The TI-86 was the first graphing calculator I bought with my own money. It stood out at school with its somewhat unusual sloped screen (compared to the popular TI-83+). I used to call it my batman calculator because of its predominant yellow-on-black lettering.
The landscape manual with newsprint paper made it more conducive to learning from at the table but it wouldn't hold up well in a backpack at school.
Got many years out of it and I still have it (and its manual). Lot of sentimental value for me.
(02-15-2019 05:07 PM)Dave Britten Wrote: [ -> ]How could I possibly forget about TI's best calculator???
Not to start a flame war, but why isn't that the TI-89? That was one of my absolute favorite calculators.
The 89 has more features, but I always found the overall usability (keyboard layout, UI design, etc.) really poor and clumsy. For day-to-day number crunching, the 86 always felt nicer.
(02-15-2019 08:56 PM)Druzyek Wrote: [ -> ]Not to start a flame war, but why isn't that the TI-89? That was one of my absolute favorite calculators.
The 68k family of calculators was powerful, no two ways about that, but the TI-89 and TI-89 Titanium had a screen that was far too small for comfort reading the density of information presented to the user.
The TI-92 & co. had a much better screen (except the first version of the TI-92 whose screen had very poor contrast) but they were far too bulky.
The Voyage 200 was a much better answer to the problem, in my opinion.
(02-15-2019 09:20 PM)Vtile Wrote: [ -> ]No thanks wouldn't get one for use even if paid.. Slowly increasing my 50g stockpile.
How many are you up to? I have 8 so far, including one blue 50g.
(02-15-2019 08:56 PM)Druzyek Wrote: [ -> ]Not to start a flame war, but why isn't that the TI-89? That was one of my absolute favorite calculators.
The 89 has more features, but I always found the overall usability (keyboard layout, UI design, etc.) really poor and clumsy. For day-to-day number crunching, the 86 always felt nicer.
Like my 48SX. All above 48SX more powerful, but loosing my time to wait that sluggish pop-up menus and why I must to select an item + OK?!??!?! Why?
TI-85/86: the only one which can calculate power function for matrices?!? As I can remember when I learn optimal control theory the matrix exponential calculation was a nightmare on my 48SX, thats why I used Maple for that. In that time I think that seriously I need a TI-86.
(02-15-2019 08:56 PM)Druzyek Wrote: [ -> ]Not to start a flame war, but why isn't that the TI-89? That was one of my absolute favorite calculators.
The 68k family of calculators was powerful, no two ways about that, but the TI-89 and TI-89 Titanium had a screen that was far too small for comfort reading the density of information presented to the user.
The TI-92 & co. had a much better screen (except the first version of the TI-92 whose screen had very poor contrast) but they were far too bulky.
The Voyage 200 was a much better answer to the problem, in my opinion.
(02-15-2019 09:20 PM)Vtile Wrote: [ -> ]No thanks wouldn't get one for use even if paid.. Slowly increasing my 50g stockpile.
How many are you up to? I have 8 so far, including one blue 50g.
I agree with you on the TI-89, powerful calculator but the screen font is too small, and the keyboard is kind of crowded. I prefer the TI-92 Plus to the TI-89.
Quote:I agree with you on the TI-89, powerful calculator but the screen font is too small, and the keyboard is kind of crowded. I prefer the TI-92 Plus to the TI-89.
Interesting. I really liked the interface with drop-down menus a lot better than the menu row at the bottom of the screen on the TI-86. The font never bothered me either, but then my eyes were pretty good 18 years ago when I got my TI-89.
(02-18-2019 01:57 AM)Druzyek Wrote: [ -> ]Interesting. I really liked the interface with drop-down menus a lot better than the menu row at the bottom of the screen on the TI-86. The font never bothered me either, but then my eyes were pretty good 18 years ago when I got my TI-89.
That's the problem -- 18 years ago!
I'm 51 years old now and I literally cannot read the screen on a TI-89 Titanium without my glasses any more. The colour scheme makes it damn near impossible to see the markings on the keypad too. The contrast is far better on the TI-89, granted, but it's still the Voyage 200 that wins me over in that series. Far better screen and not too bulky.
(02-15-2019 09:20 PM)Vtile Wrote: [ -> ]No thanks wouldn't get one for use even if paid.. Slowly increasing my 50g stockpile.
How many are you up to? I have 8 so far, including one blue 50g.
Three so far.. I wish they would sell these Chinese rip-off 39s with Pay-pall so I could get a few donors for the next HW-hack project with New-RPL.. It should be possible to fit the unit inside a folding 120's cigarette box.
Btw.. I had my dose with TI-83+ (and Casio ClassPads), nope never again TI nor algebraic (four bangers are border case) in general.