I've finally been able to get my hands on Zero's latest ZGC4 unit and so far and I'd like to share a review with Cemetech and discuss on it!
To start off, the calculator does feel nice to hold. It's not heavy or super bulky, and it's designed in a way where you can quickly jump in to solve those math equations you can't do in your head. The silicone lining around the shell is a nice touch to be more durable during middle and high school so it lasts longer. With it being lighter it won't hit the ground as hard if you were to drop it from your desk or a table if you're doing some homework during lunch. The buttons don't feel as tactile as the TI-84 Plus CE, but at the same time it does make it sound a little bit quieter to push. This may be a positive if you were doing hard-coding around other people so it might annoy them a little bit less.
Off to the software side, the operating system feels similar but different to TI-OS. Entries on the home screen are more organized with the separation of horizontal lines between each one so it feels easier on the eyes to tell apart. The menus feel pretty much the same as TI-OS so it's easy to pick up and understand. Several commands feel "right at home" coming from a TI-84 Plus CE user so you can easily pick up ZeroBasic quicker if you have knowledge of TI-Basic.
Now... all good things must come to an end and now I want to express my gripes on this calculator so far.
With the calculator being at a lower price point at $114.99 ($89.99 discounted on website for ordering), cheaper doesn't always mean better.
The calculator has a softer plastic compared to it's competitor and I have concerns about it's longevity. In the image above, the shell "bends" or "warps" slightly. Another thing I wanted to point out that some of the buttons appear to have a layer of paint over them (such as the 2nd key) and with that in mind I feel like it might show wear quicker. The finish on the calculator scratches easily, I can simply use my fingernail to permanently scratch it. If you want this calculator to look nice for a long time, I would avoid putting it in places where it can easily be scratched.
I also have noticed that the paint on the buttons can easily be scratched off with little effort by my nails.
The blue protective bumper on the calculator does not appear to be glued on and is showing it might not stick on the calculator for a while:
On the software side, there are basic features that are missing that you would have expected for them to be present on the calculator. For example, there is no built-in Python editor which is disappointing. As someone who didn't have access to their own computer throughout middle school, I would be sad if I had a calculator that had the ability to run python but not have a way to make anything on the calculator itself.
Comparing to TI-basic, there are multiple commands that are not present such as
Code:
and
Code:
which hurt the programming experience a little bit if you came from Texas Instruments. I've noticed some bugs in the OS that aren't a huge deal, but bugs like "why wasn't this fixed before releasing the calculator?"
Before ending this review, I just want to point out that I understand the fact that Zero is a relatively new company and just jumping into the graphing calculator market and I do see potential with it. I firmly believe in the future it will be a good contender to Texas Instruments, Casio, Numworks, etc. in the future with further development. However at this time, I would not recommend a Zero calculator to your average student in Junior High, High School, or even college if you are seeking a calculator with graphing software to use for classes, as I would recommend a TI-84 Plus CE off of eBay if you were going to spend ~$90.
My final verdict of the ZGC4 calculator, it is decent for what it is. It gets the job done when it comes to math usage and basic programming, but right now it's not "ripe" for the market and it definitely needs time. It's a good thing to toy around with, but I would not say it is ready for commercial use with school districts especially since it is not ACT or SAT certified yet. Save a bit of money and buy a TI-84 Plus CE Python calculator when you can, it will save you the headache and you get FAR more support than you can with Zero right now.
To start off, the calculator does feel nice to hold. It's not heavy or super bulky, and it's designed in a way where you can quickly jump in to solve those math equations you can't do in your head. The silicone lining around the shell is a nice touch to be more durable during middle and high school so it lasts longer. With it being lighter it won't hit the ground as hard if you were to drop it from your desk or a table if you're doing some homework during lunch. The buttons don't feel as tactile as the TI-84 Plus CE, but at the same time it does make it sound a little bit quieter to push. This may be a positive if you were doing hard-coding around other people so it might annoy them a little bit less.
Off to the software side, the operating system feels similar but different to TI-OS. Entries on the home screen are more organized with the separation of horizontal lines between each one so it feels easier on the eyes to tell apart. The menus feel pretty much the same as TI-OS so it's easy to pick up and understand. Several commands feel "right at home" coming from a TI-84 Plus CE user so you can easily pick up ZeroBasic quicker if you have knowledge of TI-Basic.
Now... all good things must come to an end and now I want to express my gripes on this calculator so far.
With the calculator being at a lower price point at $114.99 ($89.99 discounted on website for ordering), cheaper doesn't always mean better.
The calculator has a softer plastic compared to it's competitor and I have concerns about it's longevity. In the image above, the shell "bends" or "warps" slightly. Another thing I wanted to point out that some of the buttons appear to have a layer of paint over them (such as the 2nd key) and with that in mind I feel like it might show wear quicker. The finish on the calculator scratches easily, I can simply use my fingernail to permanently scratch it. If you want this calculator to look nice for a long time, I would avoid putting it in places where it can easily be scratched.
I also have noticed that the paint on the buttons can easily be scratched off with little effort by my nails.
The blue protective bumper on the calculator does not appear to be glued on and is showing it might not stick on the calculator for a while:
On the software side, there are basic features that are missing that you would have expected for them to be present on the calculator. For example, there is no built-in Python editor which is disappointing. As someone who didn't have access to their own computer throughout middle school, I would be sad if I had a calculator that had the ability to run python but not have a way to make anything on the calculator itself.
Comparing to TI-basic, there are multiple commands that are not present such as
Code:
LblCode:
GotoBefore ending this review, I just want to point out that I understand the fact that Zero is a relatively new company and just jumping into the graphing calculator market and I do see potential with it. I firmly believe in the future it will be a good contender to Texas Instruments, Casio, Numworks, etc. in the future with further development. However at this time, I would not recommend a Zero calculator to your average student in Junior High, High School, or even college if you are seeking a calculator with graphing software to use for classes, as I would recommend a TI-84 Plus CE off of eBay if you were going to spend ~$90.
My final verdict of the ZGC4 calculator, it is decent for what it is. It gets the job done when it comes to math usage and basic programming, but right now it's not "ripe" for the market and it definitely needs time. It's a good thing to toy around with, but I would not say it is ready for commercial use with school districts especially since it is not ACT or SAT certified yet. Save a bit of money and buy a TI-84 Plus CE Python calculator when you can, it will save you the headache and you get FAR more support than you can with Zero right now.
