This sounds great, although the TI-Nspire graphics is some big problem, I still don't consider buying one

Agreed on both counts--although the graphics are less of a problem for me as how much longer it takes to enter anything on an Nspire than it does on a Voyage/89.

This is a huge step in the right direction on ti's part. If they can get some graphical routines like pixel and line plotting and such in there, plus some various other things from previous calcs, then the nSpire programming may actually be useful.

I am still not going to buy one until I see something that "wows" me about it's programmability.

The hardware is impressive, but without software capabilities, it's useless.

With the 84+ keypad its compatible which means same programs. just no I/O crap just USB crap.

There was a confusion in my email, when I wrote:

>The new editor has some new features like checking the syntax. On other calcs you have to exit the editor and run the program.

To be clear there is a menu option and you tell the editor to check the syntax. Then it takes you to any mistakes it finds.

Ah, that makes more sense. This is a good feature, it'll be great if TI can make the brackets multi coloured. Umm, there ain't that many brackets anyway, or is there?

Nah, Ti-Npsire uses Ti-basic ( if \ endif ; while \ endwhile ) so there aren't any brackets...

Evil syntax. :(

I don't think you can draw yet, so it's still useless (and I bet Texas Instruments is going to purposely slowed down user programs to stop games, etc).

That sucks
Eventually, users would know the games
They would surely like the games
TI dosen't have games
Some other calc does
TI gets mashed
Hope TI isn't that stupid

Anyway, user programs dosen't just mean games, it gots lots of other things as well. TI is trying to get more money by giving SDKs to undercover agent A and undercover company B, well, if it continues...
The thing is, TI must have some SDKs for the OS, they just don't bother to release it

While I'm sure that TI has their own utilities for Nspire development, the reply to an email that I sent out about two weeks ago said that, in this point in time, there was only "talk" about releasing an SDK.

(the email was sent to TI)

Does anyone know if this update also include the ability to define functions? (e.g. Define Int(func(x),x,a,b)=[nSpire syntax for an integral])

yes. Its been there since the first release. Previously such a define in the entry eqw was the only way to program

So the Nspire CAS has different hardware than the regular Nspire. If the CAS system was soft ware then you could transfer CAS to any inspire so you can still have the dual keyboard feature and run CAS at the same time. or is CAS Built into the OS?

It might not be true, like the operating systems on the TIHW3 and TIHW2, they are similar

The nSpire CAS does not even have the port for the snap in keypad, like the regular nSpire does. So the hardware is drastically different.

Do you mean the TI-89 HW2 and HW3?

Supposedly the new versions of the software will work on Vista. After following their directions the Computer Link software does, but the actual TI-Nspire CAS software refuses to work. I am pretty disappointed in TI for being so behind on Vista compatibility (given that I am using a work issued laptop, I had no choice about the OS I am using).

Vista is going to crash and burn like Windows 2000 did when Windows Vienna comes out. I wouldn't wait up for much Vista compatibility.

I hope ti decides to release an SDK for the nSpire models at least. Since they encrypted the OS on the nSpire, we can't figure out any entry points or useful assembly programming stuff. I discussed this with Brandon W some time ago and we both agreed that the nSpire is probably not going to take off in sales until the programming is fully implemented and the bugs in the operating system are worked out.

TI released this a little too soon, it could still use some polishing up. But they are heading in the right direction finally.

Even though they did release the Nspire family before adding appealing software, they really couldn't afford to put it off any longer. In the past year, I've counted two times that TI has postponed its release.

Well ti really had no reason to release it early because i see no demand for this calc. the 83 series and the 86k calcs did every thing that most people need and if they wanted more they got a laptop. the calculators are becoming more and more like small computers and less like calculators if it isn't easy to do the basic things that you can do on other calcs then why upgrade to something that has more features but they are all hard to use.

Very good points, that's probably why the ti-83+/84+ series is still in production, because in terms of technology, the 68k series over ranks the z80 based calcs, and the nSpire's technological abilities blow ti's entire calc history out of the water.

So a mixture of sales/marketing and popular demand is probably at least partly responsible for the makeup of ti's product line and release schedule, but I imagine a lot of other factors go into it, and they all kind of came together sideways this time.