Casio FX-9860 GII programmable graphical calculator

The Casio FX-9860GII is a graphical calculator aimed at mathematics students from post-GCSE level upwards.

It has several modes from making basic calculations to drawing graphs, creating tables and solving equations.

This breadth can be intimidating but the quick-start guide offers helpful step-by-step examples for the most commonly used features, and there are more extensive user guides available online for more technical procedures.

Perhaps the biggest plus for the FX-9860 GII is its suitability for exams. Since it's capable only of numerical integration and differentiation, not the symbolic solving that other calculator models can do, it is permitted in exams, making it a good choice for maths students.

Looks-wise, it's similar to other graphing calculators and though it was heavier than other models it wasn't too bulky. It comes with a USB cable that connects it to the computer for copying program files and images.

We found navigating the various menus and settings quite time-consuming, with a lot of manual reference required. Ironically though, the biggest potential pitfall for students is the amount of things it can do, which could encourage dependency.

For more advanced uses it can be fully programmed using Casio's own programming language.

While it's not perfect, the FX-9860 GII is an obvious choice for those seeking a more powerful calculator and is a very useful learning tool indeed.