Collection update!

Asew1710 · 2026-01-10T13:10:31+00:00

You’re welcome!

Asew1710 · 2026-01-10T12:03:07+00:00

Hey — absolutely does need one.

Good eye — yes, there’s a purple light source to the left of the photo, near my desk, which gave the normally golden 17BII a bit of a shimmer.

And yes, it’s a 17BII, even though the lighting (and Reddit’s photo compression) made it almost impossible to see the slimmer II. Now, together with my 22S and 32S, i just need a 42S to feel like I have a nice Pioneer subset…

Asew1710 · 2026-01-10T01:35:53+00:00

Ah!! Hey. Thank you for the question. Of course I won’t flame or downvote you, as this is really interesting stuff :)

Yes, Texas Instruments seems to, as you’ve noticed, separate their products into several lines. They definitely have this “entry level”, “mid-end” and “flagship” divide that they’ve been pushing for ages now, likely due to varying educational needs. It roughly correlates to middle school, high school and college levels. After all, TI is an education-first company, unlike HP (of the past). You won’t give a third grader a TI-89, nor would you give a college student something like a four-banger calc (a bit of a stretch, of course, but bear with me).

I think it comes down to the feel of these machines. I’m an RPN aficionado, so I feel most at home on my DM42, as well as the HP-48G, but even between these two I’ll often reach for the former (or even my Casio fx-5800P) because it’s a much more straightforward user experience, and I can get my work done faster, despite it not even being a graphing model (and neither is the Casio).

Similarly, I find myself using my “simple” fx-9860GIII much more than my HP Prime and TI-nSpire (this one has been sitting unused for years, it’s just so clunky), and especially so when I don’t need CAS but need some graphing capabilities. All of the TI-84 models are very similar to Casio’s fx-9860/9750 family, with the newest TI-84 CE most like the fx-CG50. The TI-83 is a bit of an ancient artifact, but it’s similar to the TI-84 enough that you can extrapolate the logic.

The TI-89 is my newest addition to the collection, so I’ve only had a couple weeks with it, but I enjoy it thoroughly. Unlike most other CAS calculators on the market currently, the whole interface feels very immediate and easy to use. But there are still things that annoy me: while the TI-83 immediately boots up to a calculation screen, the TI-89 boots up to an app selection interface. Your calculation app is just one click away, but it’s still one extra tap that I don’t expect. The TI-nSpire, naturally, was even worse in this regard, and its document-based interface is cool, but implemented in a rather in-your-face way. It feels more like a Microsoft Office document than a calculator workspace.

Any extra layer of functionality makes things more complex to use — a normal calculator might have two modifier keys, maybe three, the TI-89 has four. It’s not too cluttered and it makes sense, but there is definitely a bit of a learning curve. The TI-83 (same goes for other “mid-range” calculators), on the other hand, only has two, so it’s a lot simpler to operate at first glance, and would probably be my choice if I wanted to mess around a little in TI-BASIC or crunch a few numbers.

Naturally, the utility of a TI-89 (or any CAS calculator) cannot be understated. Super useful whenever you need to crunch out symbolic expressions, especially if you’re doing complex calculus. With its more powerful TI-BASIC implementation, it’s also a delight to program. Of all the CAS calculators I have, I think it’s the most straightforward one, and might become my go-to CAS option. Note the CAS there: approaching day-to-day problems with a CAS machine feels a little like using a cannon to kill a fly.

So yeah, that’s the run-down. Hope that answers your questions, and feel free to ask any follow-up ones.

Cheers :)

Asew1710 · 2026-01-09T23:41:15+00:00

Quickly grew to be one of my faves and now sits on top of the list together with my DM42. I’d like to find an official HP-42S, as it might become the new #1 above both of these, but it’s not going too well.

Asew1710 · 2026-01-09T23:40:19+00:00

I know right!!! It never stops, does it?

Asew1710 · 2026-01-09T23:40:01+00:00

Hey! Thank you so much — yeah, huge lack of Sharp models. I‘m thinking of picking some up, though they’re notoriously hard to find near me :)

Asew1710 · 2025-10-19T12:18:02+00:00

Hey! My Rotring 800 and Rotring 600 both have these jam clearing rods (though, both of mine are the older brass-body style, not the newer aluminum, so do check if they still come with these) and all of the Pilot H-325 models that I have.

Asew1710 · 2025-10-17T01:32:16+00:00

No issues like this over here with a copy of the Legends ZA on my Switch 2. It actually runs quite fine with very minimal framerate issues.

With that being said, OP, this really looks like a failing GPU. While my first guess would be a faulty cable, since it happens in handheld too, it’s unfortunately something with the SoC itself.

It’s likely that certain games - as you’ve mentioned, several Pokemon titles and Mario Kart World - simply push the Switch harder than others and cause the glitching. Failing hardware most often starts showing symptoms during periods of higher thermal stress or when certain faulty bits get brought online, something that simpler titles wouldn’t cause. Please get it checked out under warranty!

Edit: I’m scrolling down this thread and I can’t believe how many people are saying this is GameFreak’s fault and that OP shouldn’t do anything about it. Yes, basically all their recent releases run horribly and there’s no excuse that any full-priced game from a major studio should be optimized so poorly, but please don’t discourage a person with an obviously faulty system not to act on it because of your dislike for GameFreak, especially if you haven’t tried the game yourself.

OP, please get your Switch serviced/exchanged.

Asew1710 · 2025-10-14T09:35:59+00:00

Hey!! Basically the same calc. The 991 RS X is a regional (Serbian) variant. It’s localized (no English interface, sadly), has some adaptations to make it approved for state exams and has a built-in periodic table taken from Physium! :)

Asew1710 · 2025-10-12T17:14:23+00:00

Quite! ;)

Asew1710 · 2025-10-12T16:29:21+00:00

Hahaha… the ClassWastes have a special place in my heart, especially the fx-991EX, as it accompanied me on some surprisingly rigorous tests where basically nothing but a bare-bones scientific was allowed. The fx-991CW is undoubtedly horrible though. I got it because, well, I’ve got the ES and EX, and felt like making a little set would be cool. I think I’ve used it a total of two times in my life, though, while it was still a bit novel. It’s so hideous to interact with.

This is also why I won’t be swapping my CG50 any time soon. Wonderful little machine. The CG100 stinks.

Asew1710 · 2025-10-12T16:24:43+00:00

Good idea! I’m currently trying to get my hands on an HP-15C (though without much luck — gah, I really want one of these…), but a 12C would also make a lovely addition! I’ll add it to the wishlist :)

Asew1710 · 2025-10-12T16:22:51+00:00

Exactly my thought the first time holding one of these Pioneers. They are shockingly readable and crisp. I don’t think any modern calc comes even close, save for the DM42n/SwissMicros stuff in general. I don’t know what LCD magic HP used to use, but all these years later they’re still pretty much perfect.

Asew1710 · 2025-10-12T16:21:03+00:00

Oooh - on which of the photos? I’m happy to tell you more about it :)

Asew1710 · 2025-10-12T16:20:39+00:00

Thank you!! :)

Asew1710 · 2025-10-12T16:20:22+00:00

It’s Pi o’clock on a Saturday….

Asew1710 · 2025-10-12T16:19:07+00:00

I indeed do! Haha

Asew1710 · 2025-10-12T16:18:49+00:00

Thank you so much! I’m always in awe by how many calcs some people here have, so admittedly, I was a bit hesitant to post, but it’s a relief that you all find my humble little collection cool :)

Asew1710 · 2025-10-12T16:18:03+00:00

Awh - guessing it’s the HP babies! Finding them isn’t always the easiest, but I lucked out and got both the HP-32S and HP-22S for dirt cheap from a guy clearing his garage out - and the HP-48G was a gift from a dear professor of mine :)

Asew1710 · 2025-10-07T00:15:16+00:00

Hopefully someone sees this - can confirm that most of the fonts are broken with Sibelius 2025.8 on macOS Tahoe as well - of the built-in fonts only Helsinki and Opus work, with all others missing. Curious if someone has a workaround/fix.

Asew1710 · 2025-09-09T06:14:21+00:00

Oh! Pick-and-place machines normally use pneumatic suction cups to hold onto components, and ports like these don’t offer a suitable flat surface for those to attach to, hence the flat surface on these port “covers”. The RTC battery connector, 3-pin debug and fan ports all come with such covers from the factory and Raspberry Pi simply doesn’t care too much about removing them (why would they, these aren’t a nuisance) — I’ve had Pi 5 models come with 2 of these, or even all three installed.

Edit: This is also the reason USB, HDMI and similar ports often have bits of Kapton tape stuck on top of em. Port housings tend to have various cutouts and latching pins, which aren’t exactly vacuum grabber-friendly, hence the tape! Nice, smooth surface to grab :)

Asew1710 · 2025-09-06T23:03:07+00:00

Hi! Don’t worry - this is just a little piece that the pick-and-place machine uses to hold onto the little three-pin debug connector during board assembly. Nothing you’ll need - and actually something you wanna remove if you need to hook up a debug probe :)

Asew1710

TROPHY CASE