Ti 86 vs Ti 84 – The Main Differences Between Graphing Calculators

The world of calculators has made quite a few advancements over the decades. What started off as a simple math problem-solving machine is now a powerful tool that’s used across industries. 

Ti 86 vs Ti 84

From financial firms to real estate markets, graphing & scientific calculators have seen a lot of use. This is because they enable us to solve complicated problems that would manually take a very long time. These include calculating a mortgage, rate of interest, profits & loss over a period of time, etc. Many of these calculators are also allowed in standardized tests. 

Manufacturers have risen brilliantly to the occasion by selling some top-notch calculators. But now the problem is that there’s quite a lot of choice and that can be confusing for any buyer. That is why we decided to review and compare two popular calculators – Ti 86 and Ti 84.

Ti 86 vs Ti 84 – The Features 

Ti 86

The Texas Instruments Ti 86 calculator is an old one. It was launched in 1996-97 and is a great option for daily usage and calculations. Some of its features are as follows:

• It has a large screen at 128 x 64 pixels and can show 21 x 8 characters.
• Each line can accommodate 8 letters.
• Its storage capacity is 128 KiB RAM.
• It comes with a function evaluation table to show various equation modes and many calculus features.
• The calculator also has an input/output port.
• It can use long variable names up to 6 symbols.
• It does a wonderful job with lists, matrices, vectors, etc. 

Ti 84

The other popular calculator on our list is Texas Instruments Ti 84, which has quite a few models in its series such as the Ti 84 Plus, Ti 84 Plus Silver Edition, Ti 84 Plus CE, and Ti 84 Plus C Silver Edition. Most of the features are similar with slight variations. Let’s take a look:

• This graphing calculator will be your companion when it comes to financial functions, trigonometry, engineering, and calculus.
• It has 128/48 KB RAM and 2 MB flash ROM.
• The calculator can connect to other calculators to transfer data and even to a computer through the USB port.
• It comes with a USB cable and the necessary batteries to help you get started.
• It has both vertical and horizontal displays and split-screen options.
• Its screen size is 96 x 64 pixels and in each line it can accept 16 characters.
• It is accepted for almost all standardized tests.

Ti 86 vs Ti 84 – Comparison

There are certain features that Ti 86 has that makes it a crowd favorite even though it is now discontinued. For example, it is loaded with user-friendly features and the screen is very large. It is also very easy to use. On the other hand, the Ti 84 is faster and new with multiple models to pick from. It also has universal acceptance when it comes to examinations. Since it is still being manufactured, you can expect to buy a new one as well.

Ti 86 vs Ti 84 – The verdict

If you can get your hands on the Ti 86, we would say – go for it! But, you may only get a refurbished model that may or may not be reliable. If you do not want to take any risks and want common problems and functions covered, the Ti 84 series is a fine choice. 

It ultimately comes down to your preferences. So, make sure you go through all the pros and cons before finalizing a calculator. All the best.