How much would you pay for a device with about 500 kB of memory and a 96 x 64-pixel monochrome display? Note that's a “k” before the “B” for bytes, and there isn't even a “k” (let alone an “M”) before “pixel.”
You're unlikely to be interested in such a device at any price—unless you have school-age children. Texas Instruments is able to command upwards of $100 for such a device, according to Matt McFarland writing in the Washington Post. TI is able to charge a premium, he writes, because the company has “…essentially a monopoly on graphing calculator usage in classrooms….”
McFarland quotes Barclays analyst Blayne Curtis as saying of the TI-84 Plus, “Compared to other electronics this day and age there is very little content—plastic case, small black and white screen, two semiconductor chips.” He puts the manufacturing cost at $15 to $20, with TI reaping a profit margin of over 50%, vs. 3% for PC makers.
Casio makes a lower cost competitor for the TI calculator, but teachers are hesitant to risk a learning curve to switch to a different device—especially with parents picking up the tab, writes McFarland.
Why not just switch to a smartphone or tablet with a graphing calculator app? Administrators of exams like SAT and ACT don't allow test takers to use high-power computing devices. The graphing calculator's lack of horsepower is an advantage in that regard.
