Texas Instruments TI-92 Handheld Electronic Calculator

This programmable, handheld, symbolic graphing electronic calculator has a black plastic case and cover. An alphabetic (qwerty) keyboard is on the bottom left, and a numeric keyboard like that of an ordinary electronic calculator is on the right. The display is above the alphabetic keyboard and function keys are on both sides of it. These function keys operate a toolbar on the screen that brings up pull-down menus on the screen. For example, pushing the F2 function key brings up such “algebra” commands as solve, factor, expand, zeroes, approximation, common denominator, proper fraction, trigonometry, complex, and extract. It is possible to split the display, showing, for example, functions on one side and their graphs on the other.

There is a connection for a cord, but no cord.

A mark on the back reads: TEXAS (/) INSTRUMENTS (/) V0116515 I-0995 (/) MADE IN TAIWAN R.O.C. Moving a lever on the top edge makes it possible to change the four AA batteries. There is also a backup battery of style CR2032.

The TI-92 incorporated the symbolic algebra software DERIVE and the geometry package CABRI.

This TI-92 was owned by Harvard University mathematician Andrew Gleason.

References:

“What’s in a Name?,” Washington Post, July 10, 1995, p. 17. New TI-92 at the border between a calculator and a computer. Will sell for about $200. “The slide rule looks more ancient than ever.”

[Advertisement], New York Times, July 25, 1996, p. A19. TI-92 selling for $179.99.

[Advertisement], Washington Post, August 30, 1998, p. AH6. TI-92 selling for $199.99.

John Berry, “TEXAS TI-92, the Calculator with Symbolic Algebra and Cabri,” Mathematics in School, 25 #1, January 1996, pp. 44–47.

Sally Fischbeck, “TI-92 Graphing Calculator,” College Mathematics Journal, 27 #3, May, 1996, pp. 224–230. This article gives a recommended retail price for the calculator of $250.

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