Texas Instruments BA35 Solar Calculator

Basic business calculator Time - Value of money Compound interest Pre-Programmed financial function Capability for recalling Time - Value of money values as well as annunity due operations Annual Percentage Rate (APR) to Effective Rate (EFF) interest conversions One-variable statistics with frequencies Calculates mean, sample standard deviation, and population standard deviation Cost-sell-margin & mark-up calculations Square root, X2, percent, percent change, universal powers, reciprocals, natural logarihms, & exponentials

The BA-35 from Texas Instruments is an entry-level financial calculator with features that small-business users will likely find useful, but it may not have the power students need to easily solve complex classroom problems. The calculator is powered by a solar cell--there is no battery backup--and comes with a hard plastic cover that can fit on the back of the calculator when it is being used.

The BA-35 is extremely thin, and although the button layout looks cluttered at first glance we rarely mis-keyed entries. The buttons are also sensitive enough that little force is required to get them to register input, yet not so mushy that simply brushing them causes mistakes. Unlike many of the calculators in this price range we've tested, the BA-35 actually comes with some useful documentation. A quick reference card with examples of important calculations like converting annual percentage rates to annual effective rates and entering statistical values is placed inside the calculator cover so you can always keep it handy. A small but surprisingly thorough pamphlet lays out the rest of the calculator's features, covering topics like compound interest and annuity calculations, and providing many illustrated examples for common procedures like computing mortgage payments or determining loan eligibility.

It is possible to enable the calculator to display any number of fixed decimal places, and a percentage key can be used to easily add tax, subtract a discount, or determine a percentage ratio. There's also a Percentage Change key to easily find the percentage difference between two values, and Dedicated Cost, Selling Price, and Markup keys for quickly calculating profit margins. The BA-35 may not have the advanced statistical modes and other complicated features of a more expensive financial calculator, but its combination of portability, price, and practical functionality should appeal to small business users who don't need all the nice extras they used to solve hypothetical problems in business school. --T. Byrl Baker Pros:

• Good documentation with several helpful examples
• Relatively small and inexpensive

Cons:

• Entry-level, so it doesn't have the extra muscle professionals likely need

With its preprogrammed financial and accounting functions, the Texas Instruments BA35 calculator is designed for business professionals and students. It features cash flow analysis and time-value-of-money and compound-interest calculations. It can also recall time-value-of-money values as well as annuity operations. It converts annual percentage rate (APR) to effective rate (EFF) interest and does amortization balance, payment-to-interest, cost-sell-margin, and markup calculations. Because the BA35 runs on solar power, you'll never have to worry about replacing the batteries. It comes with a protective slide case, guidebook, and a one-year limited warranty.