Texas Instruments Voyage 200 Graphic Calculator

I have had this particular make and model for 6 years now I absolutely love it. As a scientist, I know the value of a good calculator and this my friends is probably one of the best. I like quality products and I hate to be stereotypical, but I assumed that this was the best quality the Texas Instrument solely on price. This is not always the best way to determine quality, but in this case it was 100% true. I purchased it for around $200 and consider it to be one of my best investments ever.
I use my Texas Instrument Voyage 200 every day, usually multiple times a day. Its large lcd screen makes it easy to see equations in their complete form and allows for a long history list. The size and resolution of this screen allows for graphs to show up in great detail. Plus the conveniently located menu buttons make graph manipulation and data analysis much quicker. To succeed in the physical sciences, this is a must.
soupcraze wrote an absolutely amazing review for this product. His information is spot on ,but here are some of my thoughts on it.
PRO's
1.)Power:This product is an absolute mathematical powerhouse. I have thrown it some pretty nasty derivatives and integrals and most of the time it will spit out a nicely simplified answer within seconds.
2.)Versatility:The Voyage 200 has a wide variety of built in programs and functions. They range from statistics to geometry to note taking.
3.)Expandability:For me this is one of the greatest features of the calculator. It comes with a usb cable to attach to your computer. This not only allows you to backup any information you have on your calculator in case of a crash, but you can download(some are freeware and some cost money) programs to suit your needs. One of my favorite is called NoteFolio. It allows me to type documents in MS Word and transfer them to my calculator with the click of a button. If the WWW doesn't have what you are looking for, you can always build your own programs. The TI language is very simple to understand even to a novice programmer. This is made even easier with the aid of its QWERTY keyboard. No more having to hit the alpha button :)
4.)Durability:Another good indication of a quality calculator is it's durability. No matter how hard I try, my calculator seems to make it to the edge of the desk and then onto the floor. I have dropped this calculator multiple time a few of which being from a substantial distance and it still works perfectly. The screen is protected by a cover that also acts as a base. It has also worked after leaving it in my car on really hot and extremely cold days. On the cold days the screen is a little slow to change, but that's the inherent nature if lcd's. Nothing you can do about that.
CON's
I don't have many bad things to say about this product, but like anything it is not perfect.
1.)Price: Lets face it. At $200 it is a bit pricey for a calculator.
2.)Size: Due to its QWERTY keyboard, it is a little on the bulky side. Because of the full keypad I guess TI didn't feel it necessary to put an "x^2" button in. For me this is an important 1 button calculation that is done often. Over all, doing simple math is a little bit slower than on other models such as the TI-89 for me this is because I cannot input number with 2 thumbs. Anyone who has used lesser models knows what I am talking about. Keep you 89 around for quick arithmetic.
3.)Memory Expansion: Yes the Voyage 200 has bunch of internal memory, but I would like the next version to have at least an SD expansion slot for external memory. Being able to save things to an external memory device would be nice.
4.)Color Screen:The problem is, it doesn't have one. A color screen would be nice, especially when dealing with multiple plots. I know that a color screen would cost a bit more, but I think it would be a nice upgrade options. "Voyage 200 " Could it come with memory expansion and color screen?
Over all I would recommend this calculator to everyone. My coworkers, my siblings, heck, even strangers on the bus that I over hear talking about purchasing a calculator. This calculator is great. The $200 up front cost can be intimidating, but the satisfaction you will receive is priceless. Go get one!