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Casio Graphing Scientific Calculator Fx-9860GIII Comes with MicroPython

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Re: Casio Graphing Scientific Calculator Fx-9860GIII Comes with MicroPython

#11

Post by read_if_gay_ »

ajsnigrutin wrote: post #8
rcarmo wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Calculators are not exactly premium devices, even though you'd likely think otherwise when you have to buy the anointed model for your kids' school. That said, Casio is probably churning these things out with a BOM around $5-$10, so you can't really expect much from the display. We're spoiled by our phones, which (weirdly enough) have no single, definitive "good" calculator on either iOS or Android (and can't be used…

Graphic calculators are extremely expensive for what they provide (compared to a cheap phone). Only thing holding them up is regulation (ie. being allowed in class and at certain exams), because otherwise, even a cheap phone can emulate a classical calculator (eg. hp 49g for us RPN fans), not to mention more advance tools (from apps to wolfram alpha).

I think a large fraction of what you’re paying for is the interface. Your phone can in theory do a lot more than a calculator, but having dedicated buttons for everything makes a calculator much better suited for its purpose.

Though maybe that’s just because nobody has come up with a great UI concept for a touchscreen calculator.

Re: Casio Graphing Scientific Calculator Fx-9860GIII Comes with MicroPython

#12

Post by IndrekR »

I had NumWorks[1] calculator, which also has Python support. Based on STM32F4 series MCU. Had a decent battery life. Unfortunately it died some time ago, after a year of usage, and I have not been able to use it any more. Using quite common Sharp EL-W506XVL[2] on desk and HP-42S clone Free42[3] on the phone/PC nowadays.

[1] https://www.numworks.com/

[2] http://www.sharp-calculators.com/en/category/6-educational-c...

[3] https://thomasokken.com/free42/

Re: Casio Graphing Scientific Calculator Fx-9860GIII Comes with MicroPython

#13

Post by zokier »

tonyedgecombe wrote: post #2

It's a shame it has a screen that looks like it came from the turn of the century.

Well, its paired with almost equally bad keypad, I so that sort of balances it out. Somehow I don't see writing any meaningful amount of Python on that being particularly comfortable.

Re: Casio Graphing Scientific Calculator Fx-9860GIII Comes with MicroPython

#14

Post by rbanffy »

IndrekR wrote: post #12

I had NumWorks[1] calculator, which also has Python support. Based on STM32F4 series MCU. Had a decent battery life. Unfortunately it died some time ago, after a year of usage, and I have not been able to use it any more. Using quite common Sharp EL-W506XVL[2] on desk and HP-42S clone Free42[3] on the phone/PC nowadays. [1] https://www.numworks.com/ [2] http://www.sharp-calculators.com/en/category/6-educational-c...…

This NumWorks is a beautiful piece of hardware. I recently got myself an HP-35s and it's delightful to use a physical calculator after all these years of firing up Python on the shell.

Re: Casio Graphing Scientific Calculator Fx-9860GIII Comes with MicroPython

#15

Post by simonh »

parsimo2010 wrote: post #9

Relative to other graphing calculators, I've always felt that Casio's offerings were a good value relative to TI- ever since TI captured the education market they stopped being cool and definitely stopped being a good value. I think that having Python is a neat feature. I have strong opinions about calculators in general, and have owned a wide range of Casio, HP, TI, and even some old/niche ones that only real calcul…

The problem with allowing phones into maths exams is they have browsers and internet connections, and can store thousands of pages of searchable reference material. The calculators allowed into exams are specifically chose because they do not have these features. My eldest is doing maths at the moment and has an fx-CG50, it also has Python but only a very stripped down subset of MicroPython with just the math and random libraries.

Re: Casio Graphing Scientific Calculator Fx-9860GIII Comes with MicroPython

#16

Post by zokier »

parsimo2010 wrote: post #9

Relative to other graphing calculators, I've always felt that Casio's offerings were a good value relative to TI- ever since TI captured the education market they stopped being cool and definitely stopped being a good value. I think that having Python is a neat feature. I have strong opinions about calculators in general, and have owned a wide range of Casio, HP, TI, and even some old/niche ones that only real calcul…

> With that said, we really need to let calculators go

From what I've heard this is actually happening. Classes are done with laptops and GeoGebra (or other similar thing). On some tests only basic calculator apps are allowed.

Re: Casio Graphing Scientific Calculator Fx-9860GIII Comes with MicroPython

#17

Post by eznzt »

rcarmo wrote: post #6
tonyedgecombe wrote: post #2

It's a shame it has a screen that looks like it came from the turn of the century.

Calculators are not exactly premium devices, even though you'd likely think otherwise when you have to buy the anointed model for your kids' school. That said, Casio is probably churning these things out with a BOM around $5-$10, so you can't really expect much from the display. We're spoiled by our phones, which (weirdly enough) have no single, definitive "good" calculator on either iOS or Android (and can't be used…

Come on, £82 is what this calculator costs... You can find Android phones at that price

You are paying because you can take it with you to an exam, period

Re: Casio Graphing Scientific Calculator Fx-9860GIII Comes with MicroPython

#18

Post by qz2 »

parsimo2010 wrote: post #9

Relative to other graphing calculators, I've always felt that Casio's offerings were a good value relative to TI- ever since TI captured the education market they stopped being cool and definitely stopped being a good value. I think that having Python is a neat feature. I have strong opinions about calculators in general, and have owned a wide range of Casio, HP, TI, and even some old/niche ones that only real calcul…

I think your position is unrealistic for an education setting. You’re proposing working computers and smartphones for every desk and student.

Computers and apps are not standardised at all. Disparity between them and compatibility issues are a massive contention when you have lots of people to educate. Not only that, even today here in the UK, not every student has a smartphone or a home computer so you’re instantly discriminating against them. The answer? Grab a standard calculator out of a box that everyone else has and loan it to them.

All students need a calculator for other subjects as well. In science, technology and geography they use them too.

And you can’t realistically control the configuration of a computer or smartphone in an exam.

Re: Casio Graphing Scientific Calculator Fx-9860GIII Comes with MicroPython

#19

Post by billfruit »

It has been a great wonder for me that why US highschools seems to require expensive programmable/graphing calculators especially those made by HP/TI. I assume it was some deal made by these companies with the education departments of the states and administrations.

In most other countries, students complete university undergraduate courses, let alone high schools with only needing a cheap non-programmable calculator, while some courses like an undergraduate course in Computer Science wouldn't require any calculator at all.

Why this American exceptionalism?

Re: Casio Graphing Scientific Calculator Fx-9860GIII Comes with MicroPython

#20

Post by laurentdc »

parsimo2010 wrote: post #9

Relative to other graphing calculators, I've always felt that Casio's offerings were a good value relative to TI- ever since TI captured the education market they stopped being cool and definitely stopped being a good value. I think that having Python is a neat feature. I have strong opinions about calculators in general, and have owned a wide range of Casio, HP, TI, and even some old/niche ones that only real calcul…

I don't know how much things have changed in ten years but when I was in university I simply couldn't find a computer calculator software that had the same easy to use UI as my HP 40gs or even a basic Casio fx-991ES.

Sure I could fire up Matlab with the Symbolic toolbox or even Derive under wine but nothing came close to just typing in what I wanted and pressing a button. I guess it's more a matter of dedicated physical buttons and muscle memory.

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