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Next-generation? They've just glued a 48MHz Cortex-M0+ ARM micro-controller with 32 KiB of RAM on the motherboard to act as a co-processor for executing Circuit

by boricj 5y ago

Next-generation? They've just glued a 48MHz Cortex-M0+ ARM micro-controller with 32 KiB of RAM on the motherboard to act as a co-processor for executing CircuitPython. It's basically a TI-84 Plus CE from 2015 with the TI-Python adapter from 2019 built-in. Given the co-processor's lack of performance and the fact that it's connected through an UART channel, it's just about the slowest, weakest Python implementation in a calculator out there... It's been four years since the introduction of the NumWorks calculator and its Python capabilities and that's the best they can do?

mkoryak 5y ago
They don't really need to do better. They are TI and have a monopoly for "calculators required for class". I have a TI89 from 20 years ago and it still works for doing math from 2021.
- boricj 5y ago
  A monopoly on the North American high school market perhaps, but over here in Europe the NumWorks, Casio Graph 35+E II and to a lesser extent Casio Graph 90+E are wrecking TI's market share so badly that they had to release the TI-82 Advanced Edition Python (no rechargeable batteries nor USB-OTG capabilities in an old shell) with a significant price drop just to stay competitive. So they really had to do better, just not in the USA so far. The modern replacement for a TI89 would be a TI-Nspire CX II CAS because both were/are high-end CAS calculators. But the TI-84 Plus CE Python in its american middle market segment is an embarrassment and an aberration only sustained by their monopolistic practices. The fact that they can get away with this for new graphical calculators at full price in America is just sad.
- kergonath 5y ago
  The TI-89 was awesome, though. It isn’t much now anymore, but a decent CAS in a pocket calculator was a big deal. I used it for many years through Physics BSc to a PhD.
- tempodox 5y ago
  Yep, I love my TI-89 Titanium. Has a USB connection and programming it in C (via TI-GCC) is easy enough. My Game of Life app just eats whatever pixels it finds on the screen and runs at a decent speed. And my disassembler lets me read the OS code :) Thankfully, the TI Connect software is 64-bit, otherwise I'd be screwed.

by boricj 5y ago

mkoryak 5y ago

They don't really need to do better. They are TI and have a monopoly for "calculators required for class". I have a TI89 from 20 years ago and it still works for doing math from 2021.

boricj 5y ago
A monopoly on the North American high school market perhaps, but over here in Europe the NumWorks, Casio Graph 35+E II and to a lesser extent Casio Graph 90+E are wrecking TI's market share so badly that they had to release the TI-82 Advanced Edition Python (no rechargeable batteries nor USB-OTG capabilities in an old shell) with a significant price drop just to stay competitive. So they really had to do better, just not in the USA so far. The modern replacement for a TI89 would be a TI-Nspire CX II CAS because both were/are high-end CAS calculators. But the TI-84 Plus CE Python in its american middle market segment is an embarrassment and an aberration only sustained by their monopolistic practices. The fact that they can get away with this for new graphical calculators at full price in America is just sad.
kergonath 5y ago
The TI-89 was awesome, though. It isn’t much now anymore, but a decent CAS in a pocket calculator was a big deal. I used it for many years through Physics BSc to a PhD.
tempodox 5y ago
Yep, I love my TI-89 Titanium. Has a USB connection and programming it in C (via TI-GCC) is easy enough. My Game of Life app just eats whatever pixels it finds on the screen and runs at a decent speed. And my disassembler lets me read the OS code :) Thankfully, the TI Connect software is 64-bit, otherwise I'd be screwed.