new TI-84 calculator coming

[Dave Britten]

I'm not convinced that putting rechargeable batteries in a calculator designed for classroom use is a great idea, unless it's got astounding runtime (unlikely with that backlit screen), and ample early warning time that it needs a recharge. Personally, I'd be much more comfortable carrying a spare pack of AAAs so I don't get left stranded during an exam or something.

As an aside, back in high school chemistry around 1998, the teacher insisted we couldn't use "programmable calculators" on exams, referring to the likes of TI-83s and whatnot. So instead of my TI-92, I brought my Sinclair Cambridge Programmable - which I found at a thrift store - and a spare 9-volt battery. The humor of course was that I was using a programmable calculator, but then again, it's not one you can really do much useful programming on it anyway (no constant memory).