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Omnimaga => News => Topic started by: critor on February 04, 2013, 01:26:34 pm

Title: TI-83 Plus moves to TI-84 Plus case in France
Post by: critor on February 04, 2013, 01:26:34 pm
TI hasn't finished surprising us with with his latest models in the TI-z80 family, after years of development which seemed to focus only on the TI-Nspire family.

After the TI-84 Plus C Silver Edition which replaces the old TI-84 Plus Silver Edition, it's now the turn of the TI-83 Plus. ;D(http://www.omnimaga.org/Themes/default/images/gpbp_arrow_up.gif)

In France, here is the new TI-83 Plus.fr for back to school 2013: :o
(http://i11.servimg.com/u/f11/13/23/13/53/ti83p210.jpg)

The TI-83 Plus.fr moves to a TI-84 Plus case, but keeps the french keys.

Do you think that it's just a cosmetic change like when the TI-73 Explorer moved from a TI-83 Plus case to a TI-84 Plus case in 2009 without any change to the hardware specifications?
(http://tiplanet.org/forum/gallery/image.php?mode=medium&album_id=9&image_id=885)



Well... This time it seems to be more than that.
Have a better look at the TI-83 Plus.fr image above...
Did you notice? You've got MathPrint! ;D(http://www.omnimaga.org/Themes/default/images/gpbp_arrow_up.gif)

So a new TI-83 Plus OS in perspective?

Or is it just TI-84 hardware with a 2.53/2.55MP OS put in a case labeled TI-83 Plus?
When we think back to the current TI-82 Stats which include TI-83 Plus hardware, it wouldn't be so surprising...



What is sure, is that like they did with the TI-73 Explorer, TI will have to design a new PCB in order to move the mini-Jack I/O port from the bottom to the top.



Source:
http://tiplanet.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=41&t=11214&p=135350&lang=en
Title: Re: TI-83 Plus moves to TI-84 Plus case in France
Post by: DrDnar on February 04, 2013, 01:32:52 pm
MathPrint for the TI-84+ requires at least one extra RAM page. Either the MathPrint code has been refactored a lot, or the new model includes extra RAM like the TI-84+. Perhaps it's actually just based on the existing TI-84-series hardware. That would make sense, because maintaining two separate production lines for the TI-83+ and TI-84+ hardware series costs money. They could even pull a stunt like using a 1 MB flash chip and just programming the OS to hide some archive space so it looks like you have the same amount of archive space as the original TI-83+.
Title: Re: TI-83 Plus moves to TI-84 Plus case in France
Post by: critor on February 04, 2013, 01:49:04 pm
Like it happened with the TI-73 Explorer, TI will have to design a new PCB in order to move the mini-Jack I/O port from the bottom to the top.

So indeed, they can switch the RAM/ROM chips by the same time.
Title: Re: TI-83 Plus moves to TI-84 Plus case in France
Post by: Streetwalrus on February 04, 2013, 01:58:32 pm
Also as I said on TI Planet, it looks like it has a USB port. :P
Title: Re: TI-83 Plus moves to TI-84 Plus case in France
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on February 04, 2013, 02:09:48 pm
Interesting, but I hope that it doesn't break compatibility with old apps or something. Also the look seems pretty similar to the 84 Plus C Silver Edition in overall. I am surprised for a France release because of how inconsistent it is with the TI-84 Pocket.Fr. I would have thought we would see a TI-83 Plus Pocket.Fr or something.

Also I am surprised by this color scheme because I would have expected the calc to have similar colors as the TI-83 Plus like this (fake image):

(http://img.removedfromgame.com/imgs/83predesign.png)

Anyway I wouldn't be surprised if this was actually a TI-84 Plus in disguise (like how the TI-82 Stats is a TI-83 in disguise), but then it wouldn't make much sense as the TI-84 Pocket.Fr was released 1 or 2 years ago. Unless the latter had terrible sales and TI is discontinuing it already?
Title: Re: TI-83 Plus moves to TI-84 Plus case in France
Post by: Stefan Bauwens on February 04, 2013, 02:13:36 pm
It's funny. Why don't they just discontinue the TI-83+ and focus on the TI-84 series?
Title: Re: TI-83 Plus moves to TI-84 Plus case in France
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on February 04, 2013, 02:29:45 pm
I think the issue is that the TI-84 Plus is way too expensive and several of their customers just can't afford it. When most people earn between $8000 and $15000 in yearly income, I think you can have a clue about which calc would those people choose between the $115-145 TI-83 Plus and the $170 TI-84 Plus (after the 15.03% sales taxes). It is even worse now with skyrocketing food prices.
Title: Re: TI-83 Plus moves to TI-84 Plus case in France
Post by: fb39ca4 on February 04, 2013, 05:45:23 pm
Probably wanted to use a single set of molds for all their calculators.
Title: Re: TI-83 Plus moves to TI-84 Plus case in France
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on February 04, 2013, 05:53:42 pm
But if that was the case, then wouldn't they discontinue the TI-84 Pocket.Fr and TI-82 Stats.Fr too?

Also

(http://i11.servimg.com/u/f11/13/23/13/53/ti83p210.jpg)(http://i11.servimg.com/u/f11/13/23/13/53/2013-010.jpg)

That's gonna get confusing ???
Title: Re: TI-83 Plus moves to TI-84 Plus case in France
Post by: Sorunome on February 04, 2013, 06:28:08 pm
It's still more narrow at the bottom....But still interesting ;)
Title: Re: TI-83 Plus moves to TI-84 Plus case in France
Post by: Ranman on February 04, 2013, 07:09:44 pm
Why does TI continue to perpetuate this awful case design!  :banghead:

I hate it!
Title: Re: TI-83 Plus moves to TI-84 Plus case in France
Post by: Sorunome on February 04, 2013, 08:17:12 pm
Yeah, I started loving the 89 (non-titanium) case design too :P
Title: Re: TI-83 Plus moves to TI-84 Plus case in France
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on February 04, 2013, 08:28:08 pm
My favorite is the TI-86. Until a few years ago, it was the TI-83 Plus Silver Edition, but I discovered that after a few years, it becomes a TI-83 Plus Gold Edition, in the same fashion as some SNES consoles and old computers:

(http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3149/2316221124_7516dde51c.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/victorpics/2316221124/)
TI-83 Plus Silver Edition (http://www.flickr.com/photos/victorpics/2316221124/) par Victorrochajr (http://www.flickr.com/people/victorpics/), sur Flickr

(http://cdn.head-fi.org/a/a6/a6f35c87_20100925134504Oxidized-snes.jpg)

My 83+Silver Edition is just ugly, now >.<
Title: Re: TI-83 Plus moves to TI-84 Plus case in France
Post by: Sorunome on February 04, 2013, 08:38:24 pm
Yeah, I like the clear case, makes it look cooler IMO.
Title: Re: TI-83 Plus moves to TI-84 Plus case in France
Post by: Ranman on February 04, 2013, 09:20:27 pm
My favorite is the TI-86. Until a few years ago, it was the TI-83 Plus Silver Edition, but I discovered that after a few years, it becomes a TI-83 Plus Gold Edition, in the same fashion as some SNES consoles and old computers:

...

My 83+Silver Edition is just ugly, now >.<

LOL... The headlights on my Honda Accord are doing the same thing. I must agree... TI-86 has a very nice case. T'would be nice to bring back the TI-86 with some flash memory.
Title: Re: TI-83 Plus moves to TI-84 Plus case in France
Post by: TheNlightenedOne on February 04, 2013, 09:35:17 pm
If I had to make a guess, I'd say that the new 83+.fr is going to be 84+ hardware but with 83+ specs for RAM, CPU speed, and archive space
Title: Re: TI-83 Plus moves to TI-84 Plus case in France
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on February 04, 2013, 11:01:25 pm
Well the RAM is the same on both calcs, except hidden RAM which is higher on the 84+. I wouldn't be surprised if it was upgraded to 15 MHz and had 48 KB of RAM including the extra page, but still kept 164 KB of archive, but it would be competing directly against the pocket 84 which has 480.
Title: Re: TI-83 Plus moves to TI-84 Plus case in France
Post by: FloppusMaximus on February 04, 2013, 11:24:38 pm
Did you notice? You've got MathPrint! ;D(http://www.omnimaga.org/Themes/default/images/gpbp_arrow_up.gif)

So a new TI-83 Plus OS in perspective?

Or is it just TI-84 hardware with a 2.53/2.55MP OS put in a case labeled TI-83 Plus?
Or maybe somebody just 'shopped the wrong OS version onto the photo? :P

Seriously though, I'd guess it's really 84+ hardware inside (or a hybrid between the two.)  I don't know how big the MathPrint code is, but I'm sure it's a lot more than the 83+ BE has to spare - plus I'd expect it to be painfully slow on a 6MHz CPU.
Title: Re: TI-83 Plus moves to TI-84 Plus case in France
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on February 05, 2013, 01:10:41 am
Maybe it's OS 2.71MP? O.O
Title: Re: TI-83 Plus moves to TI-84 Plus case in France
Post by: critor on February 05, 2013, 03:19:55 am
Also as I said on TI Planet, it looks like it has a USB port. :P

The new TI-73 Explorer doesn't have an USB port, although using the TI-84 Plus case.
Title: Re: TI-83 Plus moves to TI-84 Plus case in France
Post by: Streetwalrus on February 05, 2013, 03:46:46 am
Look closer. On the top right corner, the 73E doesn't have anything. But this one has the same shape as the 84+ has where the USB port is => that's why I said it looks like it has USB. IMO, it's just an 84+ that they renamed so that we don't mistake it with the CSE, and they're dropping the original 83+ at the same time. ;)
Title: Re: TI-83 Plus moves to TI-84 Plus case in France
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on February 05, 2013, 03:53:59 am
Unless this was a rushed mockup where they only changed the screen, the color tint (slightly) and the names, but forgot to remove the USB port? :P
Title: Re: TI-83 Plus moves to TI-84 Plus case in France
Post by: Streetwalrus on February 05, 2013, 03:56:30 am
Could be that to. :D
Title: Re: TI-83 Plus moves to TI-84 Plus case in France
Post by: TIfanx1999 on February 05, 2013, 04:50:00 am
Wow, nice call on this on DJ_O. You were talking about this only about a week ago, and now we have official news about it. O.O
 I'm a fan of the older design myself, but eh whatever. I'm not planning on purchasing a new TI-83+ any time soon. :P Also, it does seem that this might confuse people a bit. With the old design, it was easy to tell models apart. Now they all look really similar. *Edit* I didn't even know they updated the TI-73's design. I don't remember reading about it, and you never see them *anywhere*.
Title: Re: TI-83 Plus moves to TI-84 Plus case in France
Post by: Stefan Bauwens on February 05, 2013, 05:35:23 am
On the bright side: Soon we'll be taking whatever calc we want in school(in another casing).
Title: Re: TI-83 Plus moves to TI-84 Plus case in France
Post by: JoeyBelgier on February 05, 2013, 05:45:18 am
Looks like a nice way to beat some money out of a dead product and also a good way to reduce the amount of different parts that has to be produced.
Title: Re: TI-83 Plus moves to TI-84 Plus case in France
Post by: Streetwalrus on February 21, 2013, 03:44:46 pm
Look closer. On the top right corner, the 73E doesn't have anything. But this one has the same shape as the 84+ has where the USB port is => that's why I said it looks like it has USB. IMO, it's just an 84+ that they renamed so that we don't mistake it with the CSE, and they're dropping the original 83+ at the same time. ;)
Looks like I was right. :D http://tiplanet.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=11293&p=135945#p135945
Title: Re: TI-83 Plus moves to TI-84 Plus case in France
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on February 21, 2013, 07:45:15 pm
Wow... couldn't they at least do the effort to change the name in the About menu? I mean, it's so inconsistent to put TI-83 Plus.Fr on the calc case, yet in the about menu it reads TI-84 Plus. Even if it's the same calc it would at least look more professional. ???

Also now here will be the available calcs in France:

TI-76.Fr ==> TI-83 with a TI-73-like ROM
TI-82 Stats.Fr ==> TI-83
TI-83 Plus.Fr ==> TI-84 Plus
TI-84 Pocket.Fr ==> TI-84 Plus
TI-89 Titanium
TI-Nspire CX CAS

What's the point of selling two TI-84 Plus models simultaneously? Both were even released 1 year apart. O.O
Title: Re: TI-83 Plus moves to TI-84 Plus case in France
Post by: Lionel Debroux on February 22, 2013, 02:37:33 am
The different form factors, maybe ?
Title: Re: TI-83 Plus moves to TI-84 Plus case in France
Post by: Sorunome on February 22, 2013, 02:39:30 am
And after all, since when did TI made sense?
Well, i just bet they try to get peoples money by fooling them into buying a calc for more than it is worth for.
Title: Re: TI-83 Plus moves to TI-84 Plus case in France
Post by: Lionel Debroux on February 22, 2013, 02:56:13 am
It's exactly that, yup. They'll go the music and movie majors' way: try and criminalize their customers instead of adapting themselves to the shifts in the marketplace, with new business models where they can't milk customers as much as they used to.
Title: Re: TI-83 Plus moves to TI-84 Plus case in France
Post by: DrDnar on February 22, 2013, 03:21:25 am
And after all, since when did TI made sense?
They made sense in the 90s. Paying more than $100 for a TI-83+ was perfectly reasonable in 1997. A TI-83+ back then might well be the only computer a student owned; indeed, for many families, it was likely the only user-programmable computer in the house. The TI-83+SE was a nice upgrade over the TI-83+. However, the increasing presence of the personal computer and advances in portable consumer electronics have made the devices nearly obsolete. The only reason a student should use a graphing calculator rather than a smart phone is the graphing calculator is approved for classroom use.

But, I think the TI-83+ can still have a market presence. If the MSRP for the TI-84+ was dropped to around $30, TI could still turn a profit, and students would be more likely to buy a real calculator. Moreover, they aren't capitalizing on its educational use correctly. They should add a blinking test-guard LED to the TI-84+CSE and switch to an eZ80, or at least one of the other more advanced derivatives of the Z80. The eZ80 would make the TI-84+CSE faster and therefore more pleasant to use. Moreover, they could develop new software for it cheaply using C, furthering its educational potential, while simultaneously maintaining compatibility with existing software. Namely, the OS itself could run on an eZ80 without substantial changes. (But, it would be wise to deprecate the paging functionality. That might not play well with pipelining, because the memory mapping change might not reach the memory mapper until after subsequent instructions have already been fetched. This is not a hard problem to overcome.)
Title: Re: TI-83 Plus moves to TI-84 Plus case in France
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on February 23, 2013, 02:27:57 am
The issue though is that if there is ever a severe economy crisis worldwide one day, and I really mean something as bad, if not worse than what happened in 1929-39, and unemployment rate reaches 30% or something, and 10 years projections shows that it has no hope of recovery, then they would really have to rethink their pricing, because then I doubt anyone would buy calcs that cost more than $29.99 anymore.

That or if there is ever a big company that decided to venture into education and compete head-on against TI and Casio with more powerful or cheaper calcs and managed to convince schools to consider their new calcs as an option, then TI would have no choice to rethink their strategy.