Re:PDA? (Score 0)

Although I haven't used the TI89 (after my time), I have extensively used the TI85, TI81, and HP48G (yeah the one with only 32K RAM!). In my opinion, the HP is the more capable, powerful device. Their construction is renowned, and I can vouch for their comparison to "tanks." I've had mine for 13 years and the buttons still have a solid "click" to them, and the nylon/cloth case has kept it almost entirely scratch-free. The TI's on the other hand feel cheap, fragile, and generally loose from day one. The HP also has the edge if you are interested in programming (in fact it was the first platform on which I learned programming). The functional nature of RPL (its RPN-based functional programming language) might take some getting used to (hello stack; goodbye parentheses!), but it's perfectly suited to mathematics. You also have access to highly-optimized unsupported internal procedures, and if you're intrepid enough, you can program directly against the Saturn processor in assembly (http://www.grack.com/writings/hp48/GuidetotheSatu rnProcessor.html). My crowning achievement was a (barely-playable) versus fighting game, sigh =) The TI85's scripting language resembles a crippled version of BASIC, but you can also program it in assembly.

The TI is definitely a capable device and if you're not interested in being exposed to a different and more programmable technical environment, you will probably prefer its simpler, more familiar environment. But for the astutely mathematical, logical, or computer-oriented mind, the HP will provide more overall satisfaction IMHO. I've had my HP48G since 1994, through high school and college, and now it sits close at hand in my desk at work... my one and only comfort in life =(