My first portable computer, the TI-74
By goz
Although I got my first computer that I can call my own, the Atari 800 XL, at Christmas of 1984, it didn’t take long for me to want a portable computer. And that’s where the TI-74 Basicalc came in.
High School
It’s been a while now, so I don’t even remember how I got the TI-74 in the first place. I’m assuming I needed a scientific calculator for school, and it seemed like the coolest, calculator ever. Who couldn’t want a machine that had a full, basic interpreter, build in, along with a QWERTY keyboard!
What is it?
The TI-74 is a portable computer that kind of looks like a calculator and can be used as a calculator, but it is so much more. Along with a keypad on the right side of the keyboard, it has a full qwerty keyboard along with TI basic. There is only one line for the display though, so you have to get creative with your BASIC creations.
I didn’t have a way to save my basic programs from the device, so I would put everything into one big program. Each program would be put in their own block of lines, so one program may be lines 1000-1500, while another program could be 3000-4500. I would have to LIST it to see where each mini program belong. I would then run each program using the GOTO command in immediate mode.
Usage
I got this calculator way before the TI-84 came on to the scene. This allowed me to use the machine for nefarious purposes, such as putting in notes for math tests, or for other classes. No one knew what the device could do, and I wasn’t going to tell them.
The BASIC on the machine is pretty full featured. It even has a few commands, such as the PAUSE command to make it easier to deal with only having one line for the display. If you’ve used TI basic on a TI-99, you would feel pretty much at home.
It was a very cool machine in high school, and still is today. It’s limiting factor was the size of the screen and lack of any sort of graphic capabilities, but it was still fun to use.