![Why Are Texas Instruments Calculators So Expensive? [LGR Tech Tales Addendum]](https://i3.ytimg.com/vi/zoGl8-Wc-L0/maxresdefault.jpg)
Why Are Texas Instruments Calculators So Expensive? [LGR Tech Tales Addendum]
video description
Date: 2022-04-14
Related videos
Comments and reviews: 10
Van
This video unfairly does not discuss the merits of the TI graphing calculators during the 90's. As a physics student, I became very interested in scientific and, particularly, graphing calculators during the 80's and 90's. I owned nearly all of the graphing calculators that came out during that time including the HP 28S, and 48S, the Casio fx-7000G, the TI-81, and TI-85. While in graduate school at Ole Miss around 1992, it was obvious by then that TI graphing calculators were easily the best available, offering the most logical and intuitive interfaces, speed, and functionality, along with very good documentation and excellent support, particularly for education.
As an aside, the TI-85 was my favorite graphing calculator at that time, so I decided to write Texas Instruments a letter expressing that, as well as listing detailed suggestions for their next graphing calculator. Among those suggestions were to upgrade the processor from the Z80 to the Motorola 68000, which offered 32-bit flat memory space and much higher performance giving it the capacity to run more sophisticated software with WYSIWYG capabilities like Mathcad -- and I pointed out the existence of Derive, with similar capabilities in a very small memory footprint -- and offer expansive symbolic math support for calculus and algebra. I also suggested implementing a QWERTY keyboard, a d-pad, a larger, higher resolution display, pull down menus, 3d graphing, and more. I went into a lot of detail. I didn't expect a response from TI, but a few weeks later I got a letter from them enthusiastically thanking me for my suggestions and that my input will be taken seriously for upcoming calculator designs. Imagine my surprise when the groundbreaking TI-92 was released a few years later, incorporating ALL of my suggestions.
reply
This video unfairly does not discuss the merits of the TI graphing calculators during the 90's. As a physics student, I became very interested in scientific and, particularly, graphing calculators during the 80's and 90's. I owned nearly all of the graphing calculators that came out during that time including the HP 28S, and 48S, the Casio fx-7000G, the TI-81, and TI-85. While in graduate school at Ole Miss around 1992, it was obvious by then that TI graphing calculators were easily the best available, offering the most logical and intuitive interfaces, speed, and functionality, along with very good documentation and excellent support, particularly for education.
As an aside, the TI-85 was my favorite graphing calculator at that time, so I decided to write Texas Instruments a letter expressing that, as well as listing detailed suggestions for their next graphing calculator. Among those suggestions were to upgrade the processor from the Z80 to the Motorola 68000, which offered 32-bit flat memory space and much higher performance giving it the capacity to run more sophisticated software with WYSIWYG capabilities like Mathcad -- and I pointed out the existence of Derive, with similar capabilities in a very small memory footprint -- and offer expansive symbolic math support for calculus and algebra. I also suggested implementing a QWERTY keyboard, a d-pad, a larger, higher resolution display, pull down menus, 3d graphing, and more. I went into a lot of detail. I didn't expect a response from TI, but a few weeks later I got a letter from them enthusiastically thanking me for my suggestions and that my input will be taken seriously for upcoming calculator designs. Imagine my surprise when the groundbreaking TI-92 was released a few years later, incorporating ALL of my suggestions.
reply
TheSteelRodent
if HP hadn't stopped making calculators in 1994 and Casio was more widely known, Texas Instruments would have actual competition. The HP 48G/GX remains far superior to the TI-83 and 85 (faster, more capable, better screen and resolution, easier to use, even 25 years after they were introduced, but unfortunately TI pushed their devices hard and even got writers of math textbooks to write their books with examples specifically aimed at TI calculators, which made schools think other models weren't adequate.
The real reason schools allow TI calculators and not others is pure and simple ignorance, spawned by TI's pressure on schools along with offering discounts to some schools. In Denmark it's quite common on the high school level that students can get a significant discount on buying their TI calculators if they buy them as a group (thus in bulk) through the school's supply store. TI pays the difference and in turn entice students to buy these overpriced lackluster graphing calculators. And what makes that more grievious is that for a large part the graphing functions are barely used because you can't directly transfer the images from the calculator to whatever you use to write your math assignments, so you still need to draw them either by hand or in other software. At my school we frequently used Excel to draw the graphs so we could copy them into our work, which literally made the expensive calculators pointless.
reply
if HP hadn't stopped making calculators in 1994 and Casio was more widely known, Texas Instruments would have actual competition. The HP 48G/GX remains far superior to the TI-83 and 85 (faster, more capable, better screen and resolution, easier to use, even 25 years after they were introduced, but unfortunately TI pushed their devices hard and even got writers of math textbooks to write their books with examples specifically aimed at TI calculators, which made schools think other models weren't adequate.
The real reason schools allow TI calculators and not others is pure and simple ignorance, spawned by TI's pressure on schools along with offering discounts to some schools. In Denmark it's quite common on the high school level that students can get a significant discount on buying their TI calculators if they buy them as a group (thus in bulk) through the school's supply store. TI pays the difference and in turn entice students to buy these overpriced lackluster graphing calculators. And what makes that more grievious is that for a large part the graphing functions are barely used because you can't directly transfer the images from the calculator to whatever you use to write your math assignments, so you still need to draw them either by hand or in other software. At my school we frequently used Excel to draw the graphs so we could copy them into our work, which literally made the expensive calculators pointless.
reply
Crusader
NGL it is kinda infuriating that schools require you to buy calculator with less computing power and functions than smartphone at price when you probably could buy some smartphone, yes used and low end, but still usable with more functions and calculating power. And all of that just because corp. knew who to influence and boomers who can't keep up with new reality where finding informations isn't a problem but filtering them can (But that's problem in most of modern world)
And i'm not even American, i'm Pole and we don't have that problem since on exams you neither cannot use calculator at all or you can use simple one (u now from addition to subtraction, and square root at most) and on lessons it rather depends from teacher to teacher.
PS. But i can only speak for high school downwards and in previous system since we kinda got new one with is a bit different but not that much.
reply
NGL it is kinda infuriating that schools require you to buy calculator with less computing power and functions than smartphone at price when you probably could buy some smartphone, yes used and low end, but still usable with more functions and calculating power. And all of that just because corp. knew who to influence and boomers who can't keep up with new reality where finding informations isn't a problem but filtering them can (But that's problem in most of modern world)
And i'm not even American, i'm Pole and we don't have that problem since on exams you neither cannot use calculator at all or you can use simple one (u now from addition to subtraction, and square root at most) and on lessons it rather depends from teacher to teacher.
PS. But i can only speak for high school downwards and in previous system since we kinda got new one with is a bit different but not that much.
reply
kylex
As far as I can see, the situation is pretty much similar in Germany. When I was in our equivalent of high school, they wanted you to have a TI-84+ after 8th grade or so. Of course, everyone used the crippled BASIC interpreter for writing notes to cheat in tests. At least they did not really care what kind of calculator you used, which allowed my to bring my TI-74, which has a querty-keyboard and a real BASIC interpreter (i. e. one that actually works as aspected.
The big bummer is that at university, graphing calculators or even programmable calculators are NOT allowed during tests.
Nowadays they seem to favor some quirky tablet-thingy (also made by TI) with a monochrome LCD screen, which is also hideously expensive for what it actually does.
reply
As far as I can see, the situation is pretty much similar in Germany. When I was in our equivalent of high school, they wanted you to have a TI-84+ after 8th grade or so. Of course, everyone used the crippled BASIC interpreter for writing notes to cheat in tests. At least they did not really care what kind of calculator you used, which allowed my to bring my TI-74, which has a querty-keyboard and a real BASIC interpreter (i. e. one that actually works as aspected.
The big bummer is that at university, graphing calculators or even programmable calculators are NOT allowed during tests.
Nowadays they seem to favor some quirky tablet-thingy (also made by TI) with a monochrome LCD screen, which is also hideously expensive for what it actually does.
reply
Wayyllon
Its extremely annoying, in school they encouraged us all to purchase calculators, thankfully we had the option to loan one from under the condition it was lost or broken that we would reimburse the full price of -130 dollars-!
I was pretty pissed off about this and complained about it to my friends who should have a decent knowledge of computers and specs and their prices, but apparently DONT? My one friend kept arguing to me that they were worth the price since they had -more features- that -you need to use them on the SATs-. He was pretty much summarizing their monopoly but refusing to admit it.
SO annoying to pay 120 dollars for an entire 150 KILOBYTES of RAM.
reply
Its extremely annoying, in school they encouraged us all to purchase calculators, thankfully we had the option to loan one from under the condition it was lost or broken that we would reimburse the full price of -130 dollars-!
I was pretty pissed off about this and complained about it to my friends who should have a decent knowledge of computers and specs and their prices, but apparently DONT? My one friend kept arguing to me that they were worth the price since they had -more features- that -you need to use them on the SATs-. He was pretty much summarizing their monopoly but refusing to admit it.
SO annoying to pay 120 dollars for an entire 150 KILOBYTES of RAM.
reply
Napoleon
I never got the TI graphing calculator. I hated the display and way it was set up. I instead used a Casio fx-CG10 instead. It was not very hard for me to adapt in class. Of course in university I would use a TI-30Xa scientific calculator. I would say however that by having to learn the formulas and do the math on paper you do get a better understanding of the concepts. I find that in the amount of time one spends learning to use the graphing calculator, one could have just learned the formulas on paper and just used a scientific calculator for the tricky calculations, while learning the math instead of how to push the buttons and pull the levers.
reply
I never got the TI graphing calculator. I hated the display and way it was set up. I instead used a Casio fx-CG10 instead. It was not very hard for me to adapt in class. Of course in university I would use a TI-30Xa scientific calculator. I would say however that by having to learn the formulas and do the math on paper you do get a better understanding of the concepts. I find that in the amount of time one spends learning to use the graphing calculator, one could have just learned the formulas on paper and just used a scientific calculator for the tricky calculations, while learning the math instead of how to push the buttons and pull the levers.
reply
justinyang21114798
This is actually sad because the current TI calculators are not the best for programming your own application. I recently discovered my dad's Casio Fx-702p, one of the first BASIC calculator, and I felt the process of using it is a lot more fun and in general teaching me more about math than my TI could. Gosh, I hope pocket calculator can have a comeback like analog synths because there is such a wasted opportunity to turn calculators into devices that make math fun. (Also standardized math courses especially AP or SAT are the worst. They are basically mathematical zombies)
reply
This is actually sad because the current TI calculators are not the best for programming your own application. I recently discovered my dad's Casio Fx-702p, one of the first BASIC calculator, and I felt the process of using it is a lot more fun and in general teaching me more about math than my TI could. Gosh, I hope pocket calculator can have a comeback like analog synths because there is such a wasted opportunity to turn calculators into devices that make math fun. (Also standardized math courses especially AP or SAT are the worst. They are basically mathematical zombies)
reply
Jarrad
We were encouraged (forced) to buy Casio ones at my school in Australia the early 2000s but they were still expensive. I've had mine since 2002 and it still runs today with all the games on it. I look at games I programmed myself and have no idea how I did it, the knowledge has faded completely over 18 years haha. The worst part was when the teacher wanted to transfer you a new program for graphing - through the link cable of course - and you had to delete a game to make room for it: (
reply
We were encouraged (forced) to buy Casio ones at my school in Australia the early 2000s but they were still expensive. I've had mine since 2002 and it still runs today with all the games on it. I look at games I programmed myself and have no idea how I did it, the knowledge has faded completely over 18 years haha. The worst part was when the teacher wanted to transfer you a new program for graphing - through the link cable of course - and you had to delete a game to make room for it: (
reply
Eric
Fun fact: THE the OSU, mentioned here, has abandoned graphing calculators in their math courses. They did this -while- I was advancing thru the courses, where calc 1 was all TI-83 and calc 2 was zero calculators do everything in your head lol! Linear algebra still allows 4 function calcs.
Also worth mentioning the cost has effectively gone down over time as inflation has proceeded while cost has remained pretty steady.
reply
Fun fact: THE the OSU, mentioned here, has abandoned graphing calculators in their math courses. They did this -while- I was advancing thru the courses, where calc 1 was all TI-83 and calc 2 was zero calculators do everything in your head lol! Linear algebra still allows 4 function calcs.
Also worth mentioning the cost has effectively gone down over time as inflation has proceeded while cost has remained pretty steady.
reply
Jacob
As someone who still goes to High School I can confirm they still use Ti-83's in the Classroom, but they pretty much beg you to get your own calculator. (preferably Texas Instrument, but unfortunately all I could find and also all I could afford is a Casio, it makes lessons harder, but I still manage to get through them) The second most common Calculator in schools I have seen is the TI-84.
reply
As someone who still goes to High School I can confirm they still use Ti-83's in the Classroom, but they pretty much beg you to get your own calculator. (preferably Texas Instrument, but unfortunately all I could find and also all I could afford is a Casio, it makes lessons harder, but I still manage to get through them) The second most common Calculator in schools I have seen is the TI-84.
reply
Add a review, comment
Other channel videos
