TI-36X Pro—Replace the batteries or just get a new one?

[Matt Agajanian]

Spinning-off from the Casio-991EX thread, rather than veer the Casio thread off track, it seems to me that the TI-36X Pro needs to be completely disassembled *just to replace the battery.* It would just seem easier to buy a new 36X Pro when the batteries expire. Or, am I missing steps that would make it easier to replace the batteries on a TI-36X Pro?

[rprosperi]

(08-09-2018 10:21 PM)Matt Agajanian Wrote:  Spinning-off from the Casio-991EX thread, rather than veer the Casio thread off track, it seems to me that the TI-36X Pro needs to be completely disassembled *just to replace the battery.* It would just seem easier to buy a new 36X Pro when the batteries expire. Or, am I missing steps that would make it easier to replace the batteries on a TI-36X Pro?

I think you've broken the secret code! This is exactly what TI wants you to conclude, and no doubt influenced the design decisions.

[Matt Agajanian]

(08-09-2018 11:24 PM)rprosperi Wrote:  

(08-09-2018 10:21 PM)Matt Agajanian Wrote:  Spinning-off from the Casio-991EX thread, rather than veer the Casio thread off track, it seems to me that the TI-36X Pro needs to be completely disassembled *just to replace the battery.* It would just seem easier to buy a new 36X Pro when the batteries expire. Or, am I missing steps that would make it easier to replace the batteries on a TI-36X Pro?

I think you've broken the secret code! This is exactly what TI wants you to conclude, and no doubt influenced the design decisions.

Thanks. Between Spock (not the baby doctor) and Inspector Clouseau, my deductive reasoning skills are sharp.

[Steve Simpkin]

(08-09-2018 10:21 PM)Matt Agajanian Wrote:  Spinning-off from the Casio-991EX thread, rather than veer the Casio thread off track, it seems to me that the TI-36X Pro needs to be completely disassembled *just to replace the battery.* It would just seem easier to buy a new 36X Pro when the batteries expire. Or, am I missing steps that would make it easier to replace the batteries on a TI-36X Pro?

Definitely just replace the battery. This calculator is too nice to throw away. There are a lot of screws to remove but its fairly to replace the single CR2032 lithium battery. Here is a nice write-up on how to do it by ifixit.
https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/TI-36X+Pro+...ment/25507

[pier4r]

Does TI really make the battery compartment so complicated to access to let users throw the calculator away?

I see this with smartphones too, that have an integrated battery not that easy to replace (well and also the newer nspire). I have one of those smartphone with replaceable battery and it can work even without battery, and that's great.

While I can partially understand the smartphones, as a battery is degraded after 3+ years and the smartphone is hardly supported (all the apps moving to new versions of the OS), I don't understand it for calculators. Those things are mostly eternally useful as most of the operations done in a day are the four basic functions.

Consumerism is really cancerous for the planet.

[Matt Agajanian]

(08-10-2018 06:38 AM)Steve Simpkin Wrote:  

(08-09-2018 10:21 PM)Matt Agajanian Wrote:  Spinning-off from the Casio-991EX thread, rather than veer the Casio thread off track, it seems to me that the TI-36X Pro needs to be completely disassembled *just to replace the battery.* It would just seem easier to buy a new 36X Pro when the batteries expire. Or, am I missing steps that would make it easier to replace the batteries on a TI-36X Pro?

Definitely just replace the battery. This calculator is too nice to throw away. There are a lot of screws to remove but its fairly to replace the single CR2032 lithium battery. Here is a nice write-up on how to do it by ifixit.
https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/TI-36X+Pro+...ment/25507

Well, perhaps when I go to Office Depot or Staples, I should let the sales rep do the battery replacement since dexterity and coordination would be in their favour.

[Albert Chan]

(08-11-2018 07:55 PM)Matt Agajanian Wrote:  Well, perhaps when I go to Office Depot or Staples, I should let the sales rep do the battery replacement
since dexterity and coordination would be in their favour.

In the old days, the sales rep would do that. I am not so sure now.
I still remember they actually test the lightbulbs before selling it (so, NO RETURNS)

From what I saw on YouTube, labor of changing battery outweight the battery itself.
Adding the fact that they may break the old calculator ...

[Dave Britten]

(08-11-2018 10:35 PM)Albert Chan Wrote:  

(08-11-2018 07:55 PM)Matt Agajanian Wrote:  Well, perhaps when I go to Office Depot or Staples, I should let the sales rep do the battery replacement
since dexterity and coordination would be in their favour.

In the old days, the sales rep would do that. I am not so sure now.
I still remember they actually test the lightbulbs before selling it (so, NO RETURNS)

From what I saw on YouTube, labor of changing battery outweight the battery itself.
Adding the fact that they may break the old calculator ...

Reminds me of when I took my aging iPhone 6 to Apple for the special $30 battery replacement earlier this year. They accidentally dropped it, and so I just got an entirely new iPhone 6 out of the deal. Waiting on iTunes to restore my backup was a reasonable price to pay!

[gomefun2]

Just buy a Casio 991 EX. The same kind of calculator but superior in every way except it erases stack memory when you power it off, or change modes (I have no idea why they do not make the memory continuous, it would be much better).

The processor in the Casio is much, much faster (fastest on the market for non-programmable calculator, as far as I know).
The Casio can do 4x4 matrices, and it can solve 4 systems of equations. The TI can only do 3x3 and 3 eqns.
I do not really like the solver on the TI, it is clunky. The Casio you just type what you want, on the main calculation screen then use calc or solve.
The Casio has a better spreadsheet, with more memory allocated to it (more rows and columns). The TI-36xpro just has lists.
The resolution of the Casio is so high it almost has an ink-y feel to it. The TI has lower resolution and worse contrast imo.

If TI updated their calculator to have a faster CPU, a higher res screen, and the ability to do 4x4 matrices, then I would recommend it over the Casio, since it also has continuous memory. But I can't.

[Csaba Tizedes]

(09-04-2018 02:09 PM)gomefun2 Wrote:  Just buy a Casio 991 EX. The same kind of calculator but superior in every way except it erases stack memory when you power it off, or change modes (I have no idea why they do not make the memory continuous, it would be much better).

The processor in the Casio is much, much faster (fastest on the market for non-programmable calculator, as far as I know).
The Casio can do 4x4 matrices, and it can solve 4 systems of equations. The TI can only do 3x3 and 3 eqns.
I do not really like the solver on the TI, it is clunky. The Casio you just type what you want, on the main calculation screen then use calc or solve.
The Casio has a better spreadsheet, with more memory allocated to it (more rows and columns). The TI-36xpro just has lists.
The resolution of the Casio is so high it almost has an ink-y feel to it. The TI has lower resolution and worse contrast imo.

If TI updated their calculator to have a faster CPU, a higher res screen, and the ability to do 4x4 matrices, then I would recommend it over the Casio, since it also has continuous memory. But I can't.

I hope the CASIO will improve their calculators with Equation list capability where I can store my used equations. SOLVE + CALC + INTEGRATE with this function and the CASIO beat all non-programmables on the market.

[Matt Agajanian]

(09-04-2018 02:09 PM)gomefun2 Wrote:  Just buy a Casio 991 EX. The same kind of calculator but superior in every way except it erases stack memory when you power it off, or change modes (I have no idea why they do not make the memory continuous, it would be much better).

The processor in the Casio is much, much faster (fastest on the market for non-programmable calculator, as far as I know).
The Casio can do 4x4 matrices, and it can solve 4 systems of equations. The TI can only do 3x3 and 3 eqns.
I do not really like the solver on the TI, it is clunky. The Casio you just type what you want, on the main calculation screen then use calc or solve.
The Casio has a better spreadsheet, with more memory allocated to it (more rows and columns). The TI-36xpro just has lists.
The resolution of the Casio is so high it almost has an ink-y feel to it. The TI has lower resolution and worse contrast imo.

If TI updated their calculator to have a faster CPU, a higher res screen, and the ability to do 4x4 matrices, then I would recommend it over the Casio, since it also has continuous memory. But I can't.

Sounds like a plan. Yes. Thank you.

I think (just thinking) the reason for the clean slate at power-on is so that the calc is on the educational list so it complies with the various school/college testing boards.

[klesl]

According to me the reason for the clean state is
https://ncees.org/exams/calculator/

[Matt Agajanian]

Thanks for the official word. Like I said, my thoughts on the quirk were just that, my take on the matter.

[Zaphod]

(08-11-2018 07:55 PM)Matt Agajanian Wrote:  Well, perhaps when I go to Office Depot or Staples, I should let the sales rep do the battery replacement since dexterity and coordination would be in their favour.

Last thing I would do is let some sales assistant do that sort of job.

[ijabbott]

(09-04-2018 02:09 PM)gomefun2 Wrote:  Just buy a Casio 991 EX. The same kind of calculator but superior in every way except it erases stack memory when you power it off, or change modes (I have no idea why they do not make the memory continuous, it would be much better).

I have a 991EX, but those are the main reasons I stick with the TI-36X Pro (or TI-30X Pro MultiView).

Quote:If TI updated their calculator to have a faster CPU, a higher res screen, and the ability to do 4x4 matrices, then I would recommend it over the Casio, since it also has continuous memory. But I can't.

I've been wondering if TI will ever get around to improving the TI-3x MultiView series along those lines to catch up with Casio.

[Csaba Tizedes]

(09-04-2018 06:55 PM)klesl Wrote:  According to me the reason for the clean state is
https://ncees.org/exams/calculator/

ok, but HP's has 32k memory with equation list + programming. There are huge difference between those two HPs and the others. With my 35s I can design a full power plant with those CASIOs and TIs this is wasting my time.

Csaba

[ijabbott]

(09-05-2018 06:05 AM)Csaba Tizedes Wrote:  

(09-04-2018 06:55 PM)klesl Wrote:  According to me the reason for the clean state is
https://ncees.org/exams/calculator/

ok, but HP's has 32k memory with equation list + programming. There are huge difference between those two HPs and the others. With my 35s I can design a full power plant with those CASIOs and TIs this is wasting my time.

For an exam, you're going to have to clear those programs from memory, and enter them in again afterwards. If you can't live with using a Casio or TI for an exam, it's probably less hassle to buy a second 35S.

[Csaba Tizedes]

(09-05-2018 07:11 AM)ijabbott Wrote:  

(09-05-2018 06:05 AM)Csaba Tizedes Wrote:  ok, but HP's has 32k memory with equation list + programming. There are huge difference between those two HPs and the others. With my 35s I can design a full power plant with those CASIOs and TIs this is wasting my time.

For an exam, you're going to have to clear those programs from memory, and enter them in again afterwards. If you can't live with using a Casio or TI for an exam, it's probably less hassle to buy a second 35S.

Why NCEES do not sponsored the manufacturers to place inside an RFID chip into these calculators to set to Exam Mode with a card. The Exam Mode deactivated after a timer goes down and the unit beeps few times. If a student's calculator in Exam Mode when the educator want to activate it, the student is automatically banned from the exam.

The real problem is with these limitations no continuity from the university to the practicing work. OK I understand if a student use an 50G with Exam Mode is not the same if another use a 991EX or something same. But why I must to learn and use a calculator just for an exam if that calculator is useless in real life?!

[ijabbott]

Rather than buying a new TI-36X Pro, you could get a TI-30X Pro MathPrint instead*. It has a nicer display than the TI-36X Pro (64x192 pixels, similar to Casio ClassWiz's 63x192, but with a larger font) and the keys are no longer silver. It's only available in Europe, currently, and the manual isn't available in English yet. Still, if you know the TI-36X Pro, there shouldn't be too many surprises as the menus are in English.

* Not to be confused with TI-30X Pro MultiView which is the same as TI-36X Pro (more or less).

[Eddie W. Shore]

I like the European keyboard better than the US keyboard. The fact that I can see the arithmetic symbols on the European keyboard instead of silver on silver already makes that design a winner.