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GeekNights 080818 - TI-8X Calculators

AprecheApreche
edited August 2008 in GeekNights
Tonight on GeekNights we reminisce about the awesome times we had with graphing calculators in high school. In the news, open source wins in court, and Seattle loses its toilets.

Scott's Thing - iRinger
Rym's Thing - Calculator Game Tribute
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Comments

  • CHOIS CHOIS CHOISCHOIS CHOIS CHOIS
    I spent all of geometry class in 10th grade playing Tetris on my TI-84 silver, and I still passed. Too bad the same isn't true about Algebra II.
  • CramitCramit
    This is a Graphing Calculator!
  • DkongDkong
    Thisis a Graphing Calculator!
    What's so special about it?
  • AprecheApreche
    Thisis a Graphing Calculator!
    There's one kid in every school that thinks they're so cool because they go with the HP instead of the TI. TI ownz, HP sux.
  • CramitCramit
    edited August 2008
    Well first of all it has an SD card slot which is kinda neat by itself. The HP has a built in compiler for a special form of LISP for programming along with a basic interpreter. TI calculators only hava a basic interpreter.
    Post edited by Cramit on
  • SailSail
    Rym's video is already gone.
  • DkongDkong
    TI ownz, HP sux.
    Just wondering, have you ever used an HP graphic calculator?
    Well first of all it has an SD card slot which is kinda neat by itself.
    The only thing I can see that being useful for is for importing games. And at that point it's no biggie since TI's come with a USB cable or you can just buy one that probably doesn't cost much more than an SD card.
  • AndrewAndrew
    Rym's video is already gone.
    Nope. Still there.
  • laiklaik
    I am so envious of you guys, I'm so trying to get into programming and hacking and stuff but I'm only 13 and have no resources what so ever. Do you guys have any suggestions.
  • AprecheApreche
    edited August 2008
    I am so envious of you guys, I'm so trying to get into programming and hacking and stuff but I'm only 13 and have no resources what so ever. Do you guys have any suggestions.
    You obviously have a computer and an Internet connection. You don't need any resources beyond that.
    Post edited by Apreche on
  • VinceAVinceA
    On the public toilet issue, giving 20 minutes of use is more than enough for many illicit uses: Prostitution, drug use, etc. The time limit would just cut out their use as hobo hotels.
  • HungryJoeHungryJoe
    You guys are lucky, as always. I didn't have a calculator until I was a sophomore in high school, and then it was a TI-30. We actually learned (and used) sliderules and trig and log tables before that.

    A few years ago, I took a Circuit Theory course at the University of Louisville. I bought a TI-89 for that course. I was flabbergasted that it could solve a set of simultaneous equations with imaginary coefficients. I mean, that was just a jaw-dropping moment.
  • AprecheApreche
    You guys are lucky, as always. I didn't have a calculator until I was a sophomore in high school, and then it was a TI-30. We actually learned (and used) sliderules and trig and log tables before that.
    I was glad we never had to use trig and log tables, but I kind of always wanted to learn to use a slide rule and an abacus. Mechanical computers ftw. I would go back and learn to use them now, but it's hard to learn to use a tool when you don't have a specific use for the tool.
    A few years ago, I took a Circuit Theory course at the University of Louisville. I bought a TI-89 for that course. I was flabbergasted that it could solve a set of simultaneous equations with imaginary coefficients. I mean, that was just a jaw-dropping moment.
    If there were a god, the TI-89 is the calculator it would use.
  • fooflyfoofly
    You guys are lucky, I never got any of these fun calculators in school. We had to deal with crappy non graphic ones.
  • AprecheApreche
    You guys are lucky, I never got any of these fun calculators in school. We had to deal with crappy non graphic ones.
    What stopped you from going to Staples and buying one? I would have bought the TI-86 whether or not the school required it.
  • RymRym
    I never got any of these fun calculators in school. We had to deal with crappy non graphic ones.
    They're basically required to do any useful amount of higher math in high school.
  • RochelleRochelle
    edited August 2008
    During my AP Calculus days, most of the class used the TI-82. I had many games loaded onto it from a classmate. I played a lot of Tetris during my last 2 high school years. I must have loaded so many different equations into the calculator for whenever I needed them for an exam. As for cheating on your French test with it, I find that pretty crazy. Wouldn't the French teacher question why you would be needing a calculator to do a French exam?

    As for the Seattle toilets, I've actually used one of them a year ago. It was pretty interesting. Everything is pretty much stainless steel. It's too bad to see them go, even though it's for a good reason. I can specifically think of one that is in an area where trying to access a restroom is near impossible.
    Post edited by Apreche on
  • La Petit MortLa Petit Mort
    Stainless steal? I guess.
  • VigaViga
    I had a TI but it wasn't one of the cool ones. I barely used it because my school never called for it.
  • fooflyfoofly
    edited August 2008
    I never got any of these fun calculators in school. We had to deal with crappy non graphic ones.
    They're basically required to do any useful amount of higher math in high school.
    I have dyscalculia, which blocked me from doing any kind of higher maths. Neglected the reason for any super crazy calculator I guess. Although I do want one now.
    Post edited by foofly on
  • Gabrial FoxGabrial Fox
    I just wanted to chime in on Scott's TOD.

    The iPhone ringtone thing is the biggest rip-off I know of. (Please note I am something of a mac buff, I'm just being honest) The ringtones are just a change in file name. There's no format difference, there's no tag, nothing. Just save a bit of music or whatever (less than 30 seconds) as a mp3, then rename the file to .m4r, load it into the iTunes ringtone list, and voila free ring tone.

    Just FYI ^.^
  • AprecheApreche
    I just wanted to chime in on Scott's TOD.

    The iPhone ringtone thing is the biggest rip-off I know of. (Please note I am something of a mac buff, I'm just being honest) The ringtones are just a change in file name. There's no format difference, there's no tag, nothing. Just save a bit of music or whatever (less than 30 seconds) as a mp3, then rename the file to .m4r, load it into the iTunes ringtone list, and voila free ring tone.

    Just FYI ^.^
    I haven't tried this, so you may be right. However, I did some searching on the net, and it seems that this trick only worked in an older version of iTunes.
  • Gabrial FoxGabrial Fox
    I haven't tried this, so you may be right. However, I did some searching on the net, and it seems that this trick only worked in an older version of iTunes.
    I read the same thing, having made a few before the update, and indeed when I updated my iPhone it wiped my old faked ringtones, but I tried again, and just had to re-add them. :: shrug :: I may have gotten lucky or some-such. I'll try a few more today and let ya'll know if it still works... Oh, and this may be different since I'm running a mac.
  • laiklaik
    edited August 2008
    I am so envious of you guys, I'm so trying to get into programming and hacking and stuff but I'm only 13 and have no resources what so ever. Do you guys have any suggestions.
    You obviously have a computer and an Internet connection. You don't need any resources beyond that.
    But I'm so lost on were/how I'm supposed to start.
    Post edited by laik on
  • Gabrial FoxGabrial Fox
    Hey, so a few minutes of futzing around with this and I have my answer. I was both correct and incorrect. I was just able to create a new ringtone, but it took a couple more steps than I remembered.

    Here's a little tutorial that I found (again).

    The summery is: 1) create <30s sound file 2) import into iTunes 3)have iTunes change it to an AAC file 4) save that file out (it'll save as .m4a) 5) edit file to .m4r 6) done!

    Ok, I don't know if this was appropriate here, but I hope I haven't stepped on anybody's toes!
  • ColdfireSergeColdfireSerge
    edited August 2008
    I still have my old TI-85 that I bought more than 10 years ago for high school Geometry. Back in high school I knew how to make very, very simple programs on the it. I mostly used that for Chemistry or Calculus where I'd either make it work out the formulas or show notes. I have to agree with Rym in that I learned and retained a lot more information by making those programs than I would have otherwise.

    Hmmm, I think I'm going to check out TIcalc.org and see if they have any good financial programs so I can use it in my accounting classes.

    EDIT: There appears to be one TI-85 available on Ebay for the next four hours, currently going for $15, plus shipping.
    Post edited by ColdfireSerge on
  • AprecheApreche
    Hmmm, I think I'm going to check out TIcalc.org and see if they have any good financial programs so I can use it in my accounting classes.
    IIRC the 86 had a few financial functions that the 85 did not have. I could be wrong, though. Everyone I've ever known who needed a financial calculator got an HP 12c.
  • ColdfireSergeColdfireSerge
    I'm actually using a TI BAII Plus at the moment, but I was mostly curious if anything existed that would allow me to make more use of the 85.
  • AlanAlan
    Man the fun we had with the Ti-86. :)

    Ti-86 Assembly Games

    Got through the mandatory study hall. They should have let us just take another class no one ever really did work in them anyway.
  • MarcusNobleMarcusNoble
    I never thought of cheating on a test using my graphing calculator until you guys mentioned it. Though I kinda wish I did ><

    The teachers and administrators at my high school didn't like us having a game boy advance (which was available at the time) or other portable gaming system. So I would kill time on the school bus, or after tests and classwork playing tetris.
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