Half a croissant, on a plate, with a sign in front of it saying '50c'
h a l f b a k e r y
Not so much a thought experiment as a single neuron misfire.

idea: add, search, annotate, link, view, overview, recent, by name, random

meta: news, help, about, links, report a problem

account: browse anonymously, or get an account and write.

user:
pass:
register,


       

Graphing Calculator Java Environment

Add Java capability to graphing calculators
  (+1)
(+1)
  [vote for,
against]

Popular graphing calculators for education, such as the TI-83/84/89 are all but mandatory for high school mathematics. They are 'programmable' in the sense one can write simple programs for them in 'TI-BASIC', a watered down version of BASIC for the graphing calculator. Don't get me wrong, it's great for most math stuff--but it has the potential for better applications.

The other way one can program it is Assembly code for the calculator, from which I hear from seasoned engineers is a blast. Really.

Cellular phones are increasingly using Java--why? Platform independence. What runs on one phone runs on all the others.

Why can't this also be applied to Graphing calculators? Having, quite literally, a small computer at your disposal has a lot of potential for a student: keeping a personal gradebook, notes, phonebook--general PDA stuff. Java would add capability and simplicity to the calculator without trying to squeeze it into BASIC, or Assembly code.

Baker^-1, Feb 17 2004

[link]






       Or better yet, somebody write a graphing calc program for Palm OS and/or WindowsCE or whatever they're calling it now.
swamilad, Feb 18 2004
  

       i think python would be better suited.
erlehmann, Jan 21 2008
  

       I've had my TI-85 since high school - it did a great shift throughout a degree in Electronic (so lots of complex numbers, vectors, matrices, differential equations etc.). Never needed, nor felt that I missed, programming capabilities. Maybe I was just short sighted.
Jinbish, Jan 21 2008
  
      
[annotate]
  


 

back: main index

business  computer  culture  fashion  food  halfbakery  home  other  product  public  science  sport  vehicle