Re: Why are TI Calcs so inferior?
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: RAM is temporary. Where u gonna save stuff when u turn off the power?
It's called non-volatile RAM.
: >Also, the processor in the machines aren't the same as those in regular
: >computers except for maybe the TI-92. If you were able to put a regular
: >computer processor in the calculators, I believe it would need a cooling
: >fan and much more battery life than those found in 4 AAA batteries. In
Exactly... Increase in speed means increase in heat and power
consumption. 4 AAA's would hardly be suffice to run a 486 for any length
of time.
: >order for the screen to be color it would probably boost up the cost a
: >little more, but color would be pointless for a college student using a
: >calculator for his studies.
Don't forget you need something to output the video (i.e. a video
card with some sort of video processing chip on it). You have to take
into account for color depth, and resolution for what you are talking
about.
I think there is a Casio graphing calculator that can do 3 color
graphs. That's a little different...it not exactly a complex thing to do,
especially in that type of setting.
: >If you think that TI could build a machine
: >for only $200 that could even run as fast as a 486/25mhz machine, would
: >be amazing. It would essentially have to be as big as a laptop. And if
: Not a chance. Look at the newton. The thing runs faster than the
: 486-25mhz, and is about the same size as the TI-85.
But what can a Newton do? It's not exactly a computing
powerhouse. It's extremely limited.
If they were going to go for speed, they'd have to design a
special chip with only the stuff they want to do. They couldn't just pick
a chip off the shelf like they have been. That would cost a lot more
money too.
: >you think that you're 486/50mhz machine is worth only $200, then I think
: >you should check the prices of those machines selling used in the
: >newsgroups.
: I didn't say a whole computer is $200. I said the chip is around $50,
: and the drive would be around $30.
What about I/O? How can you run the hard drive without some sort
of controller? Don't you think that if they could put all the stuff that
is in a laptop (what you want is called a laptop) into something as small
as a hand held calculator, and still make it affordable, they would? I'm
sure it's possible, but that costs money. Normal people wouldn't buy it.
It's all about power vs. cost. The hardware used on the TI calcs
is plenty sufficient for what they are made for. What do you need a
486-66 processor for if the most intense thing you are going to do is
graph equations?
You mentioned something about the programming language they
have...the TI-85 has TI-Basic, which *is* a high level language. Again,
what do you need something like C++ for?
Jacob Kirsch
jmkirsch@cs.buffalo.edu
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