Average Rating: 
Rating:  - A Good Calculator but not a Great Calculator
The TI BA Plus II is a better calculator than most of the current TI models.Pros: It's a nice conservative brown color and not a day glo blue or some other candy color. The button feel (button feel a critical factor in buying a calculator) is much better than most TIs but it still could be improved. (It is not as good as the HP 12c). One shouldn't have to keep looking at the display to see if the number was keyed correctly. The different colored keys make it easy to find the various functions. The display is uncluttered and easy to read. The alpha characters on the left side of the display make it easy to know what data you are entering and what the resulting number from a calculation refers to. It has a backspace key. The manual is well written and very complete. Cons: The number of key strokes that you need to do the simplest things is unbelievable. For example, to change the decimal format you have to press 2nd, format, [the number referring to the number of places], enter, 2nd, quit. Compare this to the HP 12c where you just press F and the number referring to the number of places. Six steps on the TI verses 2 on the HP. The calculator has no weight to it. It seems flimsy. I would be very afraid of dropping it. The HP 12c is a tank by comparison. The hard plastic slip "case" doesn't fit securely. There is no way to change the contrast of the display. Extra steps are required to do TVM calculations as compared to the HP 12c since with the TI you have to press the CPT key to get an answer. If you forget to do that then the display number becomes a new, unintended variable. It doesn't retain the display when you shut the calculator off. The arrow on the backspace key points the wrong way. Compare it to the backspace key on your computer. It's easier to change the battery in your watch than it is in this calculator. The "cheat sheet" in the plastic cover is only paper and very easy to loose. The HP has it printed on the back of the calculator. No rubber feet! How much can these cost? That means you have to use two hands with this calculator; one to hold it so it doesn't slide around the table and one to enter data. You can't enter data with one hand and keep track of your place on a list of numbers with the other. Not noticeably faster than the HP 12c which was designed over 20 years ago. Conclusion: This calculator is better than most on the TIs in this price range mostly because of the improved button feel and the quality of the display but it would do well to take some lessons from the 80's and incorporate some of the features of the HP 12c. It's the little things that make a good calculator a great calculator. A calculator should be like an extension of you and not something that you have to constantly think about in addition to the business/math problems that you are working on. My first choice for a business calculator is the HP 12c but, if you are short on money, this is a good second choice.
Rating:  - Ignore the buffoons above--this is THE financial calculator
My friends, if you're looking for a financial calculator capable of calculating basic TVM functions, amortization, NPV, IRR, statistical analysis, deprection (SL, DB, SYD, and DBX), break-even analysis, bond calculations, markups and margins, interest-rate conversions, and even the number of days between two specific dates, then look no further than the TI BAII Plus. Here's why in a nutshell:(1) Ease of Use: Look, anything that's new to you will require some time set aside to learn about it. It will take no more than 15 minutes of perusing the manual before you know this calculator like the back of your hand. I don't know what the goofballs in the previous reviews meant when they said this calculator was hard to use--they don't even sound like people who work in finance. And whenever you need to lookup a function, just refer to the manual--what's so hard about that?!! I used the HP 10Bii calculator. This thing actually used REGISTERS for input. In other words, it's not like entering data into a "spreadsheet"-style list that the TI has. You actually have to remember all the cash flows and data that you enter into the registers of the HP; there's no viewing, inserting, or deleting of data like the TI allows you to do. It doesn't have all that the TI has, and yet it costs exactly the same. Huh? (2) Cost: Folks, if you want an HP calculator that is comparable to the BA II plus, you will have to shell out anywhere from (dollar amount). This is nothing new; HP always had this arrogance in pricing their calculators high--come on guys, they're all pieces of plastic made in China. What, you like the rigid feel of the buttons on HP? Well whoop-dee-doo, I thought we buy these things to perform calculations... (3) It's got everything, Need I say more?: For instance, did you know you can perform statistical regression analysis, where you can input an "X" variable and have the calculator compute the corresponding "Y" value on a least-squares regression line? You've even got trigonometric functions (SIN, COS, and TAN) as well as the inverses of those functions. Trust me, this is a serious calculator packed with all the basic financial tools you need, all for a REASONABLE price (read: affordable). If you want something more serious, then by all means, screw the HP, and just use Microsoft Excel.
Rating: - Nice Calculator that makes taking Intro Finance Easy
This calculator works great like all the TI calculators I have ever used. Having never used a business calculator (I am an engineer) before, the keys and interface were awkward at first. After seeing things done once or looking in the instruction manual the features become easy to use.Very powerful and makes intro finance class a lot easier. You can calculate the time value of money, NPV of cash flows, and internal rate of return. I am sure there is a lot of other feature that I have not discovered yet.
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