TI-92 series
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TI-92-II_1.jpg
The Texas Instruments TI-92 calculator, originally released in 1995, was a large calculator with a QWERTY keyboard. Because of this keyboard, it was given the status of a "computer" rather than "calculator" and cannot be used on tests such as the SAT, while the similar TI-89 can be. Since its release it was upgraded by the TI-92 Plus, which itself has a successor in the Voyage 200.
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The original version: TI-92
A programmable calculator, the TI-92 came with a computer algebra system (CAS) based on Derive, and was one of the first calculators to offer 3D graphing. The TI-92 was not allowed on most standardized tests due mostly to its QWERTY keyboard. Its larger size was also rather cumbersome compared to other graphing calculators. In response to these concerns, Texas Instruments introduced the TI-89 which is functionally similar to the original TI-92, but featured Flash ROM and 188KB RAM, and a smaller design without the QWERTY keyboard. The TI-92 was then replaced by the TI-92 Plus, which was essentially a TI-89 with the larger QWERTY keyboard design of the TI-92. Eventually, TI released the Voyage 200, which is a smaller, lighter version of the TI-92 Plus with a QWERTY keyboard and more Flash ROM.
TI-92 Plus
The TI-92 Plus (or TI-92+) was released in 1998, slightly after the creation of the almost-identical (in terms of software) TI-89, while physically more similar to its predecessor, the TI-92 (which lacked Flash Memory).
As of 2002, the TI-92 Plus was replaced by the Voyage 200. It has not yet been discontinued however.
Voyage 200
Voyage 200 (also V200) was released in 2002, being the replacement for the TI-92 Plus, with its major upgrade over that calculator being an increase in the amount of flash memory available (2.7 megabytes for the Voyage 200 vs. 384 kilobytes for the TI-92 Plus). It also features a somewhat smaller and more rounded case design.
Like its predecessor, Voyage 200 is an advanced calculator that supports plotting multiple functions on the same graph, parametric, polar, 3D and differential equation graphing as well as sequence representations. Its symbolic calculation system is based on a trimmed version of the calculation software Derive. In addition to its algebra and calculus capabilities, the Voyage 200 is packaged with list, spreadsheet and data processing applications and can perform curve fitting to a number of standard functions and other statistical analysis operations. The calculator can also run most programs written for the TI-89 and TI-92 as well as programs specifically written for it. A large number of applications, ranging from games to interactive periodic tables can be found online.
The V200 is easily mistaken for a PDA or a small computer because of its massive enclosure and its full QWERTY keyboard - a feature which disqualifies the calculator for use in many tests and examinations, including the American SAT. The TI-89 Titanium offers almost the same functionality in a smaller format.
External links
- Features of the TI-92 (http://education.ti.com/us/product/tech/92/features/features.html), TI-92 Plus (http://education.ti.com/us/product/tech/92p/features/features.html), and Voyage 200 (http://education.ti.com/us/product/tech/v200/features/features.html)
- The largest collection of programs and other resources is probably ticalc.org (http://www.ticalc.org).
- A site with frequent news features, tutorials, active forums, a large and convenient archive and more is CalcGames.org (http://www.calcgames.org)
- A large collection of TI community news, polls, discussions, and reviews is available at ti-news.net (http://www.ti-news.net)
- UnitedTI (http://www.unitedti.org/) - The largest, friendliest, and most active TI programming community.