>A new TI-89 cost $130 in 1999. A new TI-89 costs $130 today, too!

Luckily you can thrift them for <$5 pretty commonly. In fact, I have a $2 one sitting on the desk next to me right now. So many high school kids buy them new then leave them sitting around until their parents donate them it's silly. I've probably purchased at least two dozen over the years...for my kids, for their friends, and then quite a few I flipped on Ebay for $50-60.

Calculators in general were pretty damned well made in the 1970s/1980s because they were relatively expensive. Or actually expensive, in the 1970s at least. I "collect" (read pile in the closet) old calculators and about 90% of the ones I find work just fine after decades of sitting around. I prefer the LED models from the 70s (esp the blue ones) but have probably three dozen <1990 calculators and they all work great with fresh batteries. Including the programmable Sharp model I bought originally in 1983.

Not so sure many calcs purchased new today would still be working in 30+ years.

Screw them. Mine died in less than two years. I emailed to ask about support, and if they would back their product. They basically told me tough shit.

People should know their products aren't nearly as good as their reputation seems to suggest and that they don't back them up. If that's because they're somehow southern? Screw them just the same.

There are other companies that make better keyboards that back them up. And that don't expect customers to play games with them to get support a month after the warranty expires.

Similar-- about a half-dozen keys just became intermittent. I was so pissed off about their casual "screw you" lack of support I just tossed it aside. Have had many other, better, keyboards since. They are overhyped and won't back up their claim to quality.

>Reveal Codes!

It's still there-- I use WP 16 (I think?) and reveal codes is still the best thing.

Funny, my Unicomp from the same era died after about 18 months. They refused any support after the 12 month warranty. It's still sitting in a closet somewhere at work. Most disappointing KB purchase I can recall in the last 40 years.

Look for thrifted or used coats, then for LL Bean or just plain old Carhart or similar for a work coat. There's no reason to spend $$$ on something to literally wear while splitting wood and there are piles of "used" work coats in thrifts this time of year that have clearly never been worked in at all.

> I just don't understand how people in this sub manage to kill stuff so quickly.

No doubt. My main pair of Keens is now 5-6 years old at least. I suspect some folks are literally owning a single pair of shoes (or whatever) and wearing them every day. I wear my Keens when doing outdoor stuff and other shoes in town.

>Keen

Agreed. Crocs are fine for the grocery store. I wear Keens hiking...never Tevas or Chacos because they don't have a toe box and it's far too easy to ram a stick into your foot or break a toe on a rock or something. Keens do the trick and they last for years.