this post was submitted on 21 Jun 2024
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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.
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.
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.
Yup, free market only incentives competition when it's actually free. Demand monopolys are just as bad as supply ones.
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.
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
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.
No no no, it's not an issue at all!
It's Working As Intended* as in there's a demand (guaranteed by schools) so we charge whatever the fuck we want! Supply is also high? Following supply and demand as theory is for chumps! Supply and demand theory is for us to use as we see fit and to ignore the aspects we don't like!
I think you know as well as I do that your honesty and integrity in describing how people are being fucked over by this process excludes you from neoclassical economics. Its always easy to catch out the fakers.
I mean, how am I supposed to justify tax breaks for the rich with that?
Damn, foiled again! :P
The crazy thing is they are basically selling the same models this whole time too
My TI-89 from 1998 still works perfectly, so at least you only have to buy it once.
Because of their longevity, there are a ton on the aftermarket for like $40
I used my mom's graphing calculator without issue.
Hey don't forget to credit the author!
Zach Weinersmith Smbc-comics.com
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
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I use Calc84 on the Google Play store, free with minimal ads and a one-time fee to remove ads.
But it seems like others have found FOSS versions here.
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The demand is basically artificial since there are a limited amount of calculator models that are allowed to be used on tests at universities. Since they can get away with it, they keep charging these prices.
Plus those models are using the same exact chip fabs with the same exact inputs that they always have.
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...
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The z80 actually just went EOL last week! After nearly 50 years.
Yeah but they're still making the ez80 for the calculators. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zilog_eZ80
Ah, duh! Totally forgot about that part of the article, lol
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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.
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The product isn't total compute, Its reliable compute for a measuring device.
Still no excuse but pretty industry standard. The production costs for an iphone 6 where about a 100 bucks but sold for 8 times as much.
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And that's why I own a Casio graphing calculator. Way cheaper than TI. BTW TI calculator are more expressive because you essentially are passing TI to indoctrinate you. Thr price of the calculator factors in the teaching materials, conferences, and marketing.
if you already own a computing device that runs a modern-ish web browser, its gratis
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