Remember Your Old Graphing Calculator

 “Remember Your Old Graphing Calculator”

        The start of a new school year means yet another group of students will be buying a $100 calculator that is older than they are. Originally released in 1996, the TI-83 graphing calculator made by Texas Instruments will be 20 years old this year. In 1996 when the Ti-83 made its debut, Google was a newly formed company and cell phones had external antennas. Despite their age, during the 2013-2014 school year, Texas Instruments products accounted for a monopolistic 93% of all graphing calculators. The Washington Post estimates that it costs Texas Instruments $15 to $20 to produce a single graphing calculator, yet they still retail for $100, achieving a profit margin of over 50% 20 years later.  

        Texas Instruments calculators have become fundamental in mathematic instruction in the U.S. because the company has allocated a massive amount of resources into integrating its calculators into math curriculums and textbooks (many feature images of TI-series calculators). Texas Instruments also has an organization within the company called Teachers Teaching for Technology, which offers hotlines and yearly conferences to educate teachers how to properly use the calculators. Additionally, TI-series calculators dominate the list of approved calculators for use on standardized tests, creating a need for students to be familiar with their interface. Opponents would argue that Texas Instruments graphing calculators are too expensive for being released 20 years ago, have a long learning curve and are starting to show their age, despite sales still holding steady.  

        It is clear that Texas Instruments owns the graphing calculator market, but times are changing. Recently, the Eanes School District in Texas approved a pilot program to use iPads installed with a new application called Desmos—an application for mobile devices and computers which has all the functions of the TI-series calculators but is free to students and teachers. In the coming years, Desmos CEO Eli Lubernoff says they will be starting pilot programs in Quebec and Ontario as well. Studies show that, while students overwhelmingly prefer the standard TI-series calculators to Desmos, all participating teachers defaulted to an app. Desmos is facing an uphill battle to dethrone Texas Instruments, but by offering simplified products that are free to both students and teachers, Desmos may be able to change the industry.