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Totally agree !

I basically learned to code on a TI-83.

The fact that it's a mobile programming platform is a huge plus as well. I haven't seen anything comparable on smart phones. And a touch screen just can't compete with that keyboard. Even if it is a weird layout.

Underrated device !

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I knew that you could program on a TI-83. But after I was exposed to QBasic on a 586 PC-clone machine, diddling around on a calculator held very little interest. Nothing will ever be able to surpass a real keyboard and mouse.

I had both as a teenager, but ended up spending far more time programming in TI-Basic, only because I could take my TI-83 everywhere. I even got in trouble a few times for trying to sneak it in my suit jacket to formal-ish occasions I didn’t want to be at. And Z80 assembly programming offered an incredibly compelling allure (though I never got past simple programs full of ROM calls).

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