Calculators

I got my first TI graphing calculator, a TI-85, about six years ago. It is an amazing calculator that I still use for many purposes to this day. When I got it however, there was one thing I was interested in: programming.

I had read that there was an implementation of BASIC for the TI graphing calculators and, after some careful research, I decided the 85 was the one for me. It has a 6MHz Z80 processor, 32kB of battery-backed RAM (28kB of which is user-accessible), and a 21x8 character (128x64) pixel display. I have programed quite a few programs for it including a BASIC version of Robot Finds Kitten (more of a glorified number guessing game). It began a hobby of calculator collecting and programming that I continue to this day when I get the opportunity.

The next two calculators I got were the 82 and the 84+CE. I don't use my 82 a large amount because of the fact that the screen is broken and I need to repair it. My 84+CE makes a great gaming calculator. It has a high-resolution, color display and the revised eZ80 processor to drive it, so it makes for a great way of playing a game of Pac-Man or Mario (Flappy Bird is always a hit among friends).

That brings me to my most recent acquisition (acquired about a year ago as of the time of this writing): a TI-89. This was one of my holy grails. It has the Computer Algebra System, meaning it can perform operations without requiring variables to be defined, it has a higher-resolution screen than the 85, and it runs on a 68k processor from Motorola as opposed to the Zilog Z80, so it is much faster too. I love my 85, but this calculator takes a close second place.

I use AyuPad with my calculators most of the time, but sometimes I'll use AkariBook with my 84+CE.

My calculator collection is as follows:

Calculators: