TI Graphing Calculators

What is a TI graphing calculator?

If you are in high school, odds are that your school makes some use of them. They can solve very complex problems, and graph equations. They are also capable of playing games on, which is a nice plus for students with spare time.

What calculator is right for me?

If you don't have any calculator yet, don't get one just because everyone else has it. This especially applies to the TI-85. A lot of people have the TI-85 because it was one of the fist graphing calculators Texas Instruments ever made. If you're just starting high school or even junior high and have no experience with graphing calculators, you'll probably want to get the TI-83+/TI-84+/TI-84+ SE. It is the easiest to learn in my opinion, and that is what I started out on. But, if you're really good with computers, programming, and whatnot, the TI-86 (which was unfortunately discontinued) might be right for you. I'd suggest you find someone who has each one and try them out for a week or two before buying one. But whatever you do, do not get a TI-82 or TI-85. These have been replaced with the TI-83 and TI-86 respectively. There is a TI-83 and a TI-83+ out. The TI-83+ is simply an improved version of the TI-83 with some more capabilities. The TI-84+ is an improved TI-83+. You might see someone with the TI-92 and think "Wow, that is pretty cool!" Well, it is and it isn't. Since the realease of the 92, TI has come up with the 89 which has almost all of the power of the 92 plus more all in a smaller case. The 89 is allowed on far more standardized tests that the 92. That is because the 92 is considered a computer because of it's qwerty keyboard. I would not reccomend either of these for someone starting out. I originally got my 83 thinking "Wow, I can play games all class!" While this may be true, you can't always get away with it. Teachers can ask you for it and/or clear the memory. Yes, there are ways around this, however. If you want it just for the games, you might as well get a game boy. If you actually learn a little about it, you'll learn that you can use it greatly to your advantage (at least for math class). The main reason it's called a graphing calculator is because you can graph stuff like "y=²/₃x+2.3" If you use it to your advantage, you will do way better than if you were just playing games. Trust me, it has saved me many times.

What are some other good TI graphing calculator sites?

The top ones are:

Ticalc
Cemetech
Omnimaga
Dimension-Ti (Archived, no updates)
United-TI (Archived, no updates)
Texas Instruments calculator section
~~Ti-Files~~
~~Assembly Coders Zenith~~
~~86 Central~~

Unfortunately there is a high amount of turnover in the sites as most people lose interest after high school/college.

How can I learn TI-BASIC, the built-in programming language for the TI calculators?

I have written some beginning tutorials that you may learn from:

How can I learn assembly, the other programming language for the TI calculators?

This very basic tutorial is a good start. Looking at the source for existing programs is also a great way to learn any programming language.