CBL™ News

The TI-83 Plus is basically a supercharged TI-83. It includes all the capabilities of the TI-83 and can be used side by side with the TI-83. The most exciting improvement is the addition of Flash ROM technology. Flash ROM provides many valuable improvements, including:

• The TI-83 Plus is electronically upgradeable. If you bought a TI-82 in 1993, you could never take advantage of calculator software maintenance updates that were included on newer calculators. If you wanted new features, like sine regression on the TI-83, you bought a new calculator. That has changed with Flash ROM. Now when TI makes a maintenance update to the calculator software, you can download the update from the TI web site and use
  TI-GRAPH LINK™ to load it onto your calculator. If TI makes a major revision to the calculator software, you can purchase the new version from the TI web site, and you won’t have to buy a new calculator.
• TI-83 Plus has six times more user memory than the TI-83. This includes 24K of RAM, but it also includes 160K of data archive memory used to store data, programs, and additional applications. The extra memory makes it easier to collect and analyze data with calculators. For example, if the calculator RAM is full of educational games gathered from the Internet, the programs can be archived, i.e., moved to Flash ROM. The RAM is now free for CBL data.
• The data archive can be used to store and execute calculator software applications. Applications are different from programs that you probably used in the past. Applications load into Flash, while programs load into RAM. For example, we have worked with TI to convert our CHEMBIO and PHYSICS programs to applications. Using TI-GRAPH LINK, you will be able to load both of these applications into Flash ROM. (You can have up to 10 applications loaded into Flash ROM.) You then press the APPS button on the calculator and choose an application. The calculator loads the appropriate part of the program from Flash into RAM and runs the subprogram. This process leaves RAM for data. For more information about the CHEMBIO and PHYSICS applications, check the CBL Programs page of our web site, www.vernier.com/cbl/progs.html. Another example of an application is a powerful periodic table developed by TI. If you are interested in this product or other TI-83 Plus applications, visit www.ti.com/calc/flash/83papps.htm.
• The Flash ROM allows you to store data runs, since the TI-83 Plus has a Group option. This feature groups data lists into one file, and the file will be automatically stored in the data archive. Later you can Ungroup the file, which will move the data into RAM.

Flash ROM is coming to another calculator­the TI-92. The TI-92 Plus replaces the TI-92. The TI-92 Plus will have 500K of memory, including 188K of RAM and 384K of Flash ROM. The Flash ROM can be used to store data, programs, and applications. The TI-92 Plus also has an enhanced anti-glare, black-on-gray screen. The TI-92 Plus will contain the Advanced Mathematics Software that is already available on the TI-89 or TI-92 Plus Module. All this is in a package that will sell for the same price as the TI-92, $175, and will be available in early June. The order code is TI-92PL.

The contents of the TI-73, TI-82, and TI-83 calculator Teacher Packs is changing. The Teacher Packs used to include rechargeable alkaline batteries and a recharger station. In talking with teachers, TI learned that most teachers use the rechargeable batteries once and then throw them away. From now on, the Teacher Packs will be shipped with standard alkaline batteries, which have a longer life than rechargeable alkalines. A battery recharger will not be included.