I had this review planned for the day after Christmas, but due to my hiatus, it has been delayed until today. But hey, Christmas starts earlier every year, so why not start in January?
TI-55.
When I ask people about calculators they remember fondly, almost every one of them begin with the letters "TI". Texas Instruments has been designing and refining calculators since 1973, and even in their early days they were absolutely killing it. Vintage TI devices have become collectibles for people like myself while newer devices still reign supreme in various markets.
The TI-55 was released in 1977, back when it was still cool to use LEDs. Later variants of the TI-55 used boring LCD displays. This was probably to preserve battery life, but I'll take a gorgeous display over longevity any day.
Speaking of batteries, the TI-55 had its own rechargeable battery pack. This might seem great until you remember this was way back in the 70s, before lithium ion batteries were a thing. Because of this, no stock TI-55 currently works today. Thankfully, this battery pack is fairly easy to remove and can be replaced with a standard 9 volt battery. The video review goes into a bit more detail about this, and there are guides online that explain why this works. It's just awesome that this calculator can be made to work these days.
Aside from the outstanding display, the TI-55 has a great color scheme and overall design. Sitting at a desk and looking down at it, you can see that this was designed to be viewed from an angle. This makes it ideal for school work, especially since it's fairly weighty and has rubber feet to keep it still on a flat surface. However, when viewed from directly above, the display is blocked. This may have been to prevent onlookers from seeing operations. Great care was taken in this calculator's design.
Slightly different angle shows display obscured.
Of course, this is The Calculator Review, so you know I'm going to talk about the button feel. Considering this device could technically be considered a pocket calculator, I am blown away by how amazing these buttons feel. They're clicky and responsive, and perfectly debounced to prevent accidental double-presses. I have no idea why Texas Instruments didn't choose to stick with this button design with later models because it's incredible.
It's a shame, really, that the LCD has become so ubiquitous in pocket calculators. From a technical perspective, it makes perfect sense, as it paved the way for solar and dual powered devices. But from an aesthetic perspective, it's disappointing. The TI-55 is a marvel of engineering and design. It looks beautiful in my collection.
Back of calculator.
Original battery compartment disassembled.
Each button was taken out to be cleaned. This was a huge pain to put back together.
Calculator completely disassembled.
Foam removed. It crumbled at the slightest touch, so it couldn't be reinstalled.
Duct tape used in place of the foam. Slightly alters the feel of the buttons, but still works just fine.
Red goes to black and black goes to red. It's annoying, but that's how this calculator does it.
New 9 volt battery adapter installed.
Electrical tape used to hold things in place.
Testing the new battery setup to make sure everything's working just fine.
The battery is loose without the cover, but with the cover it's held comfortably in place.
I like to begin each calculator review with a brief paragraph about something other than calculators, then segue seamlessly into the review. It gives each review its own sort of personality and keeps things fresh.
TI-108.
If you've never seen or heard of the TI-108, it means you haven't been inside a school since 1986. These things are everywhere. You can buy them in packs of 10 for like $30 on Ebay. But just because something is common and used by everyone doesn't mean it's necessarily good. Yet the 108 is one of the best calculators ever created. Sure, it lacks any unique features, and can only perform basic operations, but just look at it. Seriously, find the nearest kid and take their backpack and dig through it until you find one. You most likely won't find a scratch on it, and it's definitely going to work. Texas Instruments made an extremely durable calculator that even a child would struggle to ruin. The buttons are colorful and coordinated, have a great tactile feel, and everything is right where it should be. Not that it's needed, but they included a solid cover for added protection. It's impossible to tell how old a given TI-108 is because these things don't age. The solar cell works perfectly every time, so there's no need for a battery. I really tried to find something to dislike about this calculator, and maybe nostalgia plays a role, but the TI-108 is simply perfection. These have been widely available since 1986 and will probably be used in elementary schools for at least the next thousand years. I got mine on Ebay for $4.
Older and newer variations.
* * * UPDATE * * *
The above was the initial Facebook review, but I have since learned that the TI-108 has at least two variations, both of which are discussed in the video review. The older version runs on pure solar energy while the newer is dual-powered. They also have slightly different external colors. Internally, they look like completely different devices.
Regardless of the variation you get, you won't be disappointed with the TI-108.
The TI-108 comes standard with a sturdy cover
Internal components removed from old version.
Face plate of old version exposed.
Top: Old version interior. Bottom: New version interior.
So begins another week of calculator reviews. Giving myself more time for each review has allowed me to improve the videos and the posts, as well as create additional content such as Obsolete Technology and The Calculator Repair. The response I've received for these has been just as positive as the calculator reviews.
Since it's Monday, I also get to pick the Comment of the Week, so here it is:
I didn't get any comments last week...
TI-1000.
Last week I reviewed the APF Mark 65 and mentioned that there were other calculators with a similar aesthetic that were far superior. The one I had in mind was this Texas Instruments 1000 calculator. Personally, I prefer this color scheme as it's more consistent and elegant, but the TI-1000 beats the Mark 65 in several other categories.
I'd like to address the bizarre numbering system Texas Instruments uses for their devices. I don't get it. The TI-1000 is the third generation, starting with the TI-2500 and then the TI-1200. I have no idea why they went backward with the numbers, or why even later models used only two digits. Nothing about it makes any sense.
The TI-1000 doesn't try to impress anyone, but it succeeds in doing so. It features a gorgeous red fluorescent display behind a crisp brushed aluminum face plate. It's a little heavier than it looks, and the device feels very sturdy when held. The functionality is about as basic as you can get with a calculator and yet that somehow makes it even better. The operations work, and that should be all that matters.
Back view.
Well, they mostly work. I've actually purchased two TI-1000s and both of them have had issues. The first one I bought had a messed up display, so I attempted to fix it and found that the ribbon inside was slightly torn. This seemed like an easy fix, but the ribbon was so brittle that my attempt to fix it made it much, much worse. I ended up rendering the device completely useless and disposed of the internals. Later, I bought a second one and this one's display works perfectly. However, it has an annoying habit of inputting a digit twice when a button is pressed once. There may be a way to fix this, but I'd have to get under the buttons and this would mean manipulating the ribbon again, and I just don't trust myself to not screw it up again.
So the TI-1000 does have problems, and for that I can't bring myself to recommend this as more than a display calculator. It looks (and feels) amazing, and it's clear that Texas Instruments put a lot of love into it. But sadly, time has been a brutal enemy to this calculator. The internals have become so frail that it's risky to even take the device apart.
This calculator runs on a single 9 volt battery hidden by a panel that feels just as sturdy as the rest of the device. I found the first one at Goodwill for about $3, then ordered the currently working one on Ebay for $8.
I was originally planning to re-review each calculator I posted on Facebook in order, but I've decided to delay graphing calculators for the time being. I'll be skipping calculator two and going straight into calculator 3. This is a good thing, because I haven't reviewed anything from Texas Instruments on this site yet.
TI-30-II
The TI-30-II came out in 1982 and only lasted two years before being replaced by the TI-30-III. I don't know if this is because it had the same issues back then as it does today, but it wouldn't surprise me. While Texas Instruments is known to the general public for their calculators, it doesn't mean they get it right every time.
Aesthetically, the TI-30-II is brilliant. It has an outstanding color scheme that just works for a pocket scientific calculator. It uses two shades of brushed aluminum on its faceplate with buttons that blend in and nicely contrasted labels above each button. I especially love the Texas Instruments logo on a black band near the top, but it's a little strange that they wouldn't also put the calculator model name up there too. They left that at the bottom, where it's barely visible.
But the buttons. Oh my, the buttons. I love them. They are exactly the kind of clicky that I love in a calculator. If only this calculator was responsive. Every button needs to be pressed especially hard, which doesn't put this sturdy device at risk of breaking, but it completely ruins the feel of the device. Often I'll hear the click of the button only to see nothing appear on the LCD display. It's heartbreaking to see such amazing button design go to waste.
Back with battery cover and batteries removed.
Often, when the buttons are pressed hard enough to register a response, numbers will appear twice. Without any sort of back space or error correction, it makes this calculator nearly unusable.
Sure, this calculator is nearing forty years old. We should expect old electronics to deteriorate over time. That's a horrible excuse and you should be ashamed for thinking it. I own several calculators much older than this one that still work perfectly. It's possible that mine went through some hard times and maybe it's a miracle that it works at all, but since I can't safely disassemble this device, I won't know without getting my hands on another one of the same model.
Despite its flaws, this is a calculator worth displaying proudly. I have no intention of relying on it for anything more than a conversation piece. Maybe there's value in that. You be the judge.
I found this calculator at Goodwill for $1.50.
And as promised, here's the original Facebook review:
