SharpEL-506WBBK Scientific Calculator

I LOVE Sharp calculators. I especially love the EL-506 Line, and this is one of the best, if not the best, of that line.This is an advanced scientific calculator that's in the same league as the TI-36X Pro or the famous Casio FX-115ES.This calculator is a two-line display like the FX-115MS (not the ES I mentioned above, which is more famous). These two line displays are nice because (a) they can give you a huge display for the numbers. Compare this calculator's picture to that of the FX-0115ES (or PLUS). You will see that the screens are about the same size, so the figures tend to be really big on the Sharp. I really like that. Some people like the 4-line display because you can see fractions like they're written on paper. I don't care about this feature, so it's not a big deal to me. Still, the four-line display can be nice to help you catch errors in your input, so you should consider that. Another advantage of the two-line display (besides the huge numbers) is that it can be faster. For example, if you want to write a fraction in the FX-115ES, you have to write, say, "fraction, 2, down, 3". That's four keystrokes, but pushing the up and down is more annoying because you have to reach up there and move that wheel around. On the Sharp (two line) you press "2, fraction, 3". So that's much nicer. Anyway, even if you still prefer the four-line dot-matrix display, you should still consider the Sharp EL-W516TBSL (not the calculator I'm reviewing, but one I also really like).I suspect this is a matter of preference. Having grown up on these 7-segment calculators, I'm sort of nostalgic for them, and I enjoy the two-line display. I should clarify that the top line is dot matrix and the bottom is the seven-segment display. You can see that in the picture of the calculator.But anyway, it's a great calculator, and while I also own a Casio FX-115ES, I like this one even more. The reasons are pretty basic. I already mentioned that I much prefer the way to write fractions on the Sharp. I also mentioned the HUGE display, which is really nice. A third reason is that it's much easier to store values on this calculator than the FX-115ES. I can just press "Sto" twice and it stores it in the Y value. Press "Sto" + X (right next to Sto) and it stores it in the X-value.In contrast, the FX-115ES uses a secondary function to store. It's not just another keystroke, it's also that pressing shift makes you reach all the way to the top of the screen. Since I like to use the memory functions, I like the Sharp much more. BTW, in one of the answers, someone says there are two memories. That's not true. It's got nine memory slots: A, B, C, D, E, F, X, Y, and M.Another thing that makes this better than the fx-115 is that that fx-115 doesn’t use commas to show big numbers, but this one does. So this will write 100,000,000 but the fx-115 will show it as 100000000. It’s amazing that Casio would do something so stupid on their premium calculator. I consider it a HUGE flaw. I hope they fixed it on the Fx-115es PLUS, but I don’t know.So in sum, this is a great calculator.

I think the Casio fx series of solar calculators is more intuitive. I don't like the button placement for most of the 2nd functions.

I like this calculator because I had a simpler version of it, without the solar panel, way back since my community college days 1999 and am only now replacing it now with this new one. The old one, the sharp EL-531W, just stopped staying on and then stopped coming on despite putting new batteries in it. I expect this new one to last just as long and to be as easy to use as the older version. This format of the sharp calculators are very easy for high school and college students to use. But I hope this new one is not too sophisticated to be banned from the examination room. This issue should be taken into consideration before buying this calculator, whether it will be accepted in the examination room that you want to use it in.

Sharp has created the first serious mathematical tool for under $30. Note this is a greatly expanded version of the EL-506VB with a $5 price break thrown in for good measure.Here are the things it CAN'T do:1) Graphing2) Programming (you can program formulas, but no conditional branching)3) Symbolic Computer Algebra4) Chi Squared distribution (it will do normal probabilities)5) Huge matrices (you're limited to four 4x4 matrices)6) THAT'S ABOUT IT!Guess what? All those things are best done on a computer anyway. You can get a free copy of MuPad (for noncommercial use), and have far better functionality than any calculator at any price, plus get your output in a form easily shared over the internet. What Sharp has done with this calculator, is give us the ultimate tool to keep NEXT to your computer, or take with you for "outside the box" mathematical doodling.440 functions (it says 469 on the box -- I'm not counting!) and all easily accessible without menus within menus within menus, ala those cludgy graphing calculators. Oh, there are a few modes and such, but believe me, everything is within a few logical keystrokes. You can spend 30 minutes with the manual, and then THROW IT AWAY.They did so many little things right. For example, when you do need a menu, you can scroll through all the options with the cursor keys, OR, if you already know your way around, you can just hit one digit that corresponds to your function. And insert mode is the default mode, as God intended it to be. THANK YOU SHARP! The principle is simple: the default should be to preserve information, not destroy it. The user should have to do something deliberately, to overwrite data.And they took this design out of the world of "toy" and into the realm of "tool" by keeping the calculation history intact through the on/off cycle. If the calculator shuts off in the middle of some earth shaking computation, you just flip it back on again and keep going where you left off.The keys actually have a little tactile feedback on this calculator. Not like an hp-48, of course, or even a TI-89, but better than most under $30 calculators. And this is just the koolest LOOKING little thing to ever dazzle your eyeballs.Here's a partial list of function types:- Arithmetic- Numeric differentiation/integration- Four types of random numbers- 8 memories plus last Answer memory- 4 formula memories- Fraction calculations- Binary, Pental, Octal, Decimal and Hexadecimal base conversions- Decimal to sexagesimal (time) conversions- 52 physical constants- 42 metric conversion- Engineering notation- Solve for x (Newton's method)- Single variable statistics, with normal probabilities- Linear, quadratic, exponential, logarithmic, power and inverse regressions- Simultaneous linear equations- Quadratic and cubic equation solvers- Complex number calculations- Matrices (four 4x4)- Lists (up to four with 16 elements and various operations)No doubt about it, this is a ground breaking, price shattering tool. I do have one little nit, though. I wish numbers would appear in the top line with the rest of the formula as you enter them. Putting them on the bottom line does two things: 1) It erases the results of the previous calculation (you might want to copy parts of it into the current formula while "doodling"). 2) It removes the numbers from all editing functions, except for last digit DEL. Eg. You can't use the arrow keys to go back and insert a missed digit without some unnecessary tomfoolery.Oh, and it would be nice to have more memory, so you could input slightly larger matrices (10x10 would be nice), and keep a longer calculation history (maybe keep results as well as formulas?). But all in all, hats off to Sharp. Right now, this is the ONLY serious calculator under $30.

It doesn't work at night even in a well lighted room

The calculator EL546W I got is like the EL520W I was looking for and it's really like new. I'm satisfied by the quality and the functionalities of the calculator.

Dans la description, il est indiqué calculatrice neuve.J'ai reçu une calculatrice usagée.Les frais de retour ne sont pas payés.Temps perdu et mauvaise expérience.

I enjoy using it. It is easy using it in calculation. I recommend it to any one looking for a calculator that has the complex mode.

l like the functions on the calculator but it came with dead battery 🔋

1.The battery has apparently leaked and is not working.2.There's dust inside the screen. Looks like it's been dismantled3.There's a clear scratch on the screen.4.Very old, scratched all over, a 2014 calculator.