Survey posted 2006-05-09 05:50 by Jon.

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I only upgrade my 83+'s OS when there's a program that won't work with the current one (which has only happened once). Otherwise, it's just not really worth it.

Same.

My only Flash calculator at present is the (original) TI-89, and unfortunately, it appears that TI doesn't make software upgrades for it anymore.

Back when they released version 2.08 (or 2.09 or whatever it was), I upgraded because I was excited about the new clock feature. I had some ideas of some useful clock-based programs to make. I read about some of the complaints some users made about the new features, but I didn't feel it was a big issue for me, so I upgraded and liked the new version.

If a new version comes out, I believe I do tend to read what others say first. If a lot of users report a major problem, I probably wouldn't upgrade, or I would try the upgrade with caution and be prepared to go back to my original version if I encounter the problem.

I usually upgrade within days, if not hours. The only time I've ever retrograded was with 83+ OS 1.15, as it was so very buggy. I used 1.14 until 1.16 came out.

That's pretty much what I'm doing with the new TI-83+ 1.19 OS. I'm sticking with 1.18 for now... 1.18 seems to be the most stable I've used so far. I read about some of the ASM, applications (like PuzzPack), graphics glitches, and a few other things, and I'm not about to go screwing around with the OS just yet...

Oh yeah, and my vote (obviously if you read my post) was: "Yes, but after I hear what people think of it"

But 1.19 doesn't break your calc. such that you have to pay $50 to send it back to TI and get it fixed.

I upgraded to 1.19 and it works just fine. But then, I haven't had any problems with OSes being buggy.

so if TI makes an OS that screws up you'r calc then you have to pay them $50 to fix it? this sounds like an incentive to make bad software.

No--that's only something that casio might do; never ti.
people would stop buying ti calcs if they only released bad software.

I only upgraded my 84+SE to 2.30, when I first learned about updating OS's. Since then, there has been no reason to mess with my OS (since it deletes some archive/unarchived) programs.

I might update to 2.50 :D when it comes out, since by then TI will have a glitch that makes your calc sprout wings!

A flying calculator... can you give me that OS?

I think that feature only works when you link your calculator with a pig... maybe they'll fix that in 2.51.

A glitch? No, a feature. That way they won't hit the ground when you drop them.

well, we wont ever know since TI won't mention it on their site as a feature :D

Fortunately, by the time 2.51 comes out fixing it, it will have been made into an app and ported for previous versions!!! :D

woot woot. I upgrade when Im feeling unlazy and dont have any projects to work on.

There is really no need to use it unless you really like calculators. (I do)

as do I....as do I (see link...)

of course even then there isn't really any need to.

who was stupid enough to put, "i dont own a calculator with a flash rom?"

Ummm, somebody who owns an 80, 81, 82, 83, 85, 86, or 92: ie, just under half of all the calcs TI's made. Only the 73, 83/84 +/SE, 89(Ti), 92+, and v200 are Flash upgradeable.

So they weren't stupid.

i wasnt talking about whether they were upgradeable

Yes, you were. If the calc. is upgradeable, it has Flash ROM. If it has Flash ROM, it is upgradeable. If it doesn't it isn't, and if it isn't, it doesn't. That simple.

All calcs have RAM, but not necessarily Flash ROM. Flash is only in the upgradable calcs.... It's not like computers where having an HDD along with RAM is required.

how do you upgrade the OS on an 82 then?

I could have sworn you could....

You can't. It's permanently burned into the ROM.

what a primitive way of doing things

:-p

What if you don't need upgrades? (Except for being able to write your own OS for the calc, I don't really see it as a big deal)

Most of the established community members started on a flashless calc like the 83, 82, or 85. My very first calc was a TI-83, which I used for about three or four years before I got an 83+,

Not without a soldering iron and screwdriver...

The requisite "dumb" choice is the "I didn't know you could do that" one.

Exactly.

I agree, who on ticalc.org would not know how to upgrade the OS.

Newbies. I got my 83+ with 1.12 on it, and I didn't realize you could upgrade it until 1.14 came out.

But I knew within a day of getting my 83 that I could upgrade just about anything. All I had to do was find people to get upgrades from, because I didn't want my calc to be the test for whatever it was that I was upgrading.

Eh. I'da upgraded you. Whenever anybody asked me for games, I'd update their OS, their MirageOS, give them Symbolic and Omnicalc, and then give them the games they requested.

Hey, that's exactly what I do as well! Except people are not usually specific about what games they want. The conversation usually goes like so:

"Hey, do you have some games on your calculator?"
"Yeah, about 40 of them"
"Could you give me some?"
"Sure. Just pass me your calc"
[5 minutes later, after handing the calculator back with MirageOS, Symbolic, Omnicalc and as many games as could fit in the calc's archive]
"Cool, thanks!"
"Don't forget to run Omnicalc after every RAM clear so that its features keep working. And make sure the APPVAR omnicalc is archived, as well"
"Huh?"

What about programs that you've written? I give people about thirty helpful programs (such as one that will calculate the altitude of an airplane in miles, if you input the air pressure at sea level and the air pressure outside of the plane), group most of them, and tell them that they have to learn ti basic. they ask me why, and I respond by showing them how to use the menus do find commands and telling them what the commands mean.