteries” because they last longer than Alkaline Batteries, and there is nothing worse than having the batteries go bad in the middle of a test. This calculator sometimes sells for top dollar, because once its true value is understood, many students and engineers are willing to pay more money for a used one, than it originally sold for when it was new.

If you are new to Graphing Calculators, buy the "TI-83 plus" and also the TI-86 Calculator. Buy both of them. Why buy both of them? Because the "TI-83 plus" Calculator is the easiest graphic calculator there is. It is the easiest to learn and the easiest to use. Once you learn how to use the "TI-83 plus", the TI-86 is relatively easy to learn how to use. For the beginner going to the TI-86 directly is very challenging, even if you have the instruction manual and one of those dummy books. The TI-86 is a very advanced calculator that is not easy to learn for beginners. In fact all graphic calculators are intimidating in the beginning.

Oh, and by the way, stay away from the TI-84, because it is bulkier, heavier, and more awkward to use, the keys are at a slant, it breaks easily when dropped, and the batteries do not last as long as they should.

Again, your best bet is to buy two calculators, the "TI-83 plus" and the "TI-86". Learn how to use the "TI-83 plus" calculator first, than transfer that knowledge to the TI-86.

the non-CAS calculator

the ti-86 seems to be an bit old but has nothing lost from his powerfull skills to help you from any kind of school stuff. i ordered as a replacement of the ti-82 which, i don't know why, is still the standard calculator at many schools and colleges. main differences and features is:

- better screen resolution
- can show small letters
- more storage for more programs
- has build in support for asm-language programs (coming as strng to play many games)
- offers a larger variety of graph calculatation: e.g. inflection point
- very nice is that you can calculate an integral in the graph menu by typing in the exact boundaries (without using the unprecise trace option)
- another thing is that the ti-86 can handle vectors and make operations like cross and dot product without any program
- you also have a solid build in equation solver for polynomial equations
- build in solver for simultaneos equations (I., II., III., ...)
- has a build in solver for other equations
- can draw all derivations from a given function and let you calculate them
- has a table (huge difference to the ti85)
- can convert lots of units (time, volume, mass, ...)
- its faster than the ti82
- very good menu structure that appears in a bar at bottom of menu (quick access)
- catalog where you can search operations and put them into the custom menu

the only thing don't like is that you cannot draw vector objects in 3d and calculate things (like distance, intersections, angle, surface). but there are good programs around who can handle those calculations without drawing the object.

it still has more options than the ti84plus or any of the new non-CAS models that texas instruments made. you can connect it with the ti connectivity kit by using a usb cable (for mac and win).
if you not allowed to use a calculator with CAS this is the best choice!

Great engineering calculator

In the world of Texas Instrument calculators, one prefers the type used from the beginning of complex math. I started out with the TI-82 calculator, and upgraded to the TI-86 in 1999. I have been using it ever since. I started in high school, and this calculator got me through engineering school. It has everything I need as an electrical engineer. This calculator does polar and rectangular computation, number systems computation (binary, decimal, octal, hexadecimal), and so much more. It really cut homework time in half until my final year and a half. It is easier to get used to than the newer generation TI's (like the TI-93). Many of my classmates preferred this model or the TI-89 for all of their needs. I even take it when I go shopping. When I have a lot to buy, I put in all of the prices, keep a running tally, and can see right away if I am staying on budget. Not only that, but sometimes the scanned prices are wrong, and I have actually had to use this calculator to go back and prove price discrepancies to a lazy manager who did not want to check for herself. I cannot say enough great comments about this calculator; but be aware. I know that TI makes some great calculators tailored to numerous application. This model is geared toward scientists and mathmeticians who will need the complex functions this calculator performs. If you need normal computations, and you do not forsee yourself going into the aforementioned fields of study, you should purchase a different kind of calculator. This calculator can be expensive, and it would be unfortunate to waste money.

Excellant aged calculator that has served me well

I have used casio, hp's and other graphing calculators but none compare to the Texas Instruments (TI) calculators. Most schools use the TI-83 now and they used to mostly all use the TI-86. Once you become familiar with a calculator more than likely you will not want to change. This device has gotten me through algebra 2, trig, calc and day to day life. Unlike the TI-85 this has a table function. This table function is easier to use than MS Excel so i bring out my handy calculator all the time. I had one TI-86 go bad on my recently but it has been in my book bag for over 6 years and felt the day to day grind. The graphing functions are quite similar to the rest of the ti-86. If you notice the screen changing and you need to continually change the resolution your battery may be going bad. A neat trick on these is also to hold enter when you turn it on and it will display low battery, this is not the ase but will freak out your friends. I never played gameboy much but the huge range of free downloaded games available for the calculator has been invaluable in boring classes. I actually sadly prefer this calculator over the original gameboy when it comes to gaming. You can cheaply buy a cable to connect this to your desktop and transfer files and games. Another tid bit of info is if you ever receive errors when graphing delete the defaults and it should work fine. It drives teachers crazy when they cannot find the problem when you most likely screwed around and messed with a setting. The next model up is the TI-89 and that has a HUGE learning curve(as well as price increase). Sometimes you will see a plus model and that just added extra memory. You can save more items and games. I don't see this as needed since i put 22 games and had plenty of space to work on this calculator. TO sum it up this is a solid calculator and one I hope to use for the next 10 years.

Revision of a popular model - TI-85 to TI-86

This review is written assuming that Texas Instruments calculators are more popular at your school. HP and Casio are the main competition in this area, and will not be further mentioned. Go to their reviews if you need them instead!

With an interface and programming language almost identical to the TI-85, the TI-86 brings more memory, faster CPU, extra functionality to the classroom. The solver and easy text entry make this calculator easier to use and program with than the TI-82 and TI-83 models.

Families (for comparison): The TI-83 is to the TI-82, what the TI-86 is to the TI-85. The TI-89 is essentially a TI-92 with the style of keyboard used by the more popular two families. The TI-84 and Voyager models are supposed to replace all the old families from the 1990's. See Wikipedia for more detailed comparisons.

Overall: If you're wanting a powerful programmable calculator with excellent third-party support, and ease of use, get a TI-86. If you want to run installable packages, get the TI-84 instead. If you're on a budget and just need a calculator with almost the same interface as the other students and instructors, the TI-85 and TI-82 will work but might not cover some instructor's requirements. The TI-83 and TI-84 are currently the most accepted by instructors at my college. As always, ask your instructor which are allowed.