Review: Sharp EL-W516T
Essentials
Company: Sharp
Year: 2017
Type: Scientific, 4 line display
Power: Solar
Statistics: 1
and 2 Variables
Other: Distributions, Conversions, Constants,
Matrices, Vectors, Solver
Operating
System: Algebraic
Number of
Memory Registers: 9
Cost: approximately $18.00
I
purchased the calculator at my university bookstore.
Introduction
The
EL-W516T is a spiritual update of Sharp’s EL-W516 model. The arrow keys are trapezoidal and slightly
enlarged, the keys are no longer glossy, and the placements on the keyboard for
some features are different (examples are the calculus functions d/dx, ∫ dx,
Σ).
What
I like about the EL-W516T is that you can set the WriteView mode to either show
exact values or show all answers in approximate decimals. In approximate mode, only decimal answers and
fractions will be shown. If you want
answers in terms of square roots (radicals) or π, you will need to be in exact
mode. In earlier models, exact was the default.
The
display is still four lines and very crisp.
The processing speed of the EL-W516T is about the same as its
predecessor, which is still decent and fast.
It took about 27 seconds to calculate Σ(1/(x^2), x, 0, 500).
The
EL-W516T carries over the statistics mode, along with the regressions, drill
mode, complex number mode, and the solve mode.
You can solve general equations (in the form of f(x) = 0), quadratic
equations, cubic equations, 2 x 2 linear systems, or 3 x 3 linear systems.
There
are several added functions to the EL-W516T.
In normal mode, we get LCD, GCD, integer division, and the product of
f(x) calculus functions. In matrix mode,
we get the row echelon forms (ref and rref).
The EL-W516T bumps the number of available distributions to 3, adding
Binomial and Poisson, and creates a separate mode for it. We also gain the valuable inverse normal
distribution function.
However,
not everything from the EL-W516X made it to the EL-W516T. For instance, instead of lists, the EL-W516T
has vectors. Regretfully, the formula
memory registers that the EL-W516X had are not present on the EL-W516T.
The
ALPHA/”3rd F” Key
The
[ALPHA] key acts more as a hybrid ALPHA/third shift key. Case in point:
[ALPHA],
[ ( ]: Integral (∫)
[ALPHA],
[ ) ]: Derivative (dx)
[ALPHA],
[ * ]: Sum (Σ)
[ALPHA],
[ ÷ ]: Product (Π)
[ALPHA],
[ 4 ]: Constants
[ALPHA],
[ 5 ]: Conversions
[ALPHA],
[ 1 ] and [ 2 ]: Engineering notation
shifts
[ALPHA],
[ 9 ]: Display A-F, X, Y, and M on one
screen
Comparison Sharp EL-W516 vs. EL-W516T
 |
| Sharp EL-W516X on the left (older), EL-W516T on the right (newer) |
Here
is a side by side comparison with the new EL-W516T against the previous EL-W516. You can see my review for the EL-W516
here: http://edspi31415.blogspot.com/2011/09/sharp-el-w516x-review.html
That was six years ago. Time flies! In the EL-W516T column, I marked additional
functions in green and things that didn’t make it to the
EL-W516T in red.
The EL-W516T
(the one with the T) is the new version.
|
|
EL-W516 (2011)
|
EL-W516T (2017)
|
|
Number
of Functions, according to Sharp
|
556
|
640
|
|
Calculus
|
Derivative
(d/dx)
Integral
( ∫ dx)
Sum
(Σ)
|
Derivative
(d/dx)
Integral
( ∫ dx)
Sum
(Σ f(x))
Product (Π f(x))
|
|
Catalog
|
Yes
|
Not available
|
|
Variables
|
9: A, B, C, D, E, F, X, Y, M (independent)
|
9: A, B, C, D, E, F, X, Y, M (independent)
|
|
Formula
Memory
|
4: F1, F2, F3, F4
|
Not available
|
|
Stored
Function Memory
|
3: D1, D2, D3, D4
|
3: D1, D2, D3, no forth slot
|
|
Complex
Numbers
|
Arithmetic,
rectangular/polar conversion, square, cube, conjugate, absolute value
|
Arithmetic,
rectangular/polar conversion, square, cube, conjugate, absolute value, argument, real part, imaginary part
|
|
Bases
|
5: Decimal (default), Hexadecimal, Binary,
Octal, Pental (base 5). Logic
operations AND, OR, XOR, NOT, XNOR included in non-decimal modes.
|
5: Decimal (default), Hexadecimal, Binary,
Octal, Pental (base 5). Logic operations AND, OR, XOR, NOT, XNOR included in
non-decimal modes.
|
|
Number
of Regressions
|
7: Linear (a+bx), Quadratic (a+b+cx^2),
Exponential (a*e^(bx)), Logarithmic (a+b*ln x), Power (a*x^b), Inverse (a +
b/x), Geometric (a*b^x)
|
7: Linear (a+bx), Quadratic (a+b+cx^2),
Exponential (a*e^(bx)), Logarithmic (a+b*ln x), Power (a*x^b), Inverse (a +
b/x), Geometric (a*b^x)
|
|
Numeric
Functions
|
%
(divided by 100), log_a
|
%
(divided by 100), log_a, GCD, LCM, iPart, fPart,
int÷
|
|
Price
Factorization
|
No
|
Yes
|
|
Number
of Conversions
|
44
|
44
|
|
Number
of Constants
|
52
|
52
|
|
Table
Function
|
No
|
Up to 2 functions in the form of f(x), table can be scrolled
|
|
Polynomial
Solver
|
Quadratic,
Cubic
|
Quadratic,
Cubic
|
|
Simultaneous
Equations
|
2
x 2 system, 3 x 3 system
|
2
x 2 system, 3 x 3 system
|
|
Matrix
Size Limit
|
4
x 4, 4 matrices
|
4
x 4, 4 matrices
|
|
Matrix
functions
|
Inverse,
determinant, transpose, identity, fill, random matrix, cumulative matrix,
augment 2 matrices
|
Inverse,
determinant, transpose, identity, fill, random matrix, ref, rref
(cumulative matrix, augment are not available)
|
|
Approx/Exact
|
Exact
by default, press [CHANGE] for approximate
|
Can be set up
|
|
Random
functions
|
Random
number, dice roll, coin toss, random integer
|
Random
number, dice roll, coin toss, random integer
|
|
Distributions
|
Normal
(area only) – in Statistics Mode
|
Distributions
gets their own mode: Normal and inverse, Binomial, Poisson
|
|
Lists
|
List
functions
|
Not available (gets replaced with Vector Mode, see below)
|
|
Vectors
|
Not
available
|
Vectors: 4 vectors up to 3 elements each: dot product, cross
product, angle between vectors, unit vector
|
|
Home
Button: automatically switch to Normal Mode
|
No
|
Yes
|
Final Verdict
Sharp
has revamped the EL-W516 line with the EL-W516T. I like the additional functions and the new
vector and table modes. The only thing
that I wish Sharp didn’t drop was the definable function registers. Sharp instead kept the quick functional slots
(D1 – D3) instead.
For
me, the non-glossy keys are a plus, but this is a personal preference.
Overall,
the EL-W516T is a good calculator to consider purchasing.
Eddie
This
blog is property of Edward Shore, 2017