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Honestly the issue is that schools don't want calculators (computers) that are too powerful because there could be an app that can just do the homework for stud

Honestly the issue is that schools don't want calculators (computers) that are too powerful because there could be an app that can just do the homework for students, or let them communicate during exams, or search on the internet. So schools intentionally prefer crippled devices, hence the relatively high price for an underpowered device. There's not really any good solution to this either without completely overhauling the system (i.e. making things worse for a few years until things stabalize and the kinks are worked out in primary school math education 2.0), so we're at a local maximum. I don't get your point about batteries though. Calculators are heavily used by the students, so are the perfect place to have a rechargeable. It looks like it's even replaceable too. Throw in usb-c charging, and you've got something that can be charged pretty much anywhere that a phone can.

choward 5y ago
Not sure what you're talking about. Those calculators don't have any networking.
- NegativeLatency 5y ago
  The Ti-89 has a fairly powerful symbolic algebra system (that allowed me to get through pre-calc without memorizing the identities I would later need for physics and other related classes) Also there are some IR networking libraries http://sami.ticalc.org/irlink/ http://sami.ticalc.org/irlink/
  - snvzz 5y ago
    >Also there are some IR networking libraries. They require additional hardware, for IR. TI-89 does not have an IR interface built in.
londons_explore 5y ago
I'm pretty sure I got through 11 years of schooling without ever recharging my calculator... And I spent a lot of time trying to see what calculation would take it the longest to answer too...
jmcgough 5y ago
A lot of the reason why the curriculum is the way it is (with only allowing graphing calculators) is because TI lobbies aggressively to maintain their monopoly. They sell $15 devices for $150 with many high schoolers required to own one. From https://thehustle.co/graphing-calculators-expensive/ https://thehustle.co/graphing-calculators-expensive/: > The company campaigned against devices with touchscreens, internet connection, and QWERTY keyboards. In one instance, it even lobbied the Texas legislature to make it mandatory for all students to take Algebra II — a course that often requires the use of a TI graphing calculator. > “A lot of [TI’s] graphing calculator success was due to really aggressive lobbying for certain policies,” a source in the education space told The Hustle. “They made it so that that the types of things you were allowed to bring into a test were essentially limited to their devices.” There's free alternatives that others are increasingly turning to, like an app-based graphing calculator through https://www.desmos.com/ https://www.desmos.com/
- zzo38computer 5y ago
  > ... campaigned against devices with touchscreens, internet connection, and QWERTY keyboards ... I dislike touch screen, and I would prefer to use wired rather than wireless connections when possible, although I do want a QWERTY keyboard. (I also would prefer a different programming language than Python, such as Forth, and would prefer access to the machine codes too.)
  - siraben 5y ago
    On the TI-84+, assembly programs still work and it's still a test-approved device. I wrote a Forth interpreter[0] that can interop with the syscalls as well [0] https://github.com/siraben/ti84-forth https://github.com/siraben/ti84-forth
- TchoBeer 5y ago
  I don't understand the QWERTY thing. Don't they make TI calculators with QWERTY keyboards?
  - snvzz 5y ago
rcthompson 5y ago
You don't even need an app. I had a Ti-89 in high school and it can solve pretty much every high school and early college math problem for you out of the box, including simplifying expressions, solving equations, and taking derivatives and definite/indefinite integrals -- as long as you're willing to take the time to type it in. (In practice, it was usually faster to solve it myself.)
jchw 5y ago
The TI-84 is generally considered a very safe choice for exams and standardized tests. Yet, I always had a copy of Symbolic installed on mine. https://www.ticalc.org/archives/files/fileinfo/228/22851.html https://www.ticalc.org/archives/files/fileinfo/228/22851.htm...

choward 5y ago

Not sure what you're talking about. Those calculators don't have any networking.

NegativeLatency 5y ago
The Ti-89 has a fairly powerful symbolic algebra system (that allowed me to get through pre-calc without memorizing the identities I would later need for physics and other related classes) Also there are some IR networking libraries http://sami.ticalc.org/irlink/ http://sami.ticalc.org/irlink/
- snvzz 5y ago
  >Also there are some IR networking libraries. They require additional hardware, for IR. TI-89 does not have an IR interface built in.

londons_explore 5y ago

I'm pretty sure I got through 11 years of schooling without ever recharging my calculator... And I spent a lot of time trying to see what calculation would take it the longest to answer too...

jmcgough 5y ago

A lot of the reason why the curriculum is the way it is (with only allowing graphing calculators) is because TI lobbies aggressively to maintain their monopoly. They sell $15 devices for $150 with many high schoolers required to own one. From https://thehustle.co/graphing-calculators-expensive/ https://thehustle.co/graphing-calculators-expensive/: > The company campaigned against devices with touchscreens, internet connection, and QWERTY keyboards. In one instance, it even lobbied the Texas legislature to make it mandatory for all students to take Algebra II — a course that often requires the use of a TI graphing calculator. > “A lot of [TI’s] graphing calculator success was due to really aggressive lobbying for certain policies,” a source in the education space told The Hustle. “They made it so that that the types of things you were allowed to bring into a test were essentially limited to their devices.” There's free alternatives that others are increasingly turning to, like an app-based graphing calculator through https://www.desmos.com/ https://www.desmos.com/

zzo38computer 5y ago
> ... campaigned against devices with touchscreens, internet connection, and QWERTY keyboards ... I dislike touch screen, and I would prefer to use wired rather than wireless connections when possible, although I do want a QWERTY keyboard. (I also would prefer a different programming language than Python, such as Forth, and would prefer access to the machine codes too.)
- siraben 5y ago
  On the TI-84+, assembly programs still work and it's still a test-approved device. I wrote a Forth interpreter[0] that can interop with the syscalls as well [0] https://github.com/siraben/ti84-forth https://github.com/siraben/ti84-forth
TchoBeer 5y ago
I don't understand the QWERTY thing. Don't they make TI calculators with QWERTY keyboards?
- snvzz 5y ago

rcthompson 5y ago

You don't even need an app. I had a Ti-89 in high school and it can solve pretty much every high school and early college math problem for you out of the box, including simplifying expressions, solving equations, and taking derivatives and definite/indefinite integrals -- as long as you're willing to take the time to type it in. (In practice, it was usually faster to solve it myself.)

jchw 5y ago

The TI-84 is generally considered a very safe choice for exams and standardized tests. Yet, I always had a copy of Symbolic installed on mine. https://www.ticalc.org/archives/files/fileinfo/228/22851.html https://www.ticalc.org/archives/files/fileinfo/228/22851.htm...