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September 19, 2003
My Ancient Calculator and Why I Haven't Upgraded
I'm still using two graphing calculators -- the Casio FX-7000 (pictured) and FX-8000G -- that I got in high school. If you don't know me personally, that was nearly 20 years ago. Given my obsession with the latest and greatest technology, why do I hang on to these relics? I've been wondering that myself and I've come up with two possible explanations.
First, since I used these calculators in high school and all through college (all 11 years of it), I learned a lot of the advanced math I know using these things. Therefore, I am intimately familiar with every shift-function and special calculation mode that they offer. I would hate to have to re-initiate that learning curve by trading these things in for a newer model, especially one that likely doesn't do all that much more than these do. So, my first hypothesis is that I'd like to stick with what's comfortable.
My second hypothesis is that calculators haven't really advanced all that far in the past 20 years. Sure, they have more memory and higher density displays than they used to (my two calculators have a combined total of 2 KB of RAM). But, given that 80% of my calculations these days involve the four basic operands (+ - x ÷), these tiny enhancements don't really help me that much.
Looking at these two possible reasons, I think the answer to why I don't upgrade is both, actually. What I have is good enough for my use and what is available doesn't provide compelling enhancements. So, what's different between the calculator industry and the consumer computer industry?
Well, I do believe that most of the computer gear I have is good enough -- there are relatively few problems or uses that I face on a regular basis that can't be solved with technology I already have. However, the PC industry is really good at coming up with technology that reflects compelling advances and interesting new capabilities. While the calculator industry is at the mercy of mathematicians to devise new functions (unlikely), the PC industry has basically an unbounded space in which to explore and expand their products' functionality. I think this is what causes me to be constantly intrigued by the latest and greatest consumer tech -- this sense of exploration and creativity that is associated with constant innovation.
Posted by Craig in Computing
and Industry
and Society / Politics
Comments
Hey, I still got my HP12C I bought in 89. In fact, I still have my HP34C that I bought in 1979. I haven't bought any new calculator since HP12C.
Posted by: Ken at September 22, 2003 10:25 AM
Couldn't agree more, Craig.
I use a FX-7000G since 1986 and a FX-8000G since 1988. They were (and they still are) the "Dream Machines" for cheating in Math exams, especially when it comes to Analysis (discussion of functions and their curves).
Thomas S.
Posted by: Thomas S. at October 22, 2003 8:12 AM
Well, I am a fanatic for new tecnologies, too. And I has a Casio FX-7000GA, an HP12C, and the HP 41CV(yes, I has a 'dinosaur') and a Casio FC-100, and a Casio Digital Diary BOSS 7900. I had a HP 48S, but I destroyed it triyng to repair, when the its LCD started do get tilts. In my job, my computer had emulators for the HP 48GX and the HP 12C (I replaced the Windows Calculator for the 12C).
Guys, excuse me for ma BAD English. I am brazilian, from Curitiba - Paraná and we speak portuguese here. For this reason, i write so bad in English.
Kindest regards....
Posted by: Valdir G. de Souza at December 27, 2003 6:11 AM
Hah, I just dug up my FX-7000GA (bought in 1991) and put some new batteries in it. Found this site while looking for info about it. The manual is easily found online in .PDF format, and I also ran across code for a Mah Jongg scoring program. Whoda thunk...
Posted by: Sam Cromwell at April 19, 2006 5:13 PM
Sam, that's great yours still works, too. I just popped three new CR2025 cells in mine last night (had been dead for a couple of weeks) and, as usual, it fired right up. Man, you gotta love hardware that lasts this long!
Posted by: Craig at April 19, 2006 8:04 PM
Could you please tell me "how much does a CASIO GRAPHING CALCULATOR model FX-8000G cost at this time in store?"
Thank you, hossein
Posted by: Hossein at November 5, 2007 4:58 AM