Calculators EL-334WB Business Calculator, White 4.0

Here are the ""good"" and ""bad"" on this productADVANTAGES.1. USER APPROVED: It is one of two 5-star rated calculators on the Amazon website. Of the two, it has the most user ratings..2. REPUTATION: The SHARP brand has a long history of manufacturing inexpensive, useful, and durable calculators..3. VERSATILITY: For the record, the device has program keys for accountants: COST, SELL, and MARGIN. For all other users, there is an abundance of function keys: GRAD TOTAL, DOUBLE ZEROS, BACKSPACE, and PERCENTAGE..4. USEFUL: Little things make life easier for the operator: automatic power down, two power sources for uninterrupted operation - solar powered and emergency watch battery cell, and mathematical sign changes. The display screen is big - 40+ users are able to see without squinting. Long numbers are broken up with commas after every three numerals..5. ATTENTION TO DETAIL: There are two things that competing models do not have. First, there is a plastic piece on the bottom. Swing it out, the device becomes a tilting desk calculator. Second, push any key down - it makes a sound. Release it - there is another sound. The noise assures the user that the information was registered and accepted by the calculator..6. PRICE: It is only $1 more than the cheapest basic calculator..7. VALUE: No other calculator has such useful features for such a reasonable priceDISADVANTAGES.1. It is missing several useful things: a protective top cover, calendar, world time with day-light savings, alarm clock, stop watch, and ""talking"" - audio pronunciation of numbers and operation.

I had to replace my trusty TI calculator after 20 years of solid service (I bought it in high school!) recently when the total/equal button started to act up. It was a solar only calculator but it got the job done for years and years.I took a chance on this Sharp and I'm pretty much hooked. By the way, the one I got doesn't match the photo so while the layout and display is the same, the body and the keys are different (more square with an aluminum body and a glass overlay over the top section where the display is). I actually think it looks better than the one shown.Anyway, I primarily use a calculator when doing the bills/finances and sometimes for quick calculations while working (programmingit's easier to do that then actually write up some calculations in a program when the calculations are simple). My biggest concerns are:- Visibility (screen and buttons need to be clear and easy to read from arms length)- Function (I need memory, the usual math, and things like percent and +/- minimum)- Speed/Usability (it shouldn't be slow, of course, and the button organization shouldn't make my life harder)This calculator basically meet all of these challenges with an added bonus or two. The buttons and display are very clear (I think the dark text on lighter buttons actually works better than the pictured light on dark) and I'm already used to tapping things out. I'm a big guy with big fingers but the way this is laid out I never have a problem.The added bonus here is the tax and grand total features. The tax feature lets you set a tax rate and then use +Tax and -Tax buttons to quickly add tax to items (i.e. enter 10 -> hit +Tax => Displays 10.825 for a 8.25% tax rate). Hitting it again will show you how much the tax was (it basically toggles between the total with tax and the tax itself). I don't use this feature nearly enough but if you deal with sales tax or realistically if you deal with a regular percentage (discounts, processing fees) that gets added or removed from a starting value, this feature's for you.The Grand Total feature is another useful one that lets you tally up a series of calculations, like you'd expect, so you can calculate a grand total. You hit the Grand Total button twice then for each calculation hit Grand Total again to rack it up. For example, if you're adding up a number of items, you can multiple the quantity with the unit price and hit the tax button to get a line item total. Then hit Grand Total to add it to the overall total. Do that a few more times then when you've hit Grand Total with the last item you'll have your running tally. This reminds me of my TI's parentheses function where I could do a ""sub-calculation"" while stringing together a series of calculations rather than having to jot down or hit memory add. And, sure, this is basically like using memory add (M+) and memory recall (RM) but it feels better/easier since with a single button hit you get the add and the display of the current running total.Overall, I'm really loving this calculator at the momentassuming it lasts as long, this could be my new TI for the next 20 years. It's definitely slanted towards business and office use but it doesn't have a ton of advanced features that could get in the way for personal or basic school use. It's not a pocket calculator (it's almost the size of a DVD case) though it's light and easy to toss in a brief or backpack.

I have had many business calculators costing way more. This does the job better. I'm 55 now. A bigger screen and buttons makes the difference. I use the margin functions a lot. Quick, solar powered so I do not have to worry about batteries.

I bought this to replace a Casio calculator that I had been using for 15-20 years. I figured that I'd give this model a try, due to the low price, large buttons (as my Casio had) and the profit margin functions. Being in sales, it is imperative to know my profit margins. This calculator makes it as easy as hitting a button to determine PM, cost or sales price, when you know two of the three. It has a 12-character display, a delete key, a flip-up stand, and seems to be well-built. I am very pleased with my choice of the Sharp EL-334W.