[function_seven]

Yeah, those things had 9 levels of contrast. With a fresh set of batteries the display would be crisp and contrasty at “3” or something. Then slowly you needed more and more levels to feel normal. Before you know it you’re running at contrast “9” and contemplating your next score. Then you realize, “oh yeah, batteries are on their way out.”

As you snap the final AA place, you sign contentedly as you dial it back down to “3”.

[bluepod4]

Hmm. I’m not bragging at all but as someone who got a perfect score on the math section of the SAT (since scantron/bubble answers are being talked about) and enjoyed math a lot, I don’t recall this at all lol. Do you mind mentioning the year(s)? I said early 2000s in my first comment. The batteries lasted, at least for me. I recall having to replace them for sure. But it was never a big deal. And I’m speaking as a Black, lower middle class person growing up. It wasn’t that serious to me or the other people with similar backgrounds at my school(s). But still, I can understand why/how it would be serious to others (as I mentioned in my original comment).

[function_seven]

I had a TI-81 in 1993, and upgraded to a TI-85 in 1996 I think. I didn't mean my comment to be an indictment of TI calculator battery life. My experience with them matches yours. They were great!

I do remember the ominous feeling every time I noticed the screen getting fainter, checking to see what contrast level I was currently at. But it wasn't actually that big of a deal.

I probably only needed to change them twice a year or something.

[gnicholas]

> I’m not bragging at all but as someone who got a perfect score on the math section of the SAT

This is very strange behavior for HN (especially because many HNers got 800 on their math SATs, I would imagine).

[bluepod4]

No. My goal was to provide evidence/an anecdote to back my thoughts/opinion about these calculators. I didn’t do any of the math competitions like AMC or olympiads or whatever like people on HN talk about on occasion. This would have probably sounded more appropriate: “As someone who did AMC and was really interested in math and used those calculators a lot, …”

But I couldn’t say that. So I came up with the closest thing I could have at 5AM after a night of partying. I did notice that it might sound a little douchey which is why I added the “I’m not bragging” part.

But thanks for assuming the worst! I believe that’s against HN’s guidelines. What I said is not much different from saying “As someone with X years of experience in Y engineering field, I think that…” People say things like that all of the time on HN, right? Many of us have similar X years of experience in Y engineering field. But we still say it.

> (especially because many HNers got 800 on their math SATs, I would imagine).

For sure.

I guess I was also shocked that people who have similar math backgrounds would be complaining the way you were about these calculators, again given my fondness for them. In my first comment, I did also mention that I don’t tend to exaggerate. So maybe that’s partially the disconnect here?

The other part was that I was pretty sure that you guys were talking about calculators from the 80s or 90s. I asked that question also but no one responded at that time. People just kept complaining about problems/issues with the calculators lol. (Someone finally replied and mentioned 1993!)

Sorry, but you guys were starting to turn this into some sort of Texas Instruments bashing circlejerk, which didn’t seem fair to the product.

Sidenote: HN isn’t all fun and games. Please don’t paint it as that. When I (and peers that I’ve spoken with) talk about HN, it’s usually characterized as a forum where really smart people like to bump heads. A place where people like to outsmart each other. A place where people nitpick article titles. You get the idea.

Your behavior correcting skills were needed during plenty of more appropriate times. For example, when someone with a username like “koreanguy” said that he wanted to personally kill Timnit Gebru if he could. No downvotes or flag after many refreshes. Want to know why? Because plenty of other men were leaving similar disgusting comments in that post. This is just one example out of many of “weird” behavior on this forum. How many times has the mod here left that “be nice and follow the guidelines” comment on charged articles? (Some) HN users love a good dogwhistle!

But my little SAT comment is deserving of a reprimand lol?

[gnicholas]

Hilarious to quote the guidelines at me. I wasn't "assuming the worst" — I was just pointing out that it's very odd to gratuitously mention your SAT scores. (I've been on HN for a decade and never seen anything like it; it looks like you're rather new, so might not have that background.) It doesn't prove how much or little you used your calculator. People who get 650 or 710 use their calculators too, perhaps even more! If you had said "I used my calculator a lot, though not at the level of math competitions," that would have been more enlightening. I appreciate your mentioning the 5 AM partying context, which definitely helps.

[bluepod4]

I, too, have been using HN for over a decade. I never add my email to the accounts for recovery lol.

> perhaps even more!

And that’s also part of the disconnect here. I don’t believe this to be true fully. Growing up, the people who performed the best were the ones that really delved into the features of the calculator. They also installed more games. Did programming. The ones that did more than what the teacher taught. They would be the ones to remember whether not there were “devastating?!?!” contrast or battery issues. That’s just my opinion and experience (which is also why I provided other relevant personal details for perspective).

I do understand your line of thinking though (e.g. people who perform the worst use the calculator more because it takes them longer to do homework). The question then becomes this. Who has the better, unbiased memory of how the calculator functions: the struggling student or the one who cultivated a fondness and really explored its capabilities?

I did mention that I used my calculator(s) a lot in the same sentence that you had an issue with at least lol

Also, I just searched for HN comments related to SAT. There are a few from high schoolers and adults. Not many. But enough to satisfy me lol!