This was mentioned earlier today in #cemetech, but I figured I'd make a post so we can get some discussion going on the forum.

The Zero Calculator has been in development for some time now (originally planned for release in 2022), and it is finally available for pre-order here. With a pre-order price of $89.99 USD ($40 deposit + $49.99 charged at shipping), the current price is certainly competitive with the list price of a new TI-84 Plus CE in America. However, the listed full price of $114.99 is decidedly less competitive, roughly matching Amazon's current price for a CE - and that doesn't even take into account the numerous used listings available for significantly cheaper. It remains to be seen whether Zero can make any sort of dent in TI's near-monopoly in the US, but actually releasing a product is certainly a step in the right direction!

If you're curious but aren't interested in pre-ordering, Zero also has put out an online emulator, allowing you to try it for yourself: https://zgc4.zerocalculators.com/.

I personally put in a pre-order as I am generally curious about this device, and the ability to cancel anytime makes it less of a commitment. Will you place (or have you already placed) a pre-order? What interests or excites you about this newcomer in the calculator scene?

Links for more information:
Previous Zero coverage on Cemetech
Various TI-Planet articles covering Zero
Zero documentation and downloads

This really excites me, although I feel like it would never have a chance to make a dent in TI’s rather unfair monopoly on the graphing calculator market. Also, I’m not sure if it’s accepted on standardized tests (SAT, ACT)

I suspect that the high price is because it's a small production run, so they could probably not get as many good deals on parts purchased in bulk, unlike when TI sells and produces several billion TI-84 Plus CE Python calculators. I'm planning to pre-order it although I hope the pre-orders are still up on June 30th since that's when I get enough money to do so (*cough*unless I sell many albums or discographies beforehand*cough*)