Survey posted 2001-02-22 22:49 by Andy Selle.

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I like to write my own programs, but I also use it a lot for my math, sci, and tech classes.

I build tons of cool games and programs, check us out at
http://olympia.vze.com
or email me at zeuskog@yahoo.com

PLUG! PLUG! Plug plug plug!

-- Nick

NICK DAT WAS DA MOST STUPIDEST THING I EVER READ ON DIS PAGE

Previously, TI-82's were required where I go to school. Then TI-86's. Now TI-89's are required, although I got one before the rules changed. I also happen to have a TI-80 and an HP 49G. Instead of getting ripped off at a store or school I got these calcs brand new off eBay for dirt cheap! Not quite on the subject, but I must say that I just got a funky new TI-82 for $22.55+s/h. I love the new case, but ROM 19.006 is really giving me hell for assembly programs. Does anyone know of an assembly shell for 19.006? Maybe I'll just make one myself…

I just found a new version of CrASH for ROM 19.006, but it does not support ROM calls. Bummer.

TI-89's are *required*? It seems like asking a little too much for people to go out and spend $150+ on a calculator. I'm not talking about enthusiasts, I'm talking about non-enthusiasts who would have only used a scientific calc up to this point.

At my school we only need a scientific, but quite a few kids have 83+'s.

--Darkfire

I can't see why any school where what is taught is actually math and not how to use a calc to do math would require its students to get an 89. I mean, if you want to get the best calc in the world, go ahead and buy an 89, but in the vast majority of math classes, you don't need it; in general, an 83 or 83+ can do anything appearing in high school math. If you're using your 89 for differentiation or integration in a precal or calculus class, you're really not learning anything (hey, I'm guilty, too). The only exception I can think of is maybe if the school had a programming class or something in which it required students to have an 89 for programming purposes. That's a bit of a stretch, though.

First off-topic. Don^t laugh, but the main reason I bought a 92 in 8th grade was not because It was a calculator! I saw this dude with one, typing out his reports in them. So I had to get me one of those. My school requires a graphing calculator starting in 6th, 7th, or 8th grade, depending on the math course. The required 9th grade course is Alegebra 1. 10th grade Geometry, and 11th Adv. Alegebra (e.g. 2). The thing though is that all the dudes and dudettes are all preppy, so 90% of them are a year ahead, and an additional 5% are two years ahead. So you got like a few 8th graders sitting with a lot of 9th graders, and a few 10th graders in Geometry. So those people take IB Precalc in 10th, IB Calc in 11th, and I don^t know what they do in 12th.

Anyway, back semi-on-topic. In 9th and 10th grade my teachers let me use an 92+. Now in 11th, in Algebra 2 (hehe, I^m normal, but with only 3 other 11th graders in a class of 20), my teacher won^t let me. BUT WHAT PISSES ME OFF, SHE LETS PEOPLE USE 89s!!! I tried to explain to her that they can do everything an 92+ can do, and since we have graph links in the computer labs people can send quick wrote text. But... oh well.

Now on-topic. I use my calculator mostly for games and programming a bit. I have one program for the 83/83+ here on ticalc.org. When I^m in math class (50 minutes 4x a week) I use it for math, as well as for homework. I am spreading MirageOS around now to other people, as well as many games. I sent a program called Gas Laws (you can find it here in the archieve) to at least five people, who sent to more people. So it ended up around 75% of my IB Chem I class used it on the last test!

in geometry class we were learning all this stuff and formulas that took a little time to do.
i decided to make a program which would make me work jsut a little less on the formuals and stuff.
i gave it to one person because he asked for it and i thought it wouldnt hurt.
of couse the kid i gave it to gave it to every other person in my school.....
now the math teachers are checking all oour calculators before every test to make sure we dont have any math programs and it really pisses me off

No I am not trying to get a free plug here...but if you are using an 86 I wrote a nice little Fake Mem Clear that your teachers will never detect. Just look for it in 86 asm misc programs. It is called Fake Mem Clear

Can anyone make a nice ASM fake mem clear for 89?

Um, if that is a college he is talking about, $150 would not be much, considering the other expenses.

At first, I used it for gamming purposes, but after a while, I got real and started programming math programs and games, etc. I use it for my math class and doodle on it when I'm bored, and even play some games, but using it for gamming purposes is unrealistic (unless it's Pheonix) and flat out retarded. Surely, you bought your calculator intentionally for reasons other than gamming.

--Nathan Buda

I bought my 83+ for math last year. I didn't even know games were possible on it until two months later. Anyway, now I'm in geometry and I don't use it for math much any more. So, I use it mainly as an organizer and maybe a study aid with the new Study Cards app. Although I have some games, 99.9% of the kids at my school use it only for games and don't even know how to graph a simple function. Yes, it is retarded (yeah Phoenix!).

I can't stand people sho always ask,"Do you have games?". And then there are the people who assume that the only thing you're ever DOING is playing games. But the worst people who are the ones who are CONSTANTLY asking to play games.

I know what you mean. I used to let people play my games, but they just have a tendency to clear my memory "accidentally". And it is very ANNOYING!! If those people want to play games, why don't they just buy a Gameboy? The graphics are better and so are the games. I bought mine to do what it was made for MATH!, not games!!

I've got an 89 with Archive Utility installed. It does a very nice job of restoring anything I had archived after a reset, although the undelete function will occasionally miss a couple files.

What archive utility do you use? The one in the calculator? My calculator always deletes everything after a restart.

Is there such a thing as an archive utility for the TI-86?

Yeah. :P I don't have any games on my calculator any more and if I do, I tell the game players that I don't. That's right. I lie to them ;). There is only a certain point I can take. If I do let them play, I back up all my programs and games I want to keep in case they clear the ram, "accidentally". Speaking of Pheonix, when are new levels coming out?

--Nathan Buda

Doncha hate them? I'm sitting there writing PIC-CRYPT 1.0(a picture encryptor, will be out soon) in Lang Arts, and what do they do? "Playing games, Ryan?"

And then, other people are always going what games do you have? Can I play?

Grrr.

~SirNonya.

Just to let you know, I noticed how your website wasn't working and whois-ed it, (see http://www.gandi.net/ cgi-bin/ whois?domain=alsupsoft.net ) and it appears that it is not registered. I suggest that you stop posting your url or register the domain name soon, because it's not wise to advertise a url of a future site. Someone else could take it.

All done. Go check on it now. I haven't been able to check on these postings, but it was up around 2/20/01.
Thanks for the heed, though ;).
Please tell me what you think.

--Nathan Buda