If you want a much deeper dive into the Zero's capabilities (and issues) here's some detailed resources: TI-Planet English: tiplanet-org.translate.goog/forum/viewtopic.php?p=273357&_x_tr_sl=fr&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp#p273357 TI-Planet French: tiplanet.org/forum/article.php?t=26384 Cemetech English: www.cemetech.net/news/2023/9/1005
The round shiny buttons that are all the same color seem like a step in the wrong direction. I’m not sure being marginally better in every way is enough to succeed in unseating TI.
We already have a TI killer. Its called the Casio Classpad series; specifically the fx-CP400. The user experience is so much better since you can enter equations as they appear on paper rather than having to figure out where all your parenthesis are. The reason it hasnt become mainstream is because teachers are too set in their way to even consider an alternative to TI. I actually got into an argument with a teacher insisting my nephew use a TI and nothing else. He didnt budge without ever giving a legit reason: "just because". So if Casio is failing because of stubborn teachers, this will too.
The benefit with the Zero is that the same buttons and menus are all still there while the Casio has a different way of doing things (even if it's sometimes better). It certainly won't do anything to persuade naive teachers who are stubborn on using a specific calculator name.
The Fx-CP400 is not a TI killer. I have both Casio and TI and the newer machines both enter equations as you see them on paper. The only difference is the keyboard layouts. If this Zero calculator causes trouble for TI, it will do the same to Casio. I do agree that all brands of calculators should be encouraged in the schools. You only have to read the manual or look the machine up on RU-vid. Eventually, graphing calculators will probably go away. With IPhones and tablets, they aren’t needed like they were 20 years ago or more.
My teachers back in high school had difficulty with me using the TI Nspire CX series of calculator (the first gen with color). The calculator is really good and included a CD to install the desktop version of the calculator
Are they considering adding vector arithmetic support? Ti *kinda* has it, but you can only add, subtract, or multiply by a scalar. On the Ti84, I have written my own programs, but it would be WONDERFUL to have a calculator that supports unit vectors, magnitude, cross-product, and dot product support natively!!!
Seems like a cool project, I hope they're able to pull this off. Would be worth it even if only to push TI towards using a newer processor in a TI-84 lol but i doubt that will happen. Great video as always!
This won't end TI's monopoly. It's a monopoly. They are explicitly making the rules to exclude competitors by forming such tight links with the institutions that require them, such that many will refuse valid competitors outright, even at greater cost.
I used to make images of graphing calculator UIs that are similar to the TI-84's, and I would love to see and use a modern graphing calculator that puts my general imagination to fruition! Also, I hope you can natively run ASM on Zero calculators. I also love the pun on the packaging.
A small point, the eZ80 in the TI is not an 8-bit processor. It is compatible with the 8-Bit Z80, but it is actually a 24 bit CPU. That one particular difference isn't as big as you implied. The other points of comparison are good
Any chance you've tried the Numworks calculator? It's a recent design as well, ARM v7 at 216 MHz, 256k RAM, 8M ROM, color IPS screen, USB Type-C, etc. and it feels a lot more polished than the Zero
There's an emulator on their site 🙂 And since it's kinda open source, there are forks that implement more functionalities, like symbolic calculations that were removed by Numworks
I personally have used a Casio fx cg10 for years, and it holds up well. I think Casio has done well with their calculators and it is different, but schools are just used to texas instruments, and I doubt it'll be easy to change their minds.
@@TheLastMillennial As someone who lives in the UK and has the complete opposite situation to you (all my teachers are casio experts, some haven't even heard of TI), when I get out my TI-Nspire, instead of telling me to use a casio (I have a CG50) they're intrigued to see what it's like.
ik this has nothing to do with the vid but ive been trying to connect my ti 84 plus ce for so long to ti connect ceits on i run as administrator and it wont work can u plz help me
First, make sure you're using TI-Connect CE (blue and green) instead of the old TI Connect (blue and orange). Also, try restarting your computer. If that doesn't work then Archive any important data then try pressing and holding the reset button on the back of the calculator for at least two seconds. If that doesn't work, make sure your cable isn't power-only. You can also try uninstalling TI-Connect CE and installing Tilp which is an open source version.
Those are numbers! HAHAHA 😆 I will never care about dark mode. Stressing the presence of dark mode always confuses me. I suppose everyone's eyes are different, though, and what doesn't work for me may be basically required for someone else, so thinking of it as an accessibility feature, I suppose it's important to have. Thanks for the review though, I've never heard of Zero calculators before, and I'm quite intrigued! Excellent comparison video!
Hi, in my student time, I was using CASIO's forever because they were cheaper, friendly and so simple (not for good students or nerds), so one day decided to try TI, and my eyes were opened hahaha. The problem is that you must learn how to use it. I got it and now can find it in my own collection CASIO 9860GII, TI83+, and TI84 + Silver E.). The most beautiful ones on those calculators (for me) are the plastics and the materials used for the keys (sometimes mixed with silicone) and the colors used on them. I'm just a fan of the calculators and this new one looks weird due to the bright plastic used, but at the same time it's so advanced than TI that someday I'll have it inside my drawer !!!
Comparing just about any modern graphing calculator to a TI is kinda like comparing how the Pee-wee team stacks up against the pros. One of those "Pick on your own size" comparisons. :) But I agree with you, it is good to see TI getting some pressure. Now where did I put my HP Prime?
To avoid legal isues, the must chang "on button" in the up and right zone of the Calc, where Mode and DEL buttons are.... The must change the label of 2nd button for a Shift button
I'd love to see a comparison of the Ti-84+ CE vs the Ti-89. I miss using my Ti-92+ :sigh: I can't believe calculators sold in 2024 don't have CAS :sigh: :sigh:
The very concept of a graphing calculator seems obsolete in the smartphone era? Graphing calculators are ultimately powered by 8-bit technology from the 1970s, so a smartphone can do the same thing for less than 1 millionth of its processing power. Can graphing calculators continue to exist if they weren't being artificially propped up by the education system? I think the reason for TI's monopoly is politics, not technology.
@@JonasPetri Sure, a dedicated calculator does have some benefits, but are these benefits worth it? I think this whole "arrangement" to make students pay $200 for $20 worth of tech is dirty.
@@ShinyTillDawn Yes you've summed it up nicely. Graphing calculators are x10 overpriced outdated 1970s technology that would not exist if they weren't in cahoots with their one and only narrow use case: high school tests that are too hard for a non-graphing scientific calculator, but not so hard as to render the additional graphing functions pointless while also open enough that you can take in a programmable device, but not so open that you can use the Internet.
I *REALLY* wanna get my hands on that, Python is my favorite programming language and I'd love to have a pocket Python machi- oh I mean calculator. xD The buttons definitely look to need some work, can you test if it works with external keyboards, please?
Very interesting! But... for higher education, why not seek the HP Prime? It has way better specs than the Ti-84 and also supports python. I've personally used it to ace my engineering classes and left my old Ti-84 Plus CE in a box for over 2 years at this point...
Often calculators with CAS are banned or teachers specifically request a TI-84 Plus CE. Even if there's better options, the teacher is only familiar with using a TI-84
Completely understandable! My current education, however, does not restrict what calculator I can use. What you said is useful to keep in mind for other points in peoples' education nonetheless. @@TheLastMillennial
What kills the deal for me is the mediocrity of the screen and poor ergonomics. After using calculators and computers for 50 years now, I have lost tolerance with anything that hurts my vision and makes using a device aggravating, like poor key lettering contrast and glare (it's also become a common problem with so called 'modern' UIs). And with competition from android apps that often work as well as calculators, if not better, at least they could make sure the physical button interface is actually more pleasant to use than a touch screen one. Zero has apparently put everything into making it perfrom better than the TI at the cost of cutting many usability corners. Not surprising for a proptotype, though. I just hope they fix these glaring issues in their final retail version. Thanks for the review!
There is no way TI could win a lawsuit saying it’s a copy. Have you seen the Apple MacBook copies other manufacturers put out? They are nearly identical in every detail.
If this has the same Pt-On() command features as the CE calculators then this is immediately a big sell for me, providing that the Basic language performs much better than the CE. One concern I have though is if the battery is easily removable, because in 10-15 years maybe those devices won't charge as well if heavily used.
Other than the uncommon screws, the battery is super easy to replace. It's taped to the back shell but there's an easy battery connector to disconnect it the battery. Edit: yes this does have pt-on() and all those similar commands!
Question for those who know a lot more about TI-BASIC: How possible is 99% TI-BASIC compatibility? Is it feasible to implement zerobasic in a way that allows most TI-BASIC to run as is?
Honestly every single lithium rechargeable product should **not** come with a charging brick any more, it's just plain wasteful and stupid. The only problem is if the OEM saves money on not manufacturing and shipping one, but does not pass that saved BOM cost onto the consumer.
tbh i dont get why calculators are still a thing, mobile phones from like 5 years ago have like 10 times the computational power and a screen that can be seen at narrow angles without discoloration
