Follow

Unpopular opinion: Texas Instrument calculators kind of suck, in terms of build quality.

@freemo I think their graphing calculators in general are slightly better, but a bunch of their normal scientific calculators have mushy mistake-prone buttons. I've also dug up an old TI-34 that had okay buttons, but the screen somehow died while in storage. Every student was basically forced to buy a TI-30XIIS (or variant) for like a decade plus, and it might just be the worst value for a calculator ever.

@Kovaelin can give you give an example of a specific model you find particularly low quality? I have a few and the older ones are built like a horse, but the newer ones not so much.

@freemo Basically, all the "new" (still kinda old) ones that had the logarithm bug. Plus, I'm just not a fan of how any of the (somehow popular) TI-30's look. Not to mention how they don't even bother to differentiate versions. There's a 30XIIS that actually has okay buttons (and better colours), but it's actually an older model that they don't sell anymore. It shares the same name with a number of other 30XIIS'.

@Kovaelin I never used anything except for their graphic calculators both new and old.. the new ones arent too bad, but for all their fancy featrures they arent useful enough and the old ones are fine

@freemo New or old, why the heck are they still selling (and why are institutes "recommending") calculators that don't use dot-matrix displays? I probably never would have bought the ones I have if my schools didn't ban everything else. There's a reason that I found these in storage, and now that they're out, I have a major itch to sell them. Do I really want to pass on my pain though? Hmm...

@Kovaelin probably because students are poor? Also because teachers dont want you to use a calculator that is too smart or capable.

@Kovaelin Personally, I don't have a problem with their build quality at least in the endurance department (I had an old TI-85 from about 11 years ago that my sister passed onto me after she finished college and I've now given it to a younger cousin 😂). However, I think what they may lack in build or aesthetics is compensated for in terms of features.

Sign in to participate in the conversation
Qoto Mastodon

QOTO: Question Others to Teach Ourselves
An inclusive, Academic Freedom, instance
All cultures welcome.
Hate speech and harassment strictly forbidden.