Which Calculator Is The Best?

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Author	Comment
LBarrettAnderson Marine Posted: 9 Nov 2001 19:54 GMT Total Posts: 15	'Vote' for whichever Texas Instruments calculator you think is best, and any reason you have to go with it. TI-89 is definately the best. Has the best/most functions, and has a TON of archive memory, and not too bulky like the 92(+). It also has the BEST games EVER, the ones made by Barrett.
MADMAN Marine Posted: 9 Nov 2001 19:57 GMT Total Posts: 19	I disagree... I definately would have to say that the 83+ is the best... cuz everyone in highschool has one... so you can get any game in the world for them. it's also got enough memory to fit a bunch of games on it
zkostik Carrier Posted: 9 Nov 2001 20:25 GMT Total Posts: 2486	Ya, 89 is the best. It has user friendly interface and commands not to say it has a windows-like gui. It's much easier to input stuff, it has more functions than any other ti calc (except 92) and best screen resolution (after 92). 89 is the calc to get! 83 series is good too and much more affordable. Bottom line, each calc has it's own benefits for each user. --- 09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0
pollpo Probe Posted: 10 Nov 2001 14:07 GMT Total Posts: Edit	Well... If you can affors the 92+ and arn't to nit-picky about how big it is, it's probably the best for games (more specific). You can assign a hell of alot more keys than you could on the other calculatos, preventing having to use Secondary options for buttons, etc. Just easier for complex games... But also because if it's screen size/resolution and archive space.
Czoky Probe Posted: 15 Nov 2001 08:36 GMT Total Posts: Edit	Ok I found out about this site from TiCalc.org, which is absolutely the best TI calculator site on the net. The author wanted some experienced, educated posts in his forum so here's mine. The TI-89 is the best calculator. There are no if ands or buts about it. The reason you buy a calculator is to do math and games. The games are great on the 89, due to the large memory and screen resolution. You have to have it in school and to use on the SAT, two things that are difficult, or in the case of SATs, impossible with the 92. The math on the 89s is excellent, because of the logic able to be done with the calculator. I myself, however, am on a budget. If this is your case, then the 89 may be too expensive. Therefore, I have the 86, which is clearly the 2nd best. It has a ton of memory, a great screen resolution, and for math it can do vectors which is great for physics. I upgraded from the regular 83 to the 86 and I love it. So if you can afford it and your math teacher lets you use one (mine doesn't) then get the 89. Otherwise the 86 is far superior to any other calculator.
zkostik Carrier Posted: 15 Nov 2001 12:38 GMT Total Posts: 2486	86 costs only $20 or $30 less than 89, but 89 is much better and user much more friendly. 86 is still a good calc tho. [Edited by zkostik on 15-Nov-01 23:51] --- 09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0
Kevin Guardian Posted: 16 Dec 2003 11:52 GMT Total Posts: 1390	I've just revived one of the oldest topic of the forum!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! --- http://omnimaga.org - The most active TI calculator programming team around and a massive RPG selection
Digital Guardian Posted: 16 Dec 2003 13:57 GMT Total Posts: 1051	<begging voice> Please don't unless you have more to say </begging voice>
calculatorfreakCG Wraith Posted: 16 Dec 2003 16:07 GMT Total Posts: 739	Well, I'd like to add my 2 cents, since this topic is so old! Ti83+. No doubt dudes and dudets!
Digital Guardian Posted: 16 Dec 2003 16:19 GMT Total Posts: 1051	I'm sorry but as the saying goes, "I can do anything better than you," and to complete it, "because I have Voyage 200!" sound of a whip's crack
spiral Wraith Posted: 16 Dec 2003 17:19 GMT Total Posts: 958	Kevin...don't do this again. The 89 is the best, from a pure mathematical point of view, since I don't play games on my calculator anymore. It has all the power of the 92/V200, and while it has a smaller screen, it can be used on the SAT.
BullFrog Wraith Posted: 16 Dec 2003 19:15 GMT Total Posts: 623	TI-89, then hp 49g+. :-) --- "Men are not prisoners of fate, but only prisoners of their own minds." -Franklin D. Roosevelt
Billy Ultralisk Posted: 17 Dec 2003 08:58 GMT Total Posts: 260	Definitely the TI-89.
dysfunction Goliath Posted: 17 Dec 2003 15:48 GMT Total Posts: 122	Just cause the 89 is more powerful doesn't mean it's better. However, if I had one, I'd probably say it's better.
calculatorfreakCG Wraith Posted: 17 Dec 2003 20:00 GMT Total Posts: 739	Silver Edition. 1) Cheap 2) simple for newbies 3) All you need -I've been through hgh school w/ it and i'm doing okay.
spiral Wraith Posted: 17 Dec 2003 22:40 GMT Total Posts: 958	SE is as "cheap" as the 89. It is all you can need, but with the 89, things can be done much much easier.
Kevin Guardian Posted: 18 Dec 2003 05:42 GMT Total Posts: 1390	Here's all the calc sold where I live: TI-80: Suck TI-83+: Nice TI-83+SE:very nice but contain some bugs TI-86: ????? (good games) TI-89: Nice but hard to use (useless in hi-school) NOTE: Soory for having revived a so old topic. I didn't know that I must not do that cuz it was the first time I did it. [Edited by Kevin on 18-Dec-03 14:44] --- http://omnimaga.org - The most active TI calculator programming team around and a massive RPG selection
calculatorfreakCG Wraith Posted: 18 Dec 2003 06:24 GMT Total Posts: 739	89 are big and bulky. They are also hard to use for beginners.
BullFrog Wraith Posted: 18 Dec 2003 09:24 GMT Total Posts: 623	"Just cause the 89 is more powerful doesn't mean it's better." Yes it does. The SE is all good and well for those who don't want to have much trouble operating their calculator through school. However, I figured out how to operate an 83 Plus in about 2 months. It took me 5 for my 89. I do say I enjoyed figuring the 89 a whole lot more than the 83 Plus. For myself, I like things that challenge me. --- "Men are not prisoners of fate, but only prisoners of their own minds." -Franklin D. Roosevelt
Billy Ultralisk Posted: 18 Dec 2003 13:27 GMT Total Posts: 260	I thought using the TI-89 was extremely easy. Only took a week to use it comfortably, and get it to do what I wanted. I really like the button layout, too. The Ti-89 also has many other features that far suprass the Ti-83. Also, how is the TI 89 "big and bulky"? It's the same size as a ti-83, which isn't big at all.
BullFrog Wraith Posted: 18 Dec 2003 14:28 GMT Total Posts: 623	I first started playing with an 83 Plus in December 2001 (9th grade). I hadn't had any previous experience with such things, so I didn't get it figured out as fast as others... I got my 89 the following March. I got the basics figured in about two or three weeks, but then my teacher saw what I could do with it and had me put it away... I then finished playing with it that summer and into the following school year. By the way Billy, from a different thread, 1987. --- "Men are not prisoners of fate, but only prisoners of their own minds." -Franklin D. Roosevelt
spiral Wraith Posted: 18 Dec 2003 16:42 GMT Total Posts: 958	"89 are big and bulky. They are also hard to use for beginners." The 89 is slightly harder to use. But how is it big and bulky, it's the exact same size as the 83+, I can even cross my calculator covers between them.
Billy Ultralisk Posted: 18 Dec 2003 16:49 GMT Total Posts: 260	I got my TI-89 in 2001 around August. And thanks, I was getting curious. :)
Digital Guardian Posted: 19 Dec 2003 13:32 GMT Total Posts: 1051	The only reason why the 89 is harder to use than the 83+ SE is because it is more of a professional level. Bear with me here. Have any of you tried to use Photoshop? Compare that to MS Paint. Though the difference is exagerated here I'm pretty sure you get my point. The 89 has more features and many ways to do things. It is designed to fit multiple people, not just one.
dysfunction Goliath Posted: 22 Dec 2003 15:20 GMT Total Posts: 122	If the 89 is so much more powerful, why doies the 83 have better games in every genre? FPS: Gemini > Arena 3d Racing: Lotus and Death Rally > Gran Turismo Space Shooter: Phantom Star > Platinum Platformer: Metroid > Duke 68k Of course, the 89 has some better rpgs (in gameplay and graphics, not in plot). But in most genres the 83 has higher quality games even if the graphics are lower. Of course, this has nothing to do with the calc's abilities, just the dedication and skill of the programmers.
spiral Wraith Posted: 22 Dec 2003 18:19 GMT Total Posts: 958	You missed the ultimate platformer for the 68k series: Sonic Mis-Adventures. It's gameplay is exactly the same as the original Sonic, it rocks any calculator platformer. Also, it has greyscale, huge tilemaps, multiple layers of movement. Also Fury of the Furies. Mario89 for kernel is better than Mario for 83 plus (68k versions also supports maps). Kirby for 68k too. Is the metroid for 83 series the BASIC one? Metroid X/2.0, that's in no way better than Duke 68k. The only reason it has metroid is to make it look better. It in no way resembles even the Metroid for NES/SNES/GBA/GC, it's not even a platformer!! it is an option turn-based space shooter. Fighter: Street Fighter 2 Turbo is a much better game than King of Fighters 2k. It's less stable, but more balanced (Kof for calc is a button-masher), combos for each character (rather than generic), and nicer graphics, a more faithful rendition. Corridor 92 is better than arena 3D and Gemini. Also with greyscale, it's much easier to differentiate enemies/have detailed textures (greyscale 3d also requires a lot more power). Phantom Star is not very good, I've played it, only has 1 level, no upgrades, less advanced system of shields. Have you seen Mercury for the 68k calcs? It's the same side-on view as Phantom Star, x-cept nicer graphics and more enemy configurations. Also there's SAS. And Alien Invasion, Aerial Assault. And Dementia, a 3d space shooter. Death Rally is good, There's several excellent versions of Pang (Aghnar's), Bomberman (FlashZ's two versions, BigDyna), that are all better than their non-existent, or joke (O and X for Bombermen) 83 series versions. How about Real-Time Strategy,Real-time Command to Conquer, and Total Destruction vs. no RTS for 83+. There aren't any 83+ games that are similar or are as good as Tankers. Best RPG's for 83+: Joltima and Dying Eyes (I've played FF:TOM, BASIC weighs it done too much, it's too slow, lowers gameplay element, graphics good for basic, but pretty bad) and the RPG App demo (which has no plot). Legend of Magi features has an advanced battle system, equal to the App demo. Chrono Fantasy has an even better battle system, nice graphics. Unfortunately the demo has no plot. The main reason 89 RPG's have little plot is that to make such a massive game requires so much time, most programmers are already tired of it after finishing the engine. Both Dying Eyes, and Joltima have little plot too. Just remembered: Xeontech (68k), has add-on packs that have plot, Zelda-style game. Zenith-Saga has a bit of plot, but it's also only half complete. All Breakout-style games feature more power-ups/nicer graphics with equal gameplay on the 68k (monster, TurboBreakout68k) Racing games: Aerox is pretty good, never was fully completed though. In this area 83+ might be a bit better.
spiral Wraith Posted: 22 Dec 2003 18:21 GMT Total Posts: 958	Another nail into the coffin: Ti-Chess. Have you played the version of chess on the 83+ that has AI. It really really SUCKS, the AI is a joke even on hardest. Even on easiest, TI-Chess is a bit of a challenge. Oh yeah, forgot to mention SolarStriker68k, triple-parallax scrolling, upgrade-able weapons, levels same as original. [Edited by spiral on 23-Dec-03 03:24]
zkostik Carrier Posted: 22 Dec 2003 18:57 GMT Total Posts: 2486	How 'bout Flash'z bomberman or Lemmingz? There are some many other games that wouldn't even be possible on an 83 series calc. Also, did I miss it or nobody mentione Chrono Fanstasy? 83 still has lots of great games, but you just can't compare them to what exists for the 89. its more like comparing a gameboy (yes, original one) to a gba. everything is changed and improved although it doesn't make old one crap as many will still want to play all the classics available for the original unit (ahh! remember all the good games like contra, tail spin, battle toads, darkwing duck and other classics? yay, i still play them on the emulator from time to time. these games still rock the house!). --- 09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0
spiral Wraith Posted: 22 Dec 2003 20:28 GMT Total Posts: 958	read my post Z, I mentioned that FlashZ has two versions of Bomberman, and I talked about Chrono Fantasy. I still have an original Gameboy, it's massive, barely works. It's nice that nintendo made all original games compatible up through GBA.
Billy Ultralisk Posted: 22 Dec 2003 20:52 GMT Total Posts: 260	I have my original GB too; the screen sucks so much. can't believe I used to game on that sucker. BTW, it's acronym is known as DMG.
dysfunction Goliath Posted: 23 Dec 2003 16:49 GMT Total Posts: 122	Spiral- WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT that Phantom Star only has one level? You must have played a MUCH earlier version than the current on. Go to Maxcoderz.com and get it there. It has 7 or 8 levels, 6 weapons, animated sprites, and better graphics in general. And NO I WAS NOT talking about Metroid X, that crappy little basic game that calls itself Metroid. I'm talking about the Metroid currently in late beta stages at Maxcoderz, in asm. It has almost all the powerups/weapons from the original Nintendo games. It's a scrolling platform shooter with beautiful graphics. If you can't see the picture, it's the same as in Kevin's avatar. [Edited by dysfunction on 24-Dec-03 01:51]
calculatorfreakCG Wraith Posted: 23 Dec 2003 19:41 GMT Total Posts: 739	Okay, I admit, the 89 is better all around, I'm just jealous because I can't afford to buy another calculator! :img14:
spiral Wraith Posted: 23 Dec 2003 23:59 GMT Total Posts: 958	Phantom Star has progressed much since I last saw it. Last I saw it had one long level (which has since been broken up into 1 and 2). have you seen solarstriker 68k? I agree with you about Metroid X. Metroid looks pretty good, fairly promising. Those graphics are pretty nice. Have you seen Sonic Mis-Adventures though. Metroid's graphics can't compare. Sonic scrolls faster, has more colors, more detail. More graphical work two-layer parallax scrolling, transparency. Excellent control, multi-layer map (like for doing loops, evident in Aquatic Ruins levels). Massive maps. Do you still believe 83+ is superior in games to the 89 in "every category"?
calculatorfreakCG Wraith Posted: 24 Dec 2003 12:16 GMT Total Posts: 739	Nope. :img29:
dysfunction Goliath Posted: 26 Dec 2003 10:16 GMT Total Posts: 122	I never said EVERY category. But- just because Sonic has better gfx doesn't mean it has better gameplay. Now Sonic is a great game, and if Misadventures is anything like the orignal, it's great too. But Metroid has always been among my absolute favorties (well, Sonic is too, but Metroid is 1 or 2). Plus I personally think Gemini has better gfameplay than Corridors, once you get used to it. The low resolution becomes less of a hamper when you get used to it. Unfortunately the 83's Mario wasn't what it could be. The physics was nothing like the originals, polus you couldn't go down the pipes. Plus, spiral, Phantom Star has more than 2 levels. It's almost finished now. Joe Pemberton, the author, is a genius. He also wrote 83 Asetroids and is making Metroid. And you should see the newer screnshots (of Metroid). Kraid looks absolutely beautiful. And now, I think we've established that it's really just a matter of opinion (and which calc you happen to have). 89 has higher graphics, 83 has some more programmers. It's like how I still prefer Super Nintendo games to anyhting on XBox. [Edited by dysfunction on 26-Dec-03 19:19]
spiral Wraith Posted: 27 Dec 2003 00:20 GMT Total Posts: 958	"If the 89 is so much more powerful, why doies the 83 have better games in every genre?" Definition of genre (from dictionary.com): A type or class Definition of category (also from dictionary.com): A specifically defined division in a system of classification; a class. You never said every category, but you did say every genre, and genre means the samething as category, so you did indirectly say every category. I've played the 93+ version of Asteroids, it is, imo, one of the best 83+ games. Phantom Star is quite good, I played through the newest version, good, but not great. More programmers doesn't mean more quality, another point, 83+ asm archives, 23 in no category, 266 in ion (mirage doesn't count, most mirage programs are also ion programs). 367 programs in 89 asm (no shell) and 151 in Kernel programs (asm, shell). This would probably show that there are more 68k programmers than z80 programmers, most likely due to the ease of programming in C over Z80 asm. Btw, it's not a matter of which calc I have. I have both the 83+ and the 89. The SNES is one of my favorite consoles too. Of course, I'd play Super Smash Brothers (or Melee version, gc, n64), Dynasty Warriors 2+ (ps2,xbox), FF7+ (ps, computer, ps2) over Chrono Trigger, Mario RPG, Super Metroid, Seiken Densetsu 3, FF6. By anyways, back to the subject: A better comparison would be SNES and NES. SNES is 16-bit, NES is 8-bit, both made by the same company. Similarily, 89 is 16-bit, 83+ is 8-bit, both made by the same company. I prefer SNES games to NES games anyday (the only game I like for NES is Kirby, which is outdone by the 32-bit remake on GBA, and 16-bit Kirby Superstar).
dysfunction Goliath Posted: 27 Dec 2003 11:22 GMT Total Posts: 122	Okay, I do prefer SNES to NES. Few NES games had good sprite/gfx design, for one thing. SNES gfx still look good to me. Untrue of the 83+. Of course, the difference between 83+ and 89 is pretty great. The 89 doesn't just have higher resolution and processor: it's processor enables more than 4 shades of grey (and on the 83 grey is only good for slow-scrolling games like rps). And while more programmers doesn't mean higher quality, it does statistically mean that more quality games will be output. The percentage of qualityon the 89 is higher, but I don't think the actual number is. But yes, C does make things easier (oh man, I wish someone would come up with TIGCC 83)!