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1996...

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i've wondered that for a while...
they've been running a scam really..those things cost nothing to make at this point.
 
Only thing I used my TI-83+ for in Calculus was to play Phoenix and Fall Down. It was faster for me to just work the problems in my head or on paper than to deal with the calculator's issues.
 
I had a TI-8*, but I can't recall the exact model. I actually sold it/traded it away here a couple of years back IIRC. :hmm:

KT
 
Leros said:
I don't understand it either. HP and Casio are starting to make some really nice graphing calculators, but they haven't seen to have taken off yet.
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I used my HP-48G for physics, thermodynamics, dif-eq etc. back in the mid 90's. In fact, I believe it's still sitting in my desk. Way easier to program, and had a crapload of equations pre-loaded.

Never understood the big deal with TI's.
 
I got my Ti-84 for about $20 after a shitload of coupons.

There is also something going on with the batteries in those calculators. One of them will drain much faster than the other 3. This usually causes people to replace all 4 when they get the "low battery" message. They really only need to move them around.
 
Long live the Curta!

That's a REAL calculator folks. 🙂

curta_420.jpg


In 1996 I used one to check my long math on MIDI channel banks for firing lights and glycol fountain shooters for a concert. 😱
 
I've heard tales of old school traverse crunching with the Curta (peppermill). I used a HP-41CX. :awe:

I just purchased a HP 35 for under $50. It has the nice tactile feel of the 41/48's. Its replacing my 48, which is starting to get stubborn.
 
crownjules said:
The good old days of graphing calculators.

Pro-tip: You could use the programming features as note takers to sneak equations and formulas into tests. 🙂

A friend of mine had the TI-92 Plus. Damn that was a beast of a graphing calculator and completely overkill for our AP Calculus class needs.
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In 1989, I had a Casio calc that I got from Service Merchandise, and it could display formulas with actual alpha/numeric keys. i used it to pass high school chemistry- it was like a legal cheat sheet 🙂
 
This is 100% true and I was always wondering about that too.
Lol at TI. They charge so much because they have a monopoly.
 
adlep said:
This is 100% true and I was always wondering about that too.
Lol at TI. They charge so much because they have a monopoly.
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They don't have a monopoly. IT's just that very few people want to switch because it's already embedded in the system so well. There are good HP calculators out there...
 
TridenT said:
They don't have a monopoly. IT's just that very few people want to switch because it's already embedded in the system so well. There are good HP calculators out there...
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Its effectively a monopoly in many situations esp when teachers require students or teach based on having that calculator. in effect, spending someone elses money for them, and thus price sensitivity disappears. the same as text books.
 
0roo0roo said:
Its effectively a monopoly in many situations esp when teachers require students or teach based on having that calculator. in effect, spending someone elses money for them, and thus price sensitivity disappears. the same as text books.
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It's just a standard. Students can use whatever fucking calculator they want if they use it properly. The teachers just don't want to deal with teaching students how to use 2,000,000 different calculators. It makes life easier... If said student wants to learn how to use their OMFGAWESOMEOPENSOURCE calculator, then they can if the teacher approves it for not being OMFG1337H4X()RZ.
 
TridenT said:
It's just a standard. Students can use whatever fucking calculator they want if they use it properly. The teachers just don't want to deal with teaching students how to use 2,000,000 different calculators. It makes life easier... If said student wants to learn how to use their OMFGAWESOMEOPENSOURCE calculator, then they can if the teacher approves it for not being OMFG1337H4X()RZ.
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A lot of places this isnt true. I know my entire school district (and most of the nearby ones) all said Ti-83/84 were required.

There was no option of not having that exact calculator. It was a class requirement. The books are 100% written for them
 
coxmaster said:
A lot of places this isnt true. I know my entire school district (and most of the nearby ones) all said Ti-83/84 were required.

There was no option of not having that exact calculator. It was a class requirement. The books are 100% written for them
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I guess it's different in different districts. Where I went, and most of the places I have gone, all are pretty open with the calculators. They're like, "you can use whatever calculator you want, but you have to know how to use it if it isn't the one we normally use. Not knowing how to properly use your calculator will be troublesome if it isn't the standard."
 
I have and use an HP 32SII RPN. Big whoop, right? This model is selling on ebay and Amazon for ~$200 used. I paid ~$50 for it circa 1995. It's a nice calculator but I don't get it.
 
0roo0roo said:
Its a rigged economy if teachers require a certain type of calculator for class...essentially spending others money.
Much like text books.
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TI has pretty much cornered the market in NY. All students are *required* by the state to have a graphing calculator for algebra, geometry, and algebra II. I teach Geometry. The vast majority of my students rarely even needed a scientific calculator - just a few times for trig functions, and for square roots. Other than that, the arithmetic was pretty simple.

However, NY also came out about 5 years ago and said that school districts may NOT require students to purchase graphing calculators. They can't even charge a refundable deposit to borrow one from the school. NY state schools are required to provide the calculators to the students. So, there's even less incentive for TI to lower prices. The only distinction is which districts are still using the 83+/84+, and which are using the N-spire.

It's absolutely amazing how far it's gone toward technology - many students can solve problems ONLY if they have the same calculator that they learned on. Their only explanation of how they solved a problem is "I pushed buttons." Probability problems have been posted here in OT quite a few times. A simple to understand and calculate probability problem might be, if the probability of a player winning at a particular game in a casino is 3/7, what is the probability of that player winning at least 8 out of 10 games? To solve this problem (to meet the NY standards) requires zero understanding - a student just needs to know which buttons to push on the TI-83+ (or beyond) calculator. Well, at least to answer the questions on the state assessment. That wouldn't fly in my classroom... You do it the long way. If you're really nice, I'll show you how to do that, and 50 other questions on the graphing calculator in the two weeks before the state assessment.
 
Fuck the TI-89.

I have had both the 89 and my trusty HP-48GX. I always went back to the HP.
I sold the TI-89.

The HP is worth more now than it was new. Not that's in investment, I just find it curious.
 
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