I LOVED the TI calc forums. I got my hands on enough parts (and went to radio shack to get the rest) to make my own cable from the parallel port to the 2.5mm jack they had back then.

I'm still amazed they cost as much now, as they did 30 years ago, but if you just realize you're buying a license for decent computer algebra system (CAS), at least in the ti-85/89/etc models, it kinda makes sense.

Thats how I learned to program : D

Hand typing sheets that my buddy printed because we didnt own a transfer cable.

I did, as well. It was neat learning about programming using those listings.

I also remember being concerned about teachers finding “Drug Wars” on my calculator.

Same. I didn’t know the cables existed I until college. Though typing it all in was its own form of distracting entertainment.