I still think that this is kind of sad. While it would be interesting if an average person did it for novelty purposes; TI should realize that there's really not that big of a market for it.

What's next? The TI-Lightsaber? or is that sabre, I can never remember.

No, I think that I will use this a lot. There will be a "large" market for this (Everyone who uses this site ;)

I'll definitely get one (maybe another for my sister)

Aaaaahhhhhhhhh...

I can't remember why I posted that now. :)

I'd like to know why my threads always die a quick painful death.

PLAY MEGAMAN86. ITS COOL, YO.

Shut the fuc|< up before I snap you in two!

I'd rather have my threads die than be resurrected by idiots.

no

Actually, I just downloaded it, JUST FOR YOU

I think that this is a great idea. (I have an 83+/se AND an 89 :)
They should have done this a while ago! Now, all we need is a tokenizing program so we can type on the homescreen! yippee!!

I thinnk they should build in speakers to the keyboard so there can be more of a use for sound programs

WHY the heck does it have support for the 92+? They've already GOT keyboards - granted, they're small and kind of clumsy, but why not do it for the 86 or something? (I've got an 83+, so I don't REALLY care, but...*shrugs*)

Well I care!
Stupid TI ... it's like they're trying to kill off the non-Flash calculators (essentially the 86 since the other ones aren't produced anymore). And what would that leave us? The 83 series (which isn't all that great), the 89 (which is banned in most math classes) and then the 92+ and Voyage 200 (which would be banned in almost EVERYTHING).

yeah. I don't know why they haven't discontinued the 86 yet anyways. I said this a few weeks ago, but I'll say it again: TI is missing out on a lot of profit by killing the 86. If they just add a little bit (maybe like 100k) flash to it, they could have the perfect advertising setup. "The 89/voyage 200, the 'big boss' of the calculators that can do anything. The 83+, the one that doesn't have much to confuse you and is perfect for lower level math classes. Right in the middle, the 86, with higher math capabilities but still behind the 89."

We need an 86+

PARADE! to petition TI to create an 86+ and make TI-Keyboard support for the non-flash calculators! Especially the 86!

http://www.petitiononline.com /ti86flsh/petition.html

THEIR'S YOUR PETITION

7TH SIGNATURE! PARADE!

PARADE!

PARADE! to petition TI to create an 86+ and make TI-Keyboard support for the non-flash calculators! Especially the 86!

http://www.petitiononline.com /ti86flsh/petition.html

SIGN THE PETITION
THE TI-86 NEEDS YOUR HELP

PETITION! to make a TI-86 Plus! PARADE!

It doesn't really affect me- (my 83+ already has a 160k ROM), and I have never used (or even seen) an 86, but I reckon that my calc would be pretty useless (for all those handy programs I have) without the Flash.

It isn't that you don't have enough space on the calc already (96k is huge for RAM!), but if a ROM was added you could install apps- these are very useful in improving on the functionality of the calculator.

The only difference between the 83 and the 86 that I can see are the memory difference, the screen size and the OS. Surely an OS upgrade to support a ROM (like the OS upgrade from 83 to 83+) would not be too tricky? Sure, the internal design would have to change a bit too, but to offer a decent calculator at a more modest price than the 200 or the 89 would no doubt get TI a profit?

So I say- make an 86+ TI!

they wont make it, there is no market for it. the 73 bumped the 83+ into the 86 market, and the teacher friendly calc won out, the 83+. TI wont make 2 calcs that compete against each other.

change the rom slightly, to make it switchable between 86 and 83 style menus, perhaps

PLAY MEGAMAN86. ITS COOL, YO.

If that's true, then why are GAP and Old Navy (which is owned by gap) so similiar? If you can get two of your own products competing, that's great!!!

There are other differences. The 86 is a hell of a lot better function wise. It has a built-in polynomial root finder, simultaneous equation solver, and calculus functions. Also, it can actually type in lower case!! WITHOUT the use of 3rd party programs!!

1) Built in Polynomial root finder.
You can get a Flash app to do that for you (OK, not built in, but still...

2) Simultaneous equation solver.
Simultaneous equations are easy enough to do anyway.

3) Lowercase.
Oh no, my 160k Flash has a 21 byte program in it to enable lowercase (scrabbling noises as I hurry to delete this useless thing that takes up *far* to much memory).

TI-83 Plusses (?) are not better than 86s (apart from the Flash), but what they lack can be added on with extra software, such as Symbolic.

Also, about the lower case: In a way, I coinsider the lowercase a function of my calculator because I consider MirageOS a part of my calculator, it rarely (if ever) leaves...

Yes, I suppose so-
I only have to occasionally reinstall MirageOS (such as when OmniCalc screws the Flash (it does quite often!). There are a few problems with MirageOS though- like if you move a program to a new folder, then clear the RAM, it moves back- you have to move the program, run it from the new folder and then it will stay in the same place after a RAM clear.

Well ... users of the 83+ still have to go through the hassle of sending that extra software ...

also, 99% (or is it 100%?) of 86 asm games are nostub, while there are few nostub for any other calc except the 89, which is still mostly kerneled.

nostub means that you dont need anything else besides the program, right?

It means you don't need to run a program from a certain shell ... you can just run it from the homescreen.

I think it's easier just to run it from a shell, but that's just my opionion.

You CAN run most assembly programs from a shell on the TI-86, but you don't NEED the shell to run it. In fact, I've even run a shell within another shell, just to see if I can, and it worked fine.

Yes, I did that-
Run TSE from within MirageOS, then ION from withing TSE... (not IONEMU, *real* ION)- it worked OK for small games (it couldn't run Mario)

I never tried that! I thought the calc would crash...

You have an 83+? And to play games on your 82, don't you have to send a backup of your calc with the desired shell (preventing you from having two shells)?

No, I don't have an 83+, but I've used them. And yes, on the 82, you have to send a backup to the calculator. :( I think that's cool on the 83 how you can type Send(9prgmPOOP and it will run it as an assembly program.

For the bigger games you'd start running out of RAM.

I did find one 86 game that claimed it wasn't nostub, but I can't anymore. Also, I never played it to find out.

TI's page on the 86 (link) says that the 86 has 128K of RAM and 96K of user-available mem. What's the user-available? On all the 86s I've handled there's only been the 100K or so when I look at the mem screen. And they've been pretty new ones, too.

96K user-available means RAM you can use....The operating system makes use of the other 32KB...Thus 128 total.

Thanks!

Isn't 16K of the other 32K actually unused? I believe that Kirk Meyer's Pterodactyl program allows you to access that unused memory, although it won't work with most ASM programs ...

Well almost 16K...there are a few things in there, but basically yes.

PLAY MEGAMAN86. ITS COOL, YO.

Fermez la bouche, tu moron stupide!

the 73 is filling the lower platform specs and the 83(+(se)) is taking the middle pier. my guess is that that is the way teachers want it. It's the 73 that is you 86'ers problems not the 83(+). Dont you see, its like calculator natural selection, and teachers are the enviornment.

If it's natural selection, I don't think I want to know what it says about the teachers. The 83+ is more user-friendly (ie, it's for dumb people. Sorry to all those smart users out there, but it's true). But the 86 has more features and isn't really that user-unfriendly. So -- the teachers are choosing the calculator that is "more" user-friendly over the one that is actually better for math?
Of course, I do realize that the 83+ is more for lower math, but the 86 should have a place in higher math, instead of the 83+ taking its place there also.

"So -- the teachers are choosing the calculator that is "more" user-friendly over the one that is actually better for math?"

Yes, yes they are. It graphs, and has the stuff to take the place of looking up stuff on tables, and it's cheaper, and can more flexiblly respond to teachers demands i.e. Ti created Flash APPs.

That's what I was going to point out. Someone (above) pointed out that the 86 has other features built in over the 83+ like simultaneous equation solver and polynomial root solver and stuff. Check TI's online store, they made apps for the 83+ to do that. Tells me that teachers and others called for such things because the 83+ gets used more. Because of its Flash RAM, its more customizable.

What you say about customization is true ... but in order to do that, you guys have to use your precious Flash ROM. Now, if TI were to make an 86+, then it would be even better than the 83+. Customizable and already has a lot of built-in features.

My flashROM isn't so precious on my SE (it never runs out!)

no KIDDING!!!!! I have (the equivilant) of about 30 normal 16k apps on my SE. And loads of other programs - games, utilities, etc. I've still got about 781k left (.78mb) So no, its not really "precious" archive space - I'd never fill it up unless I loaded everything from the archives onto my calc - which I wouldn't.

I loaded the entire ion archives, and my FlashROM didn't run out (I didn't have much RAM, though...)

you missed the point, ti already has the teachers hooked on the 82 series, so the 85 series will be destroyed. Anyways, engineers dont need flash rom, and the 83 is cheeper.
the only people who would buy an 86+ would be the people who come to this site. now compare the 83 people at your school and on this site to all the 86ers you know, there aren't enough people to buy an 86+

You're right. All the different types of calculators I've seen in schools are TI-73, TI-82, TI-83, and TI-83+.

what abpout 89/92+'s?
At my middle school we had 92 plusses(?) with the geometers sketchpad app!
Also, there are many people out there whoo don't get an 86 because there is no FlashROM.

That's what the petition thing is for! TI-86+! Though, I doubt it will work. :( I wonder if they'd listen to a PARADE PETITON!

if my petitions worked for microsoft and msnbc the will work for ti

Really? What petitions did you make to them?

See link for M$'s response to a petition about their WebTV service's poor quality.

And a response from CNN to a petition.

And see this link for links to all of them.

The only time I've been banned from using a TI-89 is when I've been banned from using *any* calculator whatsoever. You're (sic) teachers are too uptight.

The new poll should be "Do you know what (sic) means." I bet very few people do.

wow first off topic post period. NICE. Anywho, I think it is about high time for TI to be rid of the 86, its like the middle man of graphing calculators (pointless and resource consuming). If you shop around, you can get an 89 for the same price as an 86. Not providing support for the keyboard is the first vital step to cutting it off. Whoever said the 89 is banned in most math classes must be in some kind of catholic whipping school or something, because Ive used mine all the way through high school without static (GO SENIORS :). I now await the flams of blindly devoted 86ers....

I dunno about other places, but the reason the 89/92/92+ are banned from math classes (well, not the classes, just the tests...) is because of some of the special functions available for algebra and whatnot.

http://www.petitiononline.com /ti86flsh/petition.html

PLAY MEGAMAN86. ITS COOL, YO.

I'm going to fart on you.

You have a lot of petitions!

Just to let you know, the 86 isn't all that pointless and resource-consuming. It is a very good calculator. Now, if you ask me, you're confusing the 83+/SE with the 86. The 83+/SE is the pointless and resource-consuming calculator. And, the 89 usually isn't allowed because it can express answers in exact form (ie, radicals instead of decimals).

how dare you dis the 83+ SE!!!!!!!!!!!

okay, seriously......how is the 83+SE a "pointless and resource-consuming calculator."?

BTW, I personally have no opinion one way or the other on the 86, except for the fact that I think it SUX because there are more levels available for its version of Super Mario Brothers =( I suppose thats cuz that version has been around longer though.....

Maybe not the SE ... I do have a healthy respect for it's unhealthy amount of memory.

"unhealthy" amount? LOL! I guess it does have quite a bit...not that I'm complaining. Besides, aren't there palms that have like 8mb of ram? I'd call THAT excessive.....but nonetheless, wouldn't mind having that much in my calc ;)

The 83+/SE is not pointless because it is the bottome of the line, for people who are just looking for a decent calc. The 89 is the top of the line without going to qwerty, for those who want... well top of the line. The 86 is just kinda there, no one wants it and no one cares... I may point out that only 8% of ti's calc sales are 86....

PLAY MEGAMAN86. ITS COOL, YO.

Okay, okay, fine.

Maybe if you look at it from a certain perspective.
Then again, the 86 has a lot more features than the 83+ and is only about $10 more. But, of course, most people are dumb (why else would they go for the 83+?) and just buy the cheaper calc.

Ok, here's what I think: Schools either use an 83, 83+, or an 89. nowhere in there do they use an 86. If teachers/schools started using the 86's more,they'd probably become more popular (because they would be more supported).
Well anyways, that's just my opinion.

82 for me, though there thinking about 83s

yeah, my school first started with 82's, but the next year they switched to 83/+'s

My old school still has 82s, but now also has 73s.

Damn, i got ripped off :P my stupid ass AP CALCULUS teacher told our whole class to buy a 86!!!!! What a freaking rip off!!!!!I should have gotten a 89....I didn't even know there was such a thing as flash rom until i got my graphlink and all my friends asked me for games!!! Only a few people owned 82, 83s and 89 in my calc class.

Who said that graphing calculators are not allowed in higher math classes? As far as i know, you can consider calculus as a higher math class!!! I know a lot of people in college that still use their graphing calculators in calculus 1 and 2!!!! By the way, we could use our calculators most of the time in AP Calculus which requires you to use a graphing calulator!!!!! When i mean AP Calculus, it is the same thing as calculus 1 and 2 together.

For last year's AP Calculus class in my high school, nearly the whole class, like 30 out of 35, passed the AB or BC calculus exam with a three or higher :P

At my school there was (and is) only one calculus, and the teacher isn't certified by the College Board to teach AP Calculus--he doesn't want to have to pay for it and we don't have a teacher's union to pay for him. However, he actually covered more than what was in the AB test.

Also, I assume you mean the year before last because scores aren't out yet this year.

I have an 86, but I used an 89 the whole year. I still did the work myself, but I checked myself with my calculator. But once you have an 89, you realize how easy it would have been to check yourself with an 86 or 83 too. It just wouldn't have been as pretty.

not that anyone cares about my opinion but....

I think the "first vital step for cutting" off the 86 was when they came out with V200 and the SE in the last two years when there were already flash calcs in those series but not in the 85 series. The keyboard is just the next step.

PREDICTION: by this time next year, the 86 will be discontinued.

your right. i hadnt even thought of that. thanx

I think they should continue it. More people have one than they think.

or want one.