Anyone remember the TI-86?

[Eddie W. Shore]

TI-86: Angle Between Vectors, Vandermonde Matrix, Least Squares Algorithm, Chebyshev Polynomials (1st Kind)

https://edspi31415.blogspot.com/2019/02/...monde.html

TI-86: Sequence Graphing

https://edspi31415.blogspot.com/2019/02/...phing.html

[ijabbott]

I got one last week (for £20+p&p, including a manual, unit-to-unit cable, and extra CR1616 battery), but I haven't got around to playing with it yet.

[grsbanks]

It was a nice machine. A bit like a TI-85 on steroids and with a far better screen. I have one in my collection.

[Benjer]

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.

[Dave Britten]

How could I possibly forget about TI's best calculator???

[Druzyek]

(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.

[Dave Britten]

(02-15-2019 08:56 PM)Druzyek Wrote:  

(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.

[Vtile]

No I didn't have one, but seems to be closest to 48 family what comes about usability. Well as close as TI could get, which...

No thanks wouldn't get one for use even if paid.. Slowly increasing my 50g stockpile.

[grsbanks]

(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.

[Thomas Klemm]

(02-15-2019 09:20 PM)Vtile Wrote:  No I didn't have one

Me neither. The only TI calculator I ever bought was the TI-25:



That was about 40 years ago.
A bit later I got an HP-41CV.
Never looked back.

Cheers
Thomas

[Csaba Tizedes]

(02-15-2019 09:06 PM)Dave Britten Wrote:  

(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.

[Gerald H]

(02-15-2019 05:07 PM)Dave Britten Wrote:  How could I possibly forget about TI's best calculator???

Agreed.

TI-89 absolutely tiny font for some screen items, key layout confusing, layout of 86 more logical & intuitive.

[klesl]

There is an emulator of TI-86 for android - wabbitemu. You need the TI-86 ROM.
wabbitemu

[ijabbott]

Slightly amusing song about the TI-86.

WARNING! PARENTAL ADVISORY! People of a sensitive disposition shouldn't listen to this (but you can watch it with no sound unless you can lip read).

[Eddie W. Shore]

(02-15-2019 10:25 PM)grsbanks Wrote:  

(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.

[Druzyek]

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.

[grsbanks]

(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.

[Pekis]

Hello,

Complex numbers COMPLETELY integrated (like the HP-42) !

[Vtile]

(02-15-2019 10:25 PM)grsbanks Wrote:  

(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.

[badaze]

In flea markets I attended over the years I have seen hundreds of TI 82, 83.
But only 1 TI 86 ! I didn’t buy it because of battery leakage.