I'm a research scientist. I started using a slide rule in high school about 1947, a computer in 1958, and scientific calculators some time in the early 1970s. Despite the power of computers I still like to have ready access to a good calculator, and my favorite brand (for versatility and ease of use) is Texas Instruments. The TI36X especially impresses me. It is a very powerful, very user-friendly scientific calculator for less than [price]. It performs virtually all scientific functions plus basic statistics and linear regressions and is light-powered in virtually any light. In my view, this is an incredible bargain. In fact, although I already have Texas Instruments calculators in my bedroom, den, living room, and at work, I couldn't resist the TI36X and bought one. It's a terrific calculator! If you don't need graphing capability, I highly recommend this powerful bargain calculator.