19 replies to this topic

[JimC]

For anyone who's interested, I'm finishing up work on a 'Scientific Calculator Comparison' between the CASIO fx-115ES and the SHARP EL-W516. It's a user manual in PDF format for both calculators, as well as a comparison of their capabilities. I'm posting a link to it here, hoping for some feedback - it's not 100% complete but very close to it. Volume One and Volume Two are now available for download from my account at Mediafire. The cost is of course free. Volume Two is an Appendix and some supplementary material. Thanks!

The names of the files right now are CasioSharp_Vol_1.pdf and CasioSharp_Vol_2.pdf

There's a green download button at the bottom of this page of my website which will direct you to my Mediafire download page.

You may also go directly to my mediafire account for the download. Just click the name CasioSharp.pdf to download the PDF file.

Edited by JimC, 12 June 2010 - 01:14 AM.

[JimC]

Volume I and II of the 'Scientific Calculator Comparison' between the CASIO fx-115ES and the SHARP EL-W516 are available for prerelease download. The cost is of course free. Volume I is the User Guide and operational comparison; Volume II is an Appendix and supplementary material.

The names of the files right now are CasioSharp_Vol_1.pdf and CasioSharp_Vol_2.pdf

There's a green download button at the bottom of this page of my website which will direct you to my Mediafire download page.

You may also go directly to my mediafire account for the download. Just click the name CasioSharp.pdf to download the PDF file.

[ECE]

Hi,
This seems to be a lot of work. But I can’t see the reason behind it?
Thank you.

[JimC]

Hi,
This seems to be a lot of work. But I can’t see the reason behind it?
Thank you.

Well, not that much work - it was done over time. For those who already own and like their Casio or Sharp scientifics, and know how to use them, there is no reason to read another set of manuals. My work was meant for those who are trying to choose between the Sharp EL-W516 and Casio fx-115ES - or - for those who own one calculator or the other and want to learn more on how to use it. Both these calculators are unique in that they cost about 20 US Dollars and are able to work with matrices, vectors, complex numbers, and simultaneous equation solving. Take a look at some posts and you'll see many basic questions... "how do I enter a vector?", "how do I multiply matrices?", or "how do I find complex solutions?". The manuals that come with the calculators give button presses but no explanations, and so many people don't get much out of reading the manuals. I tried to supply some math background, walkthroughs for selected solutions, and a comparison between the operation of the two calculators. It might help someone, just starting out, if they are given more explanation. You are correct though. For most of us here who are already well practiced, my PDF's are just an alternate reference.

Edited by JimC, 12 June 2010 - 12:59 PM.

[jhanus]

It's so sad to see, that in the sea of almost useless posts, always quality posts get unanswered and no attention.
I for one, must congratulate for writing this tutorial/comparison, obviously there was a lot of work.
Thank you for sharing.

Ordering Sharp EL-W516...

[JimC]

You're welcome, and thank you for the kind remarks. At last check, the book had
100 downloads - so there are some people out there who have found it useful in
some way. If it helps only a handful of people then that will have been enough to
make the effort worthwhile.

It's quite alright the book gets little attention - the Casio scientific calculator audience
is probably quite small since the graphic models seem to be the heavy hitters on
all the Casio calculator related forums. There will always be a small but loyal
audience for the scientific models though, which is why Casio ( and others ) still
produce them. Even in this age of advanced handheld technology, the lowly
scientific calculator is still the ideal mathematical tool for many applications.

The file will be updated but I've waited for feedback first. When the update happens,
it will be posted here first for those who are interested. If anyone has any ideas
for any material they'd like to see included in the update, please let me know via
email - I'd be happy to take any reasonable requests into consideration.

Jim Cullen

It's so sad to see, that in the sea of almost useless posts, always quality posts get unanswered and no attention.
I for one, must congratulate for writing this tutorial/comparison, obviously there was a lot of work.
Thank you for sharing.

Ordering Sharp EL-W516...

[chroncile]

Can the Sharp EL-W516 perform inequality calculations?

[JimC]

No it doesn't. Neither does the fx-115ES. You don't usually find the
ability to deal with inequalities unless you have one of the high-end
graphing calculators with a built-in CAS ( Computer Algebra System ),
such as the TI-89 or V200, or the HP49g+ or HP50g. Many graphing
models can graph functions with inequalities even though they may
not have a built-in CAS ( such as the Casio fx-9860GII ). Inequalities
just haven't been introduced yet into scientific models, even though
it would be a useful feature.

Programmable non-graphing models, which seem to have fallen out
of favor for many years now, would usually contain inequalities as
part of the programming language, so that you could at least program
your own applications involving inequalities if you needed to.

JCullen

Can the Sharp EL-W516 perform inequality calculations?

[chroncile]

Which one has more features, the Sharp EL-W516 or the Casio FX-991ES PLUS?

I'm interested in a calculator that can perform Advanced Functions, Calculus & Vectors and solve polynomial equations to a degree that is specified by the user (ax^5 + bx^4 + cx^3 + dx^2 + ex + f = 0)

[JimC]

The Casio fx-991ES PLUS is the same functionally as the fx-115ES.

The Sharp definitely has a richer feature set, especially in the areas of
matrices, vectors, and lists. The Sharp is also capable of 4x4 matrix math,
as well as 4-dimensional vectors, making it ideal for study in relativity and
other areas using 4 dimensions. The Sharp is also the faster of the two. After
using the Sharp for a while, the Casio feels a little sluggish. One exception
is numerical integration; the Casio is usually twice as fast ( sometimes up
to six times or more faster ) at integration, and often returns exact results.
On average, the Sharp is about twice as fast as the Casio in numerical
differentiation and summation.

As far as solving polynomials, both are fully capable of numeric ( though
NOT algebraic ) solutions. Both make use of the Newton-Rapheson
method of root determination, so initial guesses must be given repeatedly
in order to locate all possible roots of the equation. Both calculators offer
a 'table' function to aid in supplying good initial guesses for the roots.

The Casio is a little more flexible with its numeric solver. You can throw just
about anything at it and solve for whatever variable you wish. The Sharp is
a bit more rigid about the input format; it can only solve for X, so you have to
rewrite your equation in some cases using X as your variable. You must also
state your equation as an expression that is equal to zero.

For example, on the Casio it is legal to input something like 3*(B-5)^2=5 and
solve for B. On the Sharp it would have to be restated as 3*(X-5)^2-5=0 and
entered into the calculator as 3*(X-5)^2-5 in order for the solver to work with it.

There are a couple areas where the Casio is just a bit more straight-
forward and forgiving than the Sharp. Other than that - there are pros
and cons for either one, depending on the application. For reference, I
find I use the Sharp almost exclusively, only pulling out the Casio when
I want to use the numeric solver or the numeric integrator.

I hope this answers your question well enough. There's plenty more
detail in the two-volume comparison linked to in above posts, if you
should need it.

J Cullen

Which one has more features, the Sharp EL-W516 or the Casio FX-991ES PLUS?

I'm interested in a calculator that can perform Advanced Functions, Calculus & Vectors and solve polynomial equations to a degree that is specified by the user (ax^5 + bx^4 + cx^3 + dx^2 + ex + f = 0)

[chroncile]

So, in the end, would you recommend I get the Sharp EL-W516 or the Casio FX-991ES Plus?
I have a question, does the Sharp El-W516 list a table of X and Y for equations? I have a friend who has a Casio calculator that he bought for $10 and it can do this.

[JimC]

The Sharp EL-W516 does not have a table function - I've always used the Casio
fx-115ES for numeric solving and so overlooked the fact that the Casio has a table
function where the Sharp does not! When I use the Sharp, I assign the function to a
function key so I can repeatedly calculate an equation with different values for the X
variable.

If you need the calculator just to get through a math class, and you don't need the
advanced functions or 4-dimensional matrix/vector capability, and prefer the Casio's
emphasis on a strong basic set of functions, flexible solver, and excellent numeric
integrator, go for the Casio.

If you need the calculator for more advanced functions on vectors/matrices/lists, and
want the 4-dimensional capability, at the expense of a table function and slower
numeric integrator, then go for the Sharp.

It's tough to recommend one or the other unless it's known what it will be used for.
If it's just for school and nothing advanced, get the Casio definitely. If you plan to
use it for more advanced applications, and not necessarily just for school, then get
the Sharp. To write the book on the comparison, I bought both of them. I'm not in
school and so I use the more advanced functions - so I use the Sharp, even though
I still prefer the Casio's solver and integrator.

J Cullen

So, in the end, would you recommend I get the Sharp EL-W516 or the Casio FX-991ES Plus?
I have a question, does the Sharp El-W516 list a table of X and Y for equations? I have a friend who has a Casio calculator that he bought for $10 and it can do this.

[chroncile]

Hey, thanks for the reply. I am going to go with the Casio FX-991ES Plus unless you suggest that a better one is out there. I am going to use this for school

[JimC]

You've made an excellent choice I think. No other calculator company, and
that includes TI and HP, makes a calculator anywhere near the power of the
991ES Plus, at least in that price range. You might want to check to see if
the Casio is approved for any tests you might be taking. I believe the Casio
115ES / 991ES Plus is approved by most test standards.

Maybe in a few years, if you stick with mathematics, you might try the Sharp
or maybe jump straight to a high-end graphing model - and who knows what
they'll be producing just a few years from now!

J Cullen

Hey, thanks for the reply. I am going to go with the Casio FX-991ES Plus unless you suggest that a better one is out there. I am going to use this for school

[HabanR]

You've made an excellent choice I think. No other calculator company, and
that includes TI and HP, makes a calculator anywhere near the power of the
991ES Plus, at least in that price range.
J Cullen

You are wrong. Casio calculator 991ES can't work correctly with complex numbers e.g. i^3 results to error. Completely useless for a university.

Edited by HabanR, 19 October 2010 - 05:58 AM.

[JimC]

University mathematics is of course more advanced and so the 991ES Plus
may not be the right calculator for the job - agreed - but of course that does
depend on the application. Pick the right tool for the job, not alter the job to
fit the tool, of course.

For a small investment, and for high school equivalent coursework, it's hard
to beat the Casio scientifics, especially the 991ES Plus. I notice now that the
991ES Plus is able to use memories A-F, as well as X, Y, and M. The physical
constants and conversions have been updated to 2007 NIST values. Unlike the
115ES, the 991ES Plus now returns algebraic solutions in Equation Mode instead
of decimals.

If anyone has the 991ES Plus, could they maybe verify this for quadratic and
cubic equations in Equation Mode? I may have to pick one of these up myself!

J Cullen

You are wrong. Casio calculator 991ES can't work correctly with complex numbers e.g. i^3 results to error. Completely useless for a university.

[JimC]

If anyone is interested in having the Scientific Calculator Comparison
ported over to Amazon Kindle format, let me know by sending me an
email ( which can be found at the bottom of this page on my website).

I plan on having an Amazon Kindle 3 soon and will port the calculator
guide to that device for my own use. If there is any interest, I could
make that available also as a download on my MediaFire page.

JCullen

Edited by JimC, 03 November 2010 - 10:31 PM.

[calcnerd]

If anyone has the 991ES Plus, could they maybe verify this for quadratic and
cubic equations in Equation Mode? I may have to pick one of these up myself!

I have one of those. It displays the algebraic solutions to quadratic equations and that subset of cubics which can be algebraically reduced to quadratics. It doesn't display the algebraic solution for full cubics, though, which isn't too surprising, considering how ugly they are.

Another cool feature of the 991esplus is that MTHIO input is just like the sharp; you can hit the fraction key midstream. It also has more memory, and the ability to generate random integers between two integers.

Compared with the w516b and the 115es, the 991esplus is thinner and seems almost a little delicate.

[JimC]

Excellent, thanks for posting this info! I understand that the 991ES Plus
also has the updated physical constants; the 115ES has the accepted
values from back in the 1990's.

I wonder if Casio will ever update the 115ES for consumers in the US?
Our stores only carry that model. I emailed Casio and they say that,
since the 991ES Plus is not in their 'USA' line of calculators, I can't even
order it from them since I'm in the US. Looks like it's EBay for me if I
want to try out this model for myself! Where did you find yours?

JCullen

I have one of those. It displays the algebraic solutions to quadratic equations and that subset of cubics which can be algebraically reduced to quadratics. It doesn't display the algebraic solution for full cubics, though, which isn't too surprising, considering how ugly they are.

Another cool feature of the 991esplus is that MTHIO input is just like the sharp; you can hit the fraction key midstream. It also has more memory, and the ability to generate random integers between two integers.

Compared with the w516b and the 115es, the 991esplus is thinner and seems almost a little delicate.

Edited by JimC, 20 November 2010 - 10:36 AM.