Survey posted 2000-03-25 19:17 by Andy.

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Color would be good. compatible would be good. memory would be good. speed would be good. resolution is ok. but not too big, so it could be handy and used in class.

I think a good idea for the next survey would be what calculator do you have
82/83
85/86
89/92/92p
other

What about the people with more than one calculator or even all the calculators?
A better question might be:
What calculator do you use the most?
82 83 83+ 85 86 89 92 92+ Other

Once I got my 89 my 82 is just deadweigt, and my 85 I use for programming.

yes , that's right . I own a Casio 6300 , 9850G , and a TI89 . I think I don't remember where are my casios
now...

You forgot our "friends" ( :) ) the 80 and the 81! Got to love that blue casing on the 81.

Oh man... I remember getting my 81 back in jr. high, circa '92/'93. Until I got my 89 just a couple months ago, that was still my current calc! Strange how it looks so stone-age to me now ;) Did come up w/ some nifty-lookin' graphic progs for it, tho...

Or, you can just query the accounts database...

Alright i changed the suggestion

What calc do you use most

73/80/81 (stone age)
82/83 (copper and bronze)
85/86 (silver)
89/92/92p (gold)
casio/hp (moondust (not from earth [ti] as others were))

that is not a crack on hp/casio.. :)

What about 83+? I have an 83+ and an 85 and I consider the 83+ the better calculator.

I voted for more memory because I think that memory is the limiting factor in many games. If calculators had more memory, games could be more graphical, have a better plot, and have more levels. An assembly RPG that I'm currently working on (see my website) is going to be several parts because I couldn't fit everything into it.

For math purposes, I think that a faster CPU would be best, but everyone knows calculators are for games.

That's why I voted for more memory.

While I agree more memory. Games, I don't own any games for my calculators (except my HP-48GX has a mine game built in). The first and last game I wrote was in TI-BASIC on a TI-99/4 (not the 4A) in 1983, a version of TIC-TAC-TOE. I own a number of games for the TI/99-4A. Most on modules. I like the graphics. I have little interest in playing them. Now a hand held TI-99/4A with color graphics and yes, a game module port. Now that would be great. But then why bother. Buy a game boy.... All criticism aside, writting games is fun and very good way to learn programming.

1983 dang how old are you. you programed that before i was even born. Dang oh well check out my website it has some cool additions you can make to your calc to help speed it up and to add more mem.

;-)
~don't let the man bring you down

I think it's an unfair survey because I'd get crasy if just one of things were upgraded!
I voted on color display though because I belive it can be done without raising the prises 100$ or anything like that.
At least NINTENDO could.

You all make some very valid points, but I think some of you are missing the boat in some ways.

And now, it's time for a short rundown on why I picked "Compatibility between all ROM/hardware versions:"

1) Color displays and flashy graphics mean nothing if you have no programs to run.
2) A large memory means even less if you have no programs to fill it with.
3) High resolution means very little if you don't have programs to take advantage of it. Aside from graphing purposes, this one is pretty much okay.
4) Faster processors are taken advantage of by things that actually use those extra computations.. like programs. A faster processor is very close to useless if you don't have the programs to take advantage of its benefits.

Aside from the fact that a faster processor would help significantly in mathematical computation, the 89 has gotten pretty damn good with that; I usually don't have to wait more than five seconds when doing any big, long integral or sigma sum.

Basically, my argument comes down to this one undeniable fact:

Every single feature that could possibly enhance an assembly program on your calculator: be it a color display for nice, flashy graphics; or fifty megs of RAM; or whatever else - they all become totally moot and pointless if you.. *GASP* CAN'T RUN THE PROGRAM IN THE FIRST PLACE!!

Please try to keep that in mind :-)

--BlueCalx

"Compatibility between all ROM/hardware versions:"

The problem is fixing known bugs. The ROM is going to change addresses. Hardware is going to change as more economiclal methods of manufacturing the calculators is in place to make them cheaper and better.

The real problem in not compatabilty between TI basic on one calculator (TI-92 to TI-92+). The plus module was in fact one of the fixes. Flash ROM is one of the fixes, to allow the owner to upgrade his ROM without having to buy a new calculator.

The real problem is not following good programing protocols. There are only certain addresses which the ROM maker reserves for software development. If you use any other addresses in ROM its a crap shoot.
TI doesn't have to do this. But they have provided ASM library info for the calculators they made to be supported with ASM, TI-83, TI-86, to name two.

The problem is chiefly bad programming pactices. This is not to say there will never be problems do to bugs in ROM. If you know of a real bug in the ROM let TI know.

I'm not a programmer, so I could be completely wrong, but I would think that if they (TI) alter the ROM in a way that messes up ASM, they could put some type of shortcut that will route everything properly. Sort of how you can move a folder somewhere else on your hard drive, and all you have to do to keep a shortcut to that folder working is to tell it where you moved the folder.

".
4) Faster processors are taken advantage of by things that actually use those extra computations.. like programs. A faster processor is very close to useless if you don't have the programs to take advantage of its benefits.
"

thats a load, do you use your calculator for math functions? ever have eqautions that take awhile? and your calling a faster process next to useless?!?blah blah programs, all you poeple out there, why did you buy the calculator for? games?!?!? crazy foo's

FASTER PROCESSERS!!!!!!!

Without faster processers you couldnt do color at all, or veyr large displays.
Get faster processer first, then more memory, then larger display, then color.

Compatability?!??! Fools... that shouldnt be a choice.
Most compatability problems are because the programer uses something other versions dont have(for the 86)
And the thing with the 92s and stuff is stupid, convert stuff, learn to program, and reprogram

Chop off the assembly code alltogether.
I've seen great programs written in C/C++.

Speaking of which, why don't people write more programs in C/C++. They work on all ROM versions (with a few bugs) and hardware versions too, probably.

And the Quake 3 thing...If you want to play Quake on your 89/92/92+ either get a Xybernaut MA IV or GET A LIFE!

More memory would be very easy for TI to do. Look at Sony's little stick memory cards. You can fit 64 mbit in a something the size of a stick of gum. Within a year this technology should be available for a low price.

uh... try Megabytes!!

> Why don't people write more programs in C/C++

I would love to write C++ programs for my calc, but I don't know where to find a good compiler. Why don't you tell everyone where they can download one? Then there will be plenty of C/C++ programs!