I think Casio graphing calculators are horrible. They only cost about $50 so I know they aren't that good. Plus it's just the color screen that's so pointless. They have no use with a 3 bit color screen for a graphing calculator with not that good of functionality. I did see that Patrick Davidson made Phoenix for one though.

HP calculators are alright but they are just a little to powerful and I don't think they have such a variety of programs as TI calculators do since so many more people use them (I think). The HP-45's (I think it's called that) 512k memory is just a little too much for a calculator with not that many programs. I might be wrong on some of this information but...yea.

color screen would be useful on Ti calcs for graphing and games.

yes i could finally enjoy graphical programming

Too bad V400 didn't come out. *sniff*

LOL... you know, I bet so many people e-mailed TI about that prank that they might consider it.

But who could afford it?

I'd save money for 10 yearss if I had to! (Well, maybe not THAT long :p )

Well, in 10 years they will have a calculator much better. For example, the TI-80 was made in 1990 and compare it to one of the newer calculators made recently.

So, it's still better than all the other calculators right now, and in ten years it will prolly be the cheapest of the rest :-D

So, I'll just start saving until a new one comes out <me>that I can afford!!</me>

The TI-80!? :) What about my TI-82 and the TI-89 that some @$#$@$@$@#$ stole from me?

Well, it's getting close to a limited lap top... think about how much they cost.

You know how much memory that will take up if you use color for games?
A lot!

I don't think so. I could be wrong, but if you have a calc with a color screen, then you would only have to tell it what color to display here and so on. I don't think it would use a lot of memory.

It actually does. The software has to control a lot more complicated hardware stuff and those doohickeys. I asked my dad, a very experienced programer.

I think it would be slower because if the calculator can function to display more than one color, then unless the processor changes, then I think it would be slower.

Voyage 400 processor speed: 166 MHz
Voyage 200 processor speed: 10 MHz

Of course, the V400 isn't real :(

66 MHz, not 166 MHz.

Same difference

((66MHz = 166MHz) = [infinity]MHz) iff (Calculator.Exists = False)

printf("That\'s a strange language.\n");

166Mhz is faster than the old DOS computers we have at school that we use for QBASIC. (ha!) I think they're 100Mhz.

166Mhz is faster than a Pentium 1 Pentium processors started at 75 Mhz wich came out in 1993 widows 3.1 came out in 1992, something that i doubt many of you remember(i remember when we got windows for our computer, i thought that i would be able to see the insides) In the time before this you were in the world of DOS a great time when processors like the 286(12Mhz) or the 386(40Mhz) were king If you were on a machine that was really a DOS machine it would be in this range 100mhz would have been as cool as 10 or 100 Ghz sounds today.

lets just say there is color(the rainbow colors+white+black+3 step gray)

each number/letter could be a color

0=off
1=black
g1=light gray
g2=middle gray
g3=dark gray
r=red
o(oh)=orange
y=yellow
g=green
b=blue
p=purple

and then sprites would be like

01110
1rrr1
1rrr1
01110;a circle filled w red

*this is just an idea

The color screen makes the calculator run too slow in programs. I'm not sure why but I think the calc has to write each pixel once for every color. That is what I'm told anyway. However, they are good for lists, matrices, and quadratic/expontial equations but they lack in every other way.

Yeah, but game boy color was a z80 running at about 3,84MHz I think still it was powerfull enough for games, If TI would make a Color calculator they would add a graphics chip as game boy color had, and the games would not run slowly, they would run even quicker

Maybe that was the mistake that Casio made: weak processor.

Game Boy Colors only run fast because the game carterage stores the game in machine code, so the Game Boy does not need to interepret thousands of lines of code like a TI calculator. Basically, all GBC games are already written in HEX or Binary, so they consiquently execute very quickly. Also, memory is not a problem because the amount of memory needed for a GBC game is stored on the carterage, not the platform. Additionally, the only information the Game Boy deals with is the game information, and that's it.

TI Calculators, on the other hand, are faster, but slower in program execution because the unit is self-contained, meaning that the calculator's chip does not only deal with the program instructions, but the interpreter instructions and the OS instructions, and the memory allocation. Since there is a lot more going on in a TI Calculator than in a Game Boy, the TI calculator will run more slowly because it was not designed to handle gaming like the GBC.

Assembly is in binary. It's just made in a language but then transformed into binary afterward. BASIC does follow your thought though.

All languages that are compiled (and not run by an interpreter) are translated to binary, I think. (right?)
BASIC is read by an interpreter, so it's slow :(

Yes. Some languages like C, C++, assembly, Pascal, Visual BASIC, and other newer languages are compiled ahead of time but older languages like Java Script and BASIC are compiled in real time so they are slow, just like TI BASIC.

I know... javascript is slow *cry* I'm doing a math project in it... it has to create lots of DIV tags (over 100) for data points on a graph... it's sickeningly slow... and then I have one that dispalys them all and sorts them... it takes about 15 seconds. If you use large for loops in JS, it crashes. >:(

That's what I meant, BASIC is compiled in real time.

!!!<excel code>
=if(code="hex","faster games","slower games")
<!-- well now that ive got that crp outa my system -->

Why not compile games in hex? instead of assembly?
if this is a strange question(s) then refer to my profile!

TI wouldn't do stuff to improve gaming quality. The programability is meant for mathamatical programs, not stuff to pass time in class. Don't get me wrong, I'm not dissagreeing with you.

Tell me, then, what getKey's function is. -_^

Press 1-4 to make your choice.
1) Quadratic Formula
2) Area of triangle
3) 1+1=?
4) Quit

Advanced menus, perhaps? I guess if they didn't have any gaming ability then people wouldn't buy them (as much). I find that odd though... they place a block on programs >24K on the TI-89, and on the TI-83+SE, they ADVERTISE puzzpack. Wat up wit dat?

Puzzpack isn't made by TI.

I know... but they advertise it because it comes with the 83+se's. And yet, they still seem to disapprove of games on the TI-89 (the size limit), so they contradict themselves.

I have this friend who has a Casio. Another friend and I, who both have TI-83 Pluses, are always telling him, "It's not a calculator, it's a Casio." What a lousy piece of machinery! Casios are nearly impossible to program on and the interfacing is confusing. I have no experience with HP calculators, but even so, it's clear to me that TI is the only game in town.

the 89 isnt a calculator either, it is God

All your base are belong to TI-89!

all of everything belongs to 89, hence god owns everything, yet nothing, humm, i am going to have to think about that one. lol

ohh well ti-89 is the best calculator ever.

nedded to have more ROM more RAM, and to run at 15MHz, then it would be perfect I sugest TI89 SE, it could came in that cool case of policarbonate as the TI83+SE comes, heheheheh so much fun, policarbonate is the thing used to make bullet-proof glass, so its very resistant mine has fallen to the ground a few times and it hasn't a scratch on it, also its very good to beat someone... as it realy hurts

I remember hearing a story on here about somebody who attacked someone with their calcualtor (in self-defense).

I think maybe you need more RAM and no more ROM because the idea of storing programs in the ROM isn't very good. My friends TI-83 plus's ROM got destroyed once from it.
Even though policarbonate is strong, it won't reduce the chance of internal equipment being destroyed that much because the stuff inside still shakes around.

1) Yup, FLASH ROM does wear out. If you want, turn off "Allow write-back in archived programs" in MirageOS. Or, run everything from APPs :)
I'm pushing for ruining it by the end of next year for a free replacement under warrantee. (At my school, if you buy it through school, you get a 2 year warantee :) )

2) That stuff is packed in there tight! Held securely in place too! Ever look in one? (I did, now I have a "MODNIM" button instead of a "WINDOW" button (turn your monitor upside-down... ok, maybe your calc would've been easier :p ) :\ )

Why the hell did I spell waranty with 2 e's instead of a y?...

because the warantee is a 2-year guaranteeeeee. :)

Your name sounds like a kid's search engine-eeeeeeeeee!

I hope my TI-89 flash ROM doesn't wear out (but I need to worry about getting it back first)

It will wear out eventually. As long as you keep storing stuff in it and having stuff being copied out of it. I recommend using you're RAM to the full extent and storing stuff in flash as a last resort or something. Think of the flash ROM as not being there and limit yourself to just RAM.

Darn ;-) I'm constantly archiving and unarchiving. I'm afraid of crashes. Now, I'm afraid that it's going to be hard to get my 89 back.

How many other people have had a calculator stolen from them? *idea* That could be a survey...