Survey posted 2010-01-02 01:32 by Astrid.

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Seeing as I don't own a 68k calculator, and that I'm not the most active of programmers, I had to vote for the 83/84+(SE) option.

HAPPY 2010 EVERYBODY!!!!!

You didn't _have_ to, but it only made sense. :)

Wow, this survey is once again ever harder than... er, well anyway, this is very close since really, I'm curious and excited about all of them. I ended up voting for PC because I think I just barely find it the most interesting right at the moment, but the 83/83+/84+ one comes extremely close, as does the 68k category. I might even change my mind several times.

People are obviously disappointed with the new nspire/nspire cas calculators being aimed exclusively at the needs of high school teachers so this survey sends a strong message to TI that if they want our business they need to make some changes and do it now. On the other hand, that large snpire screen and fast processor offer the opportunity for games in the super-awesome category. I think TI really wants to sell that calculator and will do what it takes like open up the programing restrictions, add 3D graphing for the math guys, and a color screen, and built in battery charger, all of which means that future POTYs are going to be even more exciting and involve choices between really screemin programs in color! (I can't wait! How about you?)

And built in gameboy emulation!

Seriously though, I have no idea why they won't open up the nspire. The z80 calcs are still popular because of the massive library of programs and games made in good old fashioned z80 ASM.

Thats the thing.

Ti Does NOT want our business. They want a K-12 to buy Nspires by the box load because teachers want something that can't be turned into a Game Boy and don't want to learn something new. (thus the 83 keypad) Higher education be dammed.

If they wanted our business, it would have at least the same command set and capabilities of the 89 and would have the programming capability that college level engineering and science professors are demanding for.

When Vernier, a company that has been using Ti calcs for scientific data collection and analysis for years through their CBL, CBR and LabPro sensors throws in the towel and develops their own device called the LabQuest, you know Ti is doing something wrong.

Sadly, I think you're spot on. As long as TI can convince high schools that their product should be required for high school math and approved for the SAT they're happy.

I did two years of math in high school were I was required to have an 83, and I honestly feel I would have been just fine with a scientific. Just recently I took a college calculus class and never had to use my
(graphing) calculator once. Either what I was doing was "too advanced" or it was basic arithmetic.

The other thing is that allowing us to program our own tools makes their other models obsolete. If the only limitation to what we can do is in the hardware, then giving us the power to program such a powerful hunk of silicon must give them nightmares.

Most math professors you'll find will insist you use nothing more powerful than a scientific calculator.

At the college where I work, they primarily use HP calculators. One professor requires them and actually teaches the programming functions in some of his Math classes. He's even wrote books on programming HP's.

Most teachers and professors want you to know the math in your head, but realistically you're going to use tools (such as a calculator or PC) to speed up the process at some point once the first initial problem is solved.

The flawed strategy of only making only what high school math teachers want and ignoring everyone else's needs and wants isn't working very well. Obviously people are not standing in line to buy an nspire calculator. Yeh, they may be stuborn and hard headed at TI but they really don't have any choice. If nspire is going to be a viable long term product line, TI is going to have to make it appealing to a broader market which includes you and me.

TI-83+/SE/84, because it has always been my favourite series due to the high choice of games, especially RPGs and have owned one of these for almost 9 years.

I am really curious about 68k POTY, tho

Had a time deciding between 83+ & PC.
Voted 83+ because of not having done calculator programs on PC.

Well, most people chose the 83+ for several reasons, the most important of these reasons being that almost everyone has an 83 or 84 Plus.

When more people buy 83/84+ calculators, more people make games for them, and more people buy them because of the games/programs that were made.

What I think TI should do (and I think you'll agree with me) is make calculators (like TI-NSPIRE) that have a built-in Z80 processor so are Z80 compatible. Once they do that, their sales will take off.

But the TI-Nspire doesn't have a Z80 processor...

No, what I'm saying is they should ADD a Z80 processor to the NSPIRE, then more people would buy it. If TI managed to make an NSPIRE compatible with 83+ programs, people would buy more.

Right now more people probably own 83/84+ than NSPIRE or V200 (look it up, I bet it's true).

One version of the TI-Nspire comes with a TI-84+ keypad, and is generally (but not perfectly) compatible with 83+/84+ programs.

There are probably more 83+ and 84+ owners than v200 and nSpire owners combined.