TI, Texas Instruments, distributes a variety of machines, their most interesting ones being their graphing calculators. So far Texas Instruments has released the TI-81, the TI-85, the TI-82 and, more recently, the 80, 92 and 83, with the 80 being their least advanced and the 92 being their most.
Not much; I've aimed to provide general information on TI calculators and resources available; several other pages perform a similar task...
As I said above, I aim to provide answers to some frequently asked questions. Besides this, I'm also planning to have a file archive for TI-BASIC programs I've created on the 85 and 92 (the two models I own). Most of these files will also be available at ticalc.org.
The TI-82, 83, 85 and 92 all have the ability to hook up with the CBL, or Calculator Based Laboratory; with it, you can measure light, sound and a variety of other things, all very useful for science experiments and labs throughout middle and high school. With the right programs (see the mailing list section below if you'd like to join the developers list) the possibilities are endless.
The TI Graph-Link is perhaps TI's most popular accessory, allowing users to transfer programs, text files, group files, memory backups, etc. to and from their computers. It's a terrific accessory that not only saves users time if they need to type in programs, but allows for ASM programming on the 85 (through the Zshell backup file). All this power comes at a steep price, however; right now, the cheapest price is $45, from Advantage Marketing. This price has led some people to build their own links, and a variety of instructions are floating around on the 'Net.
Here are some links that should help you get started:
Quite a while ago, a young man named Dan Eble found a way to tap into the raw power of the TI-85's blazing 6 MHz processor via a modified backup file. ZShell was born, and soon after came many routines, programs and web pages devoted to this awesome accomplishment. Nowadays ZShell (currently up to version 4.0) is updated by Rob Taylor and Magnus Hagander.
ASM is currently available on the TI-85 and 83 (the 83's ASM support was built in by TI, and specs have been released); a 92 program similar to ZShell (MShell or Fargo) is in the works, and is being developed by Dan Eble, David Ellsworth and Rob Taylor.
Zshell is the current standard in ASM shells for the TI-85. Programs for it as well as the actual shell can be found at http://www.ticalc.org (or ftp there at ftp.ticalc.org). Note that Zshell 4.0 works with all known TI-85 ROM versions except for 2.0.
As mentioned above, TI themselves offers partial support for TI-83 ASM programming; go to http://www.ti.com/calc/docs/83asm.htm for more information.
When it comes to web pages, there aren't many names you need to know. Just recently the biggest TI calculator site opened, ticalc.org; there you'll find programs and utilities galore to satisfy all your TI calculator cravings. It's really a monumental site! Other notable web sites include:
There are several TI ftp, http and gopher sites with plenty to offer; here are just a few:
Currently there are two "web"zines that cover TI calculators; the first is the more
general TI-GCM, or TI Graphing Calculator Magazine.
The TI-CGM has reviews of new Zshell programs, information on current hot topics (like building your own radio transfer link) and more! The latest issue, as well as several back issues, can be found at http://users.aol.com/timagazine/.
The second is ZGuide, a great publication (formerly edited by Matt Bathje; now edited by Ashu Chatuverdi) with previews and screen shots of upcoming Zshell games and technical information for both experienced developers and those just starting off. You can find ZGuide at http://www.oocities.org/SiliconValley/Park/1734/zguide_home.html.
One of the best resources for on the spot troubleshooting and advice is the #calc-ti IRC channel on EfNet (irc.ionet.net, irc.cris.com, etc.). I (PaulP) owe a lot to several of the people there: DeLorean, Whimsy, AmyCalc, Pearljam, MattH, _MBM, piper1 and others I probably forgot to mention. Thanks guys!