prefered software apps and calculators

[offroad]

Dear friends...

I am doing a little survey on how you solve your math problems.

So, if you don't mind, could you please list one or 2 software packages or calculator of your preference?

I'll start:

simple problems - HP 50g, Excel spreadsheets, Statistica.
advanced problems - Matlab or Scilab

Thanks for your time.

[tom jupille]

for basic arithmetic/math, I still use my old Palm Tungsten.
anything more elaborate, Excel

[Csaba]

Excel for basic calculations.
R ( http://www.r-project.org/) for advanced.

[JGK]

Excel for spreadsheet work and a Casio fx-991MS calculator for the basic stuff

[HW Mueller]

Excel and calculator on the PC. This has to be seen on the background that about 15 years ago when I was still running the lab of the university neurosurgery I could not get some more advanced math software, because we also had a mathematician in the department. He worked with a huge machine with magnetic tapes and tried to do some stuff for me.
My work on the doctoral dissertation was done with a slide rule (anybody here knows what that is?) and an electrical-mechanical calculator, a noise monster.

[tom jupille]

My work on the doctoral dissertation was done with a slide rule(anybody here knows what that is?)

I still keep mine in my desk drawer -- in case of power failure.

[HW Mueller]

My slide rule disappeared when moving to Germany, I am very angry about it. We used to walk around the CU Boulder and University of Denver campus like cowboys, with the leather case of the ruler strapped to our belts.

[offroad]

We used to walk around the CU Boulder and University of Denver campus like cowboys, with the leather case of the ruler strapped to our belts.

[JGK]

My work on the doctoral dissertation was done with a slide rule (anybody here knows what that is?) and an electrical-mechanical calculator, a noise monster.

When I was doing my O-levels in the UK calculators were still banned from the exams. we had to do all calculations manually of with a slide rule.

I just bought a used one on Ebay.

[lmh]

I used to keep 2 calculators, so if one got lost, I didn't have to look for it, I could just wait until someone brought it back. Worked fine until someone realised and taped it to the ceiling above my bench.

I also keep a slide-rule, handy when all calculators are lost simultaneously.

Realistically: Excel for almost everything beyond making up a solution, R when I'm feeling statistical.

[shepchemalum]

In school I used a TI-85 graphing calculator, but now anything simple (+-*/) I do on my cellphone, anything more involved, excel is my friend.

[Consumer Products Guy]

My calculator, I use this every day.


The on-off switch broke about 4 years ago, and I had this toggle switch lying around, and a file folder plastic tab had a nice tint...

I have two plastic slide rules at home (from college). One has that darned logarithmic e scales, never wore those on a belt, though.

[Bruce Hamilton]

I use Excel for most work, but also have 4 Casio fx-82MS calculators strategically placed around my lab ( HPLC, Balance, Office, commute bag ). They fit nicely into pockets made from the plastic containers for 100 autosampler vials, which can be taped to vertical surfaces, such as a wall or side of computer. They're such a low-level model of calculator that nobody "borrows" them.

[kerri]

Cell phone calculator - use most for buffer calculations, and when I'm planning my experiments during a boring seminar
Excel spreadsheet - have my method development templates all set up here
Origin Pro - for full-control pretty graphs

[dorota]

Excel and Origin