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calc_owl
I picked up a new calculator yesterday. And by new I mean brand new not just new to me. I've been meaning to pick up at Ti 84 for my collection, and since Ti recently changed the design of the model slightly by removing the I/O port (inaccurately known as the "headphone jack"), I was waiting in the tall grass for some clearance sales after the school kids had their pick. And it was worth the wait because I managed to get the device for a really good price. I do not suspect that these will be available for much longer in stores (a few years out, at least).
I have never owned a Ti 84 Plus before. I used a Ti 83 Plus from the school during my high school years and eventually picked one of my own up for university math and stats classes. I remember my brother using a Ti 84 Plus in high school after they had upgraded but that was it.
The device itself is very similar to the Ti 83 (a common thread in the Ti 8X series since the early days). The button layout is exactly the same. When it was released in 2004 it was a big deal because it had a faster processor that increased speed over the 83+ about 2.5x and a USB port for connecting to a PC and transfering files. The 83+ had an awkward link cable through the "headphone jack" that was slow and cumbersome. It also had way more ROM memory which allowed more assembly programs like shells and games that were becoming very popular among users of the calculator (think high school students bored in physics class). However, the device did not add any more RAM so BASIC programs were limited or had to be stored in ROM and then brought into RAM when they user wished to access them.
As time went on the Ti 84 Plus got additions like Mathprint which gave users the ability to work with formulas and inputs that looked the same as how they would be written by hand or printed in textbooks. There was also the addition of Calculator Help which eliminated the need to memorize the functions of the calculator, because you could look them up easily through the catalogue or menu system.
From a design perspective the Ti 84 Plus for me represents the early 2000s and could be considered part of the Frutiger Aero aesthetic. I certainly find the Ti 84 Plus more comfortable to hold and use than the new Ti 84 Plus CE even though the CE is much smaller and lighter. The edges on the newer model are sharper and the buttons are not rounded which become rough on the fingertips over time. The Ti 84 Plus (especially the translucent models) represent the round, shiny and practical feeling of tech in the early 2000s. The "polished" plastic that runs along the sides screams this loud to me, this was a popular design element in early tech. The screen is also not square, it is rounded along the edges that support the LCD mount. This was a time of breaking rules and changing things and there are subtle notes on this calculator face that capture that sentiment in time.
What really makes the Ti 84 Plus a desirable calculator for users is the fact that the assembly programming is still open. Unlike the new models of the Ti 84 Plus CE, where Ti has opted to close assembly program development from users, the Ti 83 Plus and 84 Plus can still have shell programs and more advanced apps designed by users. This is where the best games for the device are found if that is your thing. There is a still a very large and active community of people who are developing shells and other assembly tools for these devices. The added bonus of the 84 Plus over the 83 is the added speed and ROM memory to store all of those goodies.
Something surprising that I was not aware was part of the updated OS for the device was the summation function. This was not available on the Ti 83 Plus but I had fiddled around with it on the Ti 84 Plus CE. It is a really neat function and useful for many applications. Especially if you're looking to calculate Euler's number straight out.
So I have now added the most popular graphing calculator in the world (if we're using sales as a measurement) to my collection. I am off to fiddle with my new device some more. You can find out more about the model I own and other calculators in my modest but growing collection here.
I have never owned a Ti 84 Plus before. I used a Ti 83 Plus from the school during my high school years and eventually picked one of my own up for university math and stats classes. I remember my brother using a Ti 84 Plus in high school after they had upgraded but that was it.
The device itself is very similar to the Ti 83 (a common thread in the Ti 8X series since the early days). The button layout is exactly the same. When it was released in 2004 it was a big deal because it had a faster processor that increased speed over the 83+ about 2.5x and a USB port for connecting to a PC and transfering files. The 83+ had an awkward link cable through the "headphone jack" that was slow and cumbersome. It also had way more ROM memory which allowed more assembly programs like shells and games that were becoming very popular among users of the calculator (think high school students bored in physics class). However, the device did not add any more RAM so BASIC programs were limited or had to be stored in ROM and then brought into RAM when they user wished to access them.
As time went on the Ti 84 Plus got additions like Mathprint which gave users the ability to work with formulas and inputs that looked the same as how they would be written by hand or printed in textbooks. There was also the addition of Calculator Help which eliminated the need to memorize the functions of the calculator, because you could look them up easily through the catalogue or menu system.
From a design perspective the Ti 84 Plus for me represents the early 2000s and could be considered part of the Frutiger Aero aesthetic. I certainly find the Ti 84 Plus more comfortable to hold and use than the new Ti 84 Plus CE even though the CE is much smaller and lighter. The edges on the newer model are sharper and the buttons are not rounded which become rough on the fingertips over time. The Ti 84 Plus (especially the translucent models) represent the round, shiny and practical feeling of tech in the early 2000s. The "polished" plastic that runs along the sides screams this loud to me, this was a popular design element in early tech. The screen is also not square, it is rounded along the edges that support the LCD mount. This was a time of breaking rules and changing things and there are subtle notes on this calculator face that capture that sentiment in time.
What really makes the Ti 84 Plus a desirable calculator for users is the fact that the assembly programming is still open. Unlike the new models of the Ti 84 Plus CE, where Ti has opted to close assembly program development from users, the Ti 83 Plus and 84 Plus can still have shell programs and more advanced apps designed by users. This is where the best games for the device are found if that is your thing. There is a still a very large and active community of people who are developing shells and other assembly tools for these devices. The added bonus of the 84 Plus over the 83 is the added speed and ROM memory to store all of those goodies.
Something surprising that I was not aware was part of the updated OS for the device was the summation function. This was not available on the Ti 83 Plus but I had fiddled around with it on the Ti 84 Plus CE. It is a really neat function and useful for many applications. Especially if you're looking to calculate Euler's number straight out.
So I have now added the most popular graphing calculator in the world (if we're using sales as a measurement) to my collection. I am off to fiddle with my new device some more. You can find out more about the model I own and other calculators in my modest but growing collection here.
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