Omnimaga

General Discussion => Other Discussions => Miscellaneous => Topic started by: boot2490 on September 26, 2011, 08:22:03 pm

Title: My mini moral dillema
Post by: boot2490 on September 26, 2011, 08:22:03 pm
Good and bad news.
For the school year... my grandparents bout me a TI 84 + SE!!!!
However, the school already provides one, albeit not for games.
My parents didn't know that. They offered me to trade it in for a
TI 89 TITANIUM EDITION!!!!!
But I don't need it. My family is kinda tight with money. I REALLY want one of them because i have only and 83+, but I don't want to take advantage of them like that.
But I could really use EITHER higher model. My grandparents were the one that bought it, and I would chip in, so my parents would only have to pay like $25.
What should I do?
Title: Re: My mini moral dillema
Post by: Darl181 on September 26, 2011, 08:24:44 pm
Well you could always keep the 84 for later times in life (college etc) where they're often required and afaict they don't provide them.  Not for free anyway.
Title: Re: My mini moral dillema
Post by: boot2490 on September 26, 2011, 08:25:34 pm
84 or 89? (answer in poll)
Title: Re: My mini moral dillema
Post by: Yeong on September 26, 2011, 08:26:10 pm
get ti-89. It will help you a lot through college. (Symbolic math FTW) also, being able to get ti-89 for $25 is rare deal.
Title: Re: My mini moral dillema
Post by: Darl181 on September 26, 2011, 08:26:21 pm
Well I don't exactly like how "pocket it" sounds, but I'd keep the 84, especially since you already have it. :)
Title: Re: My mini moral dillema
Post by: AngelFish on September 26, 2011, 08:28:31 pm
Trade it in for a Prizm. It's cheaper and every bit as powerful as the 84+ (more powerful actually). If you need something more powerful, there's a lot of free computer software available that can help.
Title: Re: My mini moral dillema
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on September 26, 2011, 08:32:03 pm
Get a prizm or 89 maybe, unless the prizm is banned from your school. Else maybe a TI-Nspire touchpad if they're still sold, since almost nobody program for 68K anymore. However I guess it's fine if you get a 89t instead of a 84+, although I hope it doesn't mean you'll quit 84+ dev D:
Title: Re: My mini moral dillema
Post by: boot2490 on September 26, 2011, 08:32:46 pm
So the deal is, I have the opportunity for 90$ staples credit to upgrade, or I could keep the 84. I want to know what calc to keep...
I think 89 might just be out of the question. For a game system and or programming tool, how is the prism? versus the nSpire? I already have a TI 83+ BE, so the 84 + SE might be too small an upgrade, though I could go for elimination, ti boy, and music players :D I need to know which one to get, because trading a 90 dollar calculator for binders and pencils is just out of the question, even if my family lived in the slums. This is a rare and beautiful opportunity and I want to milk it as much as I possibly can. Which calc...
Title: Re: My mini moral dillema
Post by: AngelFish on September 26, 2011, 08:48:59 pm
The Nspire is only slightly less expensive than the 89, so I think that's beyond your budget if I understood the original post. As for the Prizm, it's basically an upgraded version of the 84+ SE with a faster processor, color screen, more memory, and is likely to have a lot more development in time than at present.
Title: Re: My mini moral dillema
Post by: Scipi on September 26, 2011, 08:52:37 pm
If you can, save up the $25 and purchase the 89. Watch out though, some courses in college don't allow high end calcs depending upon the instructor.
Title: Re: My mini moral dillema
Post by: boot2490 on September 26, 2011, 08:54:08 pm
what about a prism? I think that, springing from 90 bucks credit, I can buy almost any calc.
Title: Re: My mini moral dillema
Post by: AngelFish on September 26, 2011, 08:55:38 pm
Prizm: ~$92
TI 84+ SE: ~$129
TI Nspire: ~$150
TI 89 Titantium: ~$150
Title: Re: My mini moral dillema
Post by: boot2490 on September 26, 2011, 08:58:06 pm
So, assuming I pay half of the remainder from 90 (split with my parents)
The most I could pay either 0 (keep se) $1 :D (prism) or 30 for nspire or 89. I can afford any of that at the moment.
The question is: which one is the best game system? what is the best programming tool?
Title: Re: My mini moral dillema
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on September 26, 2011, 09:08:32 pm
Isn't the new Prizm price only temporary, though? I thought it was just a school year start sale until it goes back to $129.99?
Title: Re: My mini moral dillema
Post by: Darl181 on September 26, 2011, 09:15:05 pm
At walmart (at least where I live in the US) they're going for $99 and there's no indication of a sale.  So idk..
Title: Re: My mini moral dillema
Post by: boot2490 on September 26, 2011, 09:17:51 pm
So, what is the best calc for games and programming? (A tiny more weight on games) It seems like I should be looking out for either the 84 SE or one of the new ones (PRISM or nSpire) Because they have better communities and will grow. New ones will have color games... Imagine full color doom... so Which one should I get?
Title: Re: My mini moral dillema
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on September 26, 2011, 10:35:41 pm
84+:
Amount of games: A+
Amount of quality games: B+ (Thanks to low screen res and crappy RAM)
Programmability: A- (lacks C and BASIC is slow ish)
Audience: A+ (Most popular calc series around and can run 83+ games)

89T:
Amount of games: A-
Amount of quality games: A+
Programmability: A- (No Axe Parser, but has C. BASIC isn't as easy as on the 84+ but is less limited)
Audience: F- (Almost nobody use 68K calcs anymore in the community it seems, like the 81, 82, 85 and 86)

Nspire:
Amount of games: C- (B+ if you own two TI-Nspires, one Ndless-compatible and the one with a Lua OS. Otherwise very few games are available)
Amount of quality games: A- (Even more quality than 68K, like nDoom and gbc4nspire, but still in much lower amount)
Programmability: E+ (Lua is all cool, but cannot achieve games like nDoom or GBC emulators. BASIC cannot do decent games for the most part and ASM/C is not available on recent OSes. TI constantly tries to block ASM/C on it)
Audience: D- (declining at an alarming rate since OS 3.0 release that blocked Ndless. Notice how Omni activity dropped a lot compared to September 2010)

Prizm:
Amount of games: F- (only 5 or 6 games, although 9860G BASIC games sometimes work on it, although much slower)
Amount of quality games: D- (Very few of them, although Obliterate is excellent and PrizmCity looks promising)
Programmability: B- (Basic graphics are unbearably slow and Axe is unavailable, but there's more freedom for ASM and C and eventually we might have more languages such as Lua, Java and some sort of Axe hybrid)
Audience: D- Extremely small audience, but slowly growing and might grow even more now that the calc is cheaper than most TI calcs.

9860G:
Amount of games: B- Not a lot of games
Amount of quality games: B+ Quite a good selection of quality add-ins, although most are unfinished
Programmability: BASIC, ASM and C. I think Lua is being developed too. Basic graphing isn't that fast but is much faster than on the Prizm. OS 2.0 has string support like on TI calcs.
Audience: E- Very few  people using them it seems and not alot of people interested in programming for them anymore, except maybe BASIC. However, most BASIC games are Prizm-compatible, which increases their audience slightly.

That's my general view on it, although some people might disagree/agree. I think more people should post their views in overall.
Title: Re: My mini moral dillema
Post by: ztrumpet on September 26, 2011, 10:38:11 pm
So, what is the best calc for games and programming? (A tiny more weight on games)
If these are your criteria, I'd go with the 84+SE all the way.  You won't regret it.
Title: Re: My mini moral dillema
Post by: flyingfisch on September 27, 2011, 11:33:56 am
I say: Spend a bit for a PRIZM or other CASIO Device
Title: Re: My mini moral dillema
Post by: Keoni29 on September 27, 2011, 11:34:42 am
If you want more ram you have to mod the TI. Dunno how :)
Title: Re: My mini moral dillema
Post by: boot2490 on September 27, 2011, 11:34:57 am
Flyingfisch: Of course you say that :P they don't seem like they are that good atm...
Why should I get one?
Title: Re: My mini moral dillema
Post by: aeTIos on September 27, 2011, 11:37:30 am
get 84+ SE
Title: Re: My mini moral dillema
Post by: flyingfisch on September 27, 2011, 11:42:45 am
Actually, get an fx-9750GII and hack it. ;)

Reason:

Price: >$50
Title: Re: My mini moral dillema
Post by: boot2490 on September 27, 2011, 11:44:30 am
What are the benifits of CASIO calcs?
Title: Re: My mini moral dillema
Post by: flyingfisch on September 27, 2011, 12:14:01 pm
They don't crash..... lol

Pros:
actual math is speedier than TI.
They can up/downgrade without a problem unless you live in france.
I have not heard of one casio calc having an unwanted RAM, ROM, or memory clear.
I have not heard of a case where a casio calc crashed.

Cons:
Drawing speed is slower
Not as much activity (although I am trying to change that)
They are not as widely supported in schools, particularly American schools. (however, many of the functions are almost Identical to TI's, so it is not too difficult to transition.)
Title: Re: My mini moral dillema
Post by: Scipi on September 27, 2011, 12:16:46 pm
There is another option, though requires a bit of patience and faith in UberSpire, but you could wait until the UberGFX is finished and purchase that. If it's still being developed that is.
Title: Re: My mini moral dillema
Post by: flyingfisch on September 27, 2011, 12:19:29 pm
Oh, yes.... Thats another great option (if you have enough $$$)
Title: Re: My mini moral dillema
Post by: Yeong on September 27, 2011, 01:04:29 pm
They don't crash..... lol

Pros:
actual math is speedier than TI.
They can up/downgrade without a problem unless you live in france.
I have not heard of one casio calc having an unwanted RAM, ROM, or memory clear.
I have not heard of a case where a casio calc crashed.

Cons:
Drawing speed is slower
Not as much activity (although I am trying to change that)
They are not as widely supported in schools, particularly American schools. (however, many of the functions are almost Identical to TI's, so it is not too difficult to transition.)
Really? My fx-9750g crashed frequently... XP
(one of the reason that I bought ti-83+)
Title: Re: My mini moral dillema
Post by: flyingfisch on September 27, 2011, 01:14:40 pm
Well, thats the first I heard of a casio calc crashing...
Title: Re: My mini moral dillema
Post by: Yeong on September 27, 2011, 01:19:01 pm
Well, thats the first I heard of a casio calc crashing...
maybe mine was defective XP