From what I have seen over the past year is the number of younger kids getting graphing calculators is on the rise. They're cheaper than GameBoys and GameGears and the games for them are free compared to the $30 or so dollars to buy game cards. I have a TI 81 because I am to poor right now to get a good calculator and it keeps me busy in and out of school year round.

gameboys are only $69.99 compared to $100-$150 for a calculator.

Nivek

Calculators are cheaper when you factor in the cost of the games... I have 18 games on my 86, which cost around $110... so that's $130 {including the graph-link} for 18 games and the hardware to play them on {besides the really good calculator... although the 89 is much better which is why I use it for math}, while the games alone would cost more then $200 for a gameboy, and then you have the cost of the gameboy... plus you can use calculators in class if you want to {usually...}, and usually parents will buy the calculator anyway because it is required for school...

I don't know about playing calculators in class and parents buying them, but overall I'd say the quality of GameBoy games is better, and that's why the game cost would be higher. Especially if it's a GameBoy Color.

I wasn't talking about quaility of games... Also, I don't usually play in class, and I bought my 89, but my parents bought my 86... and since many schools require a graphing calculator, it makes it that much easier to get your parents to get you one...

Not always.... Compare some of the ASM games for the 92plus and then compare it to Dr. Mario

1) Dr. Mario was not made for Game Boy Color, it was made for the original Game Boy

2) Dr. Mario was made about 10 years ago, when many programming techniques were not developed yet

3) Dr. Mario is a puzzle game vaguely similar to Collumns or Tetris, and if you don't like puzzle games, you won't like it, and if you do like puzzle games (specifically Dr. Mario), you will.

There's nothing wrong with Dr. Mario. It does what it's supposed to do. Doesn't need flashy graphics or fancy programming tricks. And the music is damn catchy, too.

dr mario was made for the original nes.. i have a copy

But a game is still a game. No matter what system they happen to be on.

Almost everybody that I know with a TI Graphing Calc. only use it for games and they forget that it is also one of the best, if not the best, type of calculator you can buy. You can also use the TI's as a calculator! I mean, I love to play games (I take my calculator everywhere that I go. Nerdy huh.), but it can also be used for math.

the number one thing to remember is that a calculator is perfectly acceptable to have in school and in most any class. this feature makes the ti calculator more portable than any other portable gaming system. just think how sorry you would be that you got that gameboy color sitting in your math class with nothing to do, because your gameboy will certainly not be allowed in class. I personally have had my life spared due to ztetris during some of the most boring classes of my life.

If anybody tried to play a gameboy in one of my classes, he'd see it again only at the end of the year. A lot of times when a teacher sees a gameboy, they say, "Put that thing away" and there isn't anything the student can do but put it away because a gameboy has one use, play games. A cdalculator on the other hand provides denyability because the kid could say, "I wasn't playing games, Mrs. Teacher Lady, I was working on this math problem." There are so many advantages over a gameboy.

that was my point about games and calculators

Yeah, but the original comment wasn't that gameboys are a realistic alternative to calcs, bu that they both have gaming capabilities. No one would argue that an 89 can contend even in the slightest to the power of a gameboy color. TI's weren't meant for gaming originally, but they serve the purpose reasonably well, considering all of the other crap they have to do.

True, both do handle games well, but a gameboy's sole purpose for existing is, hence the name, for playing games. A calculator can do so much more, and play games as well. It seems odd that if the calculators are meant for mathematical use instead of playing games, why, in the latest calculators such as the 86, 89, 92 etc, did TI put so much memory in them. I have an 86, and I can store at least 10 or more assembly games at a time, and I've heard that the 89 has even more memory! Why the extra space? For a gazillion math and science programs and formulas? I think not.

Well, if you look around, you could get an N64 or a PlayStation for the price of a TI-92+... it might not be that portable, but it's worth it if you have another calculator which you're completely satisfied with...

Umm... you can get BOTH an N64 and PS for the price of a 92+ (or pretty darn close). You can even get a game thrown in there if you buy a 92+ from RSU at Radio Shack. They cost like $230 there. <sarcasm>But it is a really great deal!!!</sarcasm> Not to mention the $70 TI-Graph Link...

Although the graph-link is only about $30, I do agree that it's way overpriced!

Don't forget that you can build a serial link cable (which works as beautifully as the original one) for just 5$. I think that everybody knows someone who has a soldering iron and ten minutes to do it for you in case you don't know how. Parallel link cable is even easier... I've done 5 or 6 for my friends and I really enjoyed that!

The thing with the homemade links is that on many of the newer computer it won't work. My friend build a parrel link and it would only work on his old 386. When I built a serial it never worked on my micron.

I built a homemade link and it it fried my 86's link port (or at least that's my theory, but what else could've happened?)

I've tested my serial link and works nicely on these PC's: 486/66, P/133, P/200, PII/266, K6-2/350, K6-2/500... I don't see any speed problem with it ;-)

The parallel link is a bit more sensitive to clock speed, but you can get it to work in every case by:
-setting the right delays in W32transx
-soldering every ground pin together
-using the right diodes (1N4148 I think)
-using transistors like in the last scheme posted here at Ticalc

And yes, you've got to be very careful and test every connection thoroughly before actually plugging it. But it won't do any harm if it is well done.

Actually, my link cable worked for a couple of weeks. It was poorly built though, and there was no insulation between the bare leads. After I attempted to make it more pernament by filling the cable with epoxy, it worked for a while and then stopped.

Umm... Woww! I got my 86 for $120 and the 92+'s only cost $175. I got the graph link for $15. I think I may be a little lucky compared to you...

You can get a Playstation for 80 bucks and an N64 for 90 at some stores, thats 170.
most places have PS for 90 and N64 for 100, thats still only 190.
The 92+ is 230, thats alot more.
(just to mention it, i saw 199.99 dollar 92+'s at Microcenter)

But the GameBoy Color has much better games than the calculators, i you buy the calculator for a game system, over a gameboy color, your an idiot. The calc is good at small games, but nothing as good as the good gbc games.

I normally have like 16 86, and 6 85 games on my calc at once, but all together they are about as fun as one gameboy game.
Although they arent as good, They are easy to play anywhere, even at school, and the calc can help you SO much in math.

ha ha! i got my 92 for $50 + the upgrade module for $60 thats only $110 total. . $230.. i would never pay that much. .

BTW> > I got the 92 from a freshman that didn't know how to use it. . so i convinced him that he wouldn't have the time to figure it out. . so then i convinced him to sell it to me.

$230 for a TI-92+? TI's (old) FAQ says that the 92+ should cost about the same as a TI-92, and Dim-TI has 92's for $166, and I think I heard suggested retail price of about $170 somewhere. However, $230 may be correct if you're a) Canadian, or b) talking about the TI-92 w/ plus module.

Radio Shack has them for 230, mb more.

And 70 dollar graphlingk? arent they 20 bucks?

THat's how much mine was.

You paid way too much.

I got mine for $12.95

Where did you get it? I'm inclined not to beleive you, I have NEVER seen a graph link cost any less than $17.00.

Maybe it was on sale.

I bought mine at Staples for $15-$17 (I forgot exactly how much it was)

I got mine on sale for about $13.

My black link cabel was 9.99 at target last january.. they had ordered to many fer the christmas rush so i got it cheep

I got my link for $20 (black link) from TI's online store. (Thats cause I live in some godforsaken town in the midde of nowhere and I'd have to get my parents to drive me $70 mile to get one)

The only problem with N64s and PS's is that 2 years after they come out, some other console comes out that costs more and does more. I bought an NES in 1990, and no sooner than I did, they came out with SNES.

I got my SNES out of the dump for free. It works too.

What took you so long to buy a nes. I got mine back in '86 and still use it (theres nothing better than 8-bit). Any way why would some one buy a game system when they have their computer.

I bought my NES like the first day it came out.....i still play it today....it still werks fine......i still play the best RPG there it......Zelda....thats the greatset game ver made for any gaming system......

PsySpy the Chosen

I got mine for my 3rd birthday in 1989, and I still use it.

I use my Game Boy a LOT more than I use my computer for playing games. I also use my N64.

My favorite 1st person shooter is Perfect Dark. It works perfectly and is tailored to use the custom gaming controller that came with the N64. The only game I think I'd enjoy more would be Half-Life for the PC (multigamer), but I've never liked using the joysticks or keyboards too much. Even so, with a game console you don't have to worry too much about performance.

Besides, when I'm using the computer I'm often busy and don't have the time to play games on it.

yeah, but it's the same way with calcs. Everybody with 92's thought they were so cool until 92+'s came out and completely kicked the 92's ass.

when the 86's came out, it kicked the 92's ass. the 92 came out a *long* time before the Plus version

They only systems I have seen that have games that don't suck up money are TI and Casio Calculators. Everything else just burns my money up fast and because I am on nonpay status, thats money I don't have.

You are on a computer, you can download much better games than the calculator has for your comp, for FREE.

I was talking about portability. Most of don't pack up their desktop computer and take it with them where ever they go. My friend Zac is about the only person I know that would do this on frequent occations.

That's why you don't get a computer to pack up, you buy a laptop instead.

What about PDAs, such as Palms? There are many good free palm games out there, although some very good games are shareware and cost about $15. Besides, a Palm IIIe is the price of an 89, and has better graphics, more memory, and a faster processor. I also saw some hpc's at the MIT tradefest for about $65 each. If only someone made a (free) 89 emulator for the Palm (same processors), then the palm would be the best deal.

Although Gameboy systems are cheaper than a graphing calculator, a calculator would be better overall. After all, calculator games are free. Gameboy games are not. Of, course you must buy a cable link or make one for the graphing calculator, but still the Gameboy has so many accessories which overall would cost more than that of a graphing calculator and its accessories. Also, with calculators, you have the option of using someone elses graph link or copying someone elses games instead of getting them yourself. You can't do that with a gameboy. Although a Gameboy might have better graphics, pretty soon the graphing calculator will be better.

Technology, technology, technology

It has become so simple!

What I don't get is why are teenage nerds and geeks (like me) stuck in front of a computer or books with all the "smartness" we have? It's all very, very usefull, however, it's really beneficial in limited quantities, only. Why do we make far the biggest part of computer community and sacrifice our social lives in order to lock ourselves in front of a monitor and type for days and nights?

The reason I was hiding behind was that computers and Internet challenge me more than my peers. However, I now know that it's a wrong way to think. What do a perfect school average and solid computer skills offer in exchange for my life and all possible non-scientific challenges that I might encounter?

Why am I (and many, many other teenagers) so different from the rest of kids of our age? As the above posts testify, most inteligent kids start to act "smart" early. What is the factor that separates us from the rest. I personally was never rejected by people. I had lots of friends up to age 12 or so. What was the cause of the transformation that leads people from an average, reasonably intelligent child to a nerdy, computer-obsessed teenager?

P.S. I am familiar with some basic psychology exploanations, like fear of rejection, social fobia...
Still, I am not satisfaid with these exploanations. They can't always explain why people separate themselves from the society.

Sorry for posting such a long message, but I really want to understand such a complicated issue in order to try to help myself (and others) before it's too late.


NLD

smoking pot helps!
?????
trying to type in a dazze is hard

p.s. dont let the man bring you down

Down with the man
____
____\\~~~ it's a joint!

i may have said this at first as a joke but in truth it can be a relese to help ease the pain that our peers/dumb jock with the blonde cheerleader girlfried infringe upon us. I know its not the most productive thing to do but you can come up with some kookey ideas for programs to do when your stoned ;)

Don't let the man bring you down

Down with the man

Thanks for the advice. :)

I guess I did not make myself clear. Nobody ever makes fun of me and everybody treats me as a normal (as far as the definition goes) person (except an ocasional "oh my gosh, you are so smart", whatever). Don't get me wrong, I don't think that they avoid ignoring me because they are dying to know me. One, they need me (and us "smart" people in general) especially before math and science tests, or when they need to do a lab, two, in my personal case, I have a very short fuse, and they know that I don't take <EM> any </EM> BS. Therefore, it's in their best iterest to not get in conflict with me.

I got a little off the topic here, my question was why aren't we like our "peers/dumb jock with the blonde cheerleader girlfried"? What's the factor that makes us instead of them extra smart and computer-life-oriented.


NLD

What makes us, smart people, different from jocks is:
1. We are smart
2. We all have the same interests; technology
3. Jocks all like sports
4. We have so much intelligence, we subconsciously get attracted to complex things, such as the computer.

Yeah, yeah, but why "us", why not "them"?

Is it just some random selection that mother nature likes to make, or are there some other social and natural factors, like family, IQ, local community, origins...?

It has to do with how you were brought up, usually, we arent the kids who go around with pants 300 sized to big hanging down past our ankles, because we dont think we NEED to be "cool" in that sense, we are [usually] very comfident in our actions, and that is why we havent all broken down, and become dumb jocks (no offense), we are usually the type of children who have set aside the blocks, the trucks, the GI-Joes, etc, and who explore the world around us, who keep wanting to learn more, and more... We are the kids who god bored in class, because we werent learning anything, so, we set out to find new sources of knowledge to test our skills....

These sources, we have found to be multiple in numbers, although, the most plentiful source is computers, in past days, it would be astronomy, we would be out with our telescopes, looking at the stars, More recently, it would be electronics, we would be the people who took apart the phone, and build it again, at age 6... we would figure out a Crystal radio kit, without the instructions...

Geeks of the past have always been interested in the more recent field of technology, Why? because it expands and grows the fastest, therefore, can keep us occupied the longest....

Computers (and the net) could keep us occupied for YEARS, if not longer... even without growing, simply because there is so much out there, so many languages to learn, so man systems to learn, so many ideas to program then fix, so many things to make happen. All, at the touch of a button.

I think this guy definitally has it going on the right track, but here's a paradox for you. He described my school-spent time, bored in class, perfectly. I went to prgramming computers because there is so much to learn, it is always growing larger and more complex. But see I also am a starting line-backer on the varsity football team. I'm not the greatest guy on the team but have some sports tallent. They also spoke about "they need us", and that is exactly right. The jocks, i do not call myself one because I have nothing in common with the other players on my team and am kind of a recluse in the locker room, all come to me and other "geeks" for help on their exams and for labs. But still no really sexy blonde cheerleader wants to hang out with me. I know their are others like me, play sports and can program like a mo-fo, so why, when we seem like a great combo of brains and athletics, can't we seem to "get the girl"? Why is it that being smart is a turn off to a lot of girls. Sure they may admire you for 5 minutes to get your homework but then they are gone off with the quarterback. Just another thing to throw at you.

Down with the man
p.s. Don't let the man bring you down
p.s.s. Dang this is long

yep. look at my name. i am confused because i am above average (my lowest standardized test score is around 89, so smart but not genius) and i love to skateboard and i love to listen to punk music. so, i face an identity crisis because geeks don't take me seriously and i won't sever my more popular contacts because of their usefulness, most skaters don't like the fact that i am smart, and lastly, my punk friends don't like that i listen to Everclear, the best band ever. (buy their new cd). bitch, bitch, bitch. well, i have every kind of friend and most of them don't know that i make friends with their "opposites". nickd's webpage kicks ass.

down with the man.....or something.......yeah, i suppose.

Agreed

excuse me, but I beleive 'fobia' is correctly spelled p-h-o-b-i-a.

I agree with you. I have managed to however spend 6-7 hours a day in front of a computer screen (3 or 4 at my programming job thank you very much, yes I am a teen) and still be socially accepted. It's tight. Hehehe. I think being funny helps. Well, keep lookin at those radiating cpu screens!

and by the way, THE COMPUTER IS THE BEST GAMING SYSTEM. (period, i wish I could make that bigger) However it is fun to play dr. mario on my 89 during class.

Another issue-color. I don't really care that ti calcs don't have color, but some people might. I would prefer hi-res over color.
-Sowby

I noticed you wrote game "cards" instead of the more popular term "cartridge." On that note, LYNX and TURBO EXPRESS RULE! Sorry...

...really sorry if you understand this post.