this post was submitted on 21 Jun 2024
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Economics (mander.xyz)
submitted 2 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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[–] [email protected] 120 points 2 months ago (3 children)

You only need a graphing calculator because you're not allowed to use wolfram alpha, desmos, or Matlab. Since you're mandated to use graphing calculators, (sometimes even specific models) there's no incentive to make them cheaper or better since you need to buy them anyway.

[–] [email protected] 69 points 2 months ago (2 children)

Yep, graphing calculators are a forced necessity for school, therefore they can charge anything they want and people will still buy them. This kind of artificial demand causes extreme price inelasticity and is capitalism at its worst.

Same deal with university books, you are forced to buy them so they cost hundreds of dollars, when they could easily be sold at a profit for a quarter of the cost.

[–] [email protected] 23 points 2 months ago (1 children)

And why there's a "new" version every year that just moves things around...

[–] [email protected] 9 points 2 months ago

But there aren't 'new' graphing calculators being required and they don't get worn out that easily. There's a relatively stable amount of people who need one at any given time, so honestly I'd have expected the second hand market to have crashed the market more than it has. There should honestly be multiple times over more graphing calculators in circulation than there is a need for them.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 2 months ago

Yup, free market only incentives competition when it's actually free. Demand monopolys are just as bad as supply ones.

[–] [email protected] 19 points 2 months ago

When I was in school, it was always specific models. They had to limit it to one brand and like 2-3 known good models to prevent the ones that could solve equations.

So there's no reason for TI to ever lower prices.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 2 months ago (1 children)

The incentive Is supposed to be competition among manufacturers, something is preventing that

[–] [email protected] 17 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Schools have lists of approved models for standardized test taking. If students (the largest market) can't use your calculator, making one is probably not going to be profitable.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Case in point: I just looked for graphing calculators on aliexpress and they're like 10 bucks

[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Lol the app on my phone that replicates the TI layout was only $5

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago

If you can get a copy of the ROM, or have access to a real calculator, you can get an emulator rubning actual software for free.