You only need a graphing calculator because you’re not allowed to use wolfram alpha, desmos, or Matlab. Since you’re mandated to use graphing calculators, (sometimes even specific models) there’s no incentive to make them cheaper or better since you need to buy them anyway.
When I was in school, it was always specific models. They had to limit it to one brand and like 2-3 known good models to prevent the ones that could solve equations.
So there’s no reason for TI to ever lower prices.
Its not just the demand, its also monopoly or duopoly of suppliers. These suppliers prevented competition by making sure they are the only ones allowed by students to use.
Yep, graphing calculators are a forced necessity for school, therefore they can charge anything they want and people will still buy them. This kind of artificial demand causes extreme price inelasticity and is capitalism at its worst.
Same deal with university books, you are forced to buy them so they cost hundreds of dollars, when they could easily be sold at a profit for a quarter of the cost.
Yup, free market only incentives competition when it’s actually free. Demand monopolys are just as bad as supply ones.
And why there’s a “new” version every year that just moves things around…
But there aren’t ‘new’ graphing calculators being required and they don’t get worn out that easily. There’s a relatively stable amount of people who need one at any given time, so honestly I’d have expected the second hand market to have crashed the market more than it has. There should honestly be multiple times over more graphing calculators in circulation than there is a need for them.
The incentive Is supposed to be competition among manufacturers, something is preventing that
Schools have lists of approved models for standardized test taking. If students (the largest market) can’t use your calculator, making one is probably not going to be profitable.
Case in point: I just looked for graphing calculators on aliexpress and they’re like 10 bucks
Essentially, it’s because it’s a monopolistic/anti-competitive relationship, so the producer is able to charge much more than if it were competitive. The producer seeks to maximize profits, and the schools enable them by effectively controlling the market.
For economists (and business) students it isn’t a graphing calculator but same thing with HP12c (financial calculator). But it is only like 40 dollars.
Its okay, as I neoclassical economist, I know exactly how to fix this issue.
Tax breaks for the rich.
Ask me to solve any economic problem, I have the answers.
The TI-89 was ~$100 when I bought one 20 years ago. Looked it up on Amazon and they’re $100-$150 depending on the specific model. They haven’t kept up with inflation at all, which means they’ve been getting cheaper this whole time…
For 100$ you can buy new phone and install any math software you want
Please tell me what calculator app is as nice as a physical calculator, I haven’t found one yet
Grab the rom for whichever Texas Instruments calculator you like best and use one of the various TI8X emulators:
https://www.f-droid.org/en/packages/com.eanema.graph89/
Just google for the rom file you want. I just tried the TI92+ found here:
https://wowroms.com/en/roms/mame/download-ti-92-plus/108878.html
Weird calculator, but one of the more common TI models should look just as nice
Thanks. I’ve been working with my state legislator to create new laws that give schools the legal ability to expel engineering students caught using Calculator rom’s. These roms have no business in education. I think with this information we can make great strides.
Please be a joke. Please be a joke. Please be a joke.
Iirc, theyre the last products still using a z80, which was launched in the seventies. Keeping an entire chip fab open for one thing isnt cheap, even if its for something like a z80
At the same time, there’s no reason why they couldn’t upgrade to something else. You can do everything a graph calculator does on your cellphone using websites…
You say that, but its standardized. It needs to be exactly the same if only to keep everyone on a level playing field
What? Should we standardize computers so everyone has the same processing power?
For something like the SAT, yeah, youd want everyone on as level a playing field as possible
