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Help getting started - CX to CAS

Unread postPosted: 10 Sep 2016, 06:50
by cigarxo
I purchased a TI-Nspire CX today for my daughter to use through highschool, so I'd like to make the CX to CAS conversion if it still makes sense given that most of the great tutorials were working in 3.1 or earlier OS and TI is up to 4.3. My daughter was required by the school to have a graphic calculator for Algebra II. She'll have Geometry, Calculus, Physics and Trig. in her future - but may not be college level math material. The school favors TI-84 Plus and Plus CE - but I was attracted to the app look of Nspire. I think she'd struggle more with 84 UI than this UI. I like to overbuild everything and if I can get a Nspire CX CAS for $80 - why not... I picked it up at a pawn shop for $80.

The machine is HW version B and SW version 3.0.2.1791 with Boot 1 ver 3.0.99 and Boot 2 ver 3.1.131

I'm confused by the dated tutorials, boards and SW versions (OS, Ndless, nLaunchy) about where to begin, stop or not even attempt if new OS is pretty good.
1. Do I stay with 3.1 across OS, Ndless and nLaunchy? And do I update OS at all after that?
2. Do I use the switch packets 3.1/3.6?
3. Do I use the beta Ndless, nLaunchy 4.2 with upgraded OS 4.2? Stable enough?
4. Or am I confusing later versions of Ndless & nLaunchy - that while they may still enable games, apps, programming - are locked out of CAS?
Some of the early tutorials seem to infer there is a limit to which version of CX CAS you can upgrade to - or was that just for duel boot - or have upgrades gotten beyond the limit (3.6,4.2) - or, has TI clamped down and its not a good idea to stay in yesterday just to enable CAS - but instead look for another machine come Calculus?

Your advice will help greatly to help me get up to date... obviously a novice in this area and confused. I can follow the tutorials and get this done, just need to verify versions to use.

Thanks in advance,

CigarXO

Re: Help getting started - CX to CAS

Unread postPosted: 10 Sep 2016, 10:22
by Lionel Debroux
HW revision B is excellent for using nLaunchy. However, nobody published what it takes to run the CAS variant of OS 3.6 and newer on the non-CAS models, yet.

Re: Help getting started - CX to CAS

Unread postPosted: 10 Sep 2016, 10:24
by Adriweb
Note that if your daughter gets caught having a CAS calculator (or CASed one, anyway) where such models are forbidden, she'll be in trouble!

Re: Help getting started - CX to CAS

Unread postPosted: 10 Sep 2016, 19:12
by cigarxo
Lionel -
Yes, I deduced from the older tutorials that the earlier versions worked well. I'm starting to grasp the folder restructure and functionality of Ndless, nLaunchy, Tnoc... but still not clear. So let me ask:
1. Can I switch OS at earlier/existing stage and then upload more current versions of OS CX CAS - or is that limited because of file structure, nLaunchy compatibility and TI security.
2. Or, can i follow old steps with newer versions.

Adriweb -
Cheating is not the intent. I'll be lucky if she just understands the courses. Enabling Pretty Print, exact answers and algebraic notation is the intent.

Re: Help getting started - CX to CAS

Unread postPosted: 10 Sep 2016, 19:17
by Adriweb
I see. Frankly a TI-83 Premium CE would have been the best then - it's cheaper than an Nspire CX, has MathPrint, and an exact math engine. Oh well :P