How come it’s so dam* hard to use a TI-89? You have to go through twenty different menus just to get the functionality you were used to on the TI-83 back in high school. That was one of the main reasons I refused to buy one, even when I was a Math major (switched to pure CS when I realized I hated every math teacher in the department save one… I think I’ve rambled about this before).
So why can’t they design a calculator that’s more like the iPod? Something with a backlit screen, an intuitive interface, a slick design? Perhaps it could have a touchscreen? It would be something you could plug into your computer and download modules and plugins. Maybe it could come with software that could run on your computer. Better yet, maybe it could be open source, like a portable version of the computer algebra system Maxima.
Even as I’m writing this article, I’m convinced I want to find an electrical engineer who can build this awesome calculator, modify the Linux kernel to run on it (after I take my Operating Systems class in the Spring semester, so I know what I’m doing), compile Maxima to run on it, and then write my own GUI so that it works like intuitively like wxMaxima, but to be used on smaller screens. Something that would actually have ln() on the side, so I don’t have to search for ten minutes, or be bothered hitting Diamond+L, Second+Diamond+U or whatever the hell they were thinking when they designed that system.
I know there are other calculators besides the ones made by Texas Instruments, like the Hewlett-Packard ones, but which ones do you hear about? Which ones are your college professors and high school teachers recommending?
Seriously, I think if someone designed a calculator like the iPod and made it open source, they would make a fortune.
Maybe I shouldn’t post this…. :P
