Casio Classpad Software

[Stick]

Since I got the calculator in Year 9, I haven't updated the software at all, but I noticed there's been a couple of small patches during this time. Is it worth downloading them or should I just keep the current software I have on it?

[pi]

I'd imagine the updates would be useful, especially if they've fixed the problem that made every Classpad user unable to do a certain question in VCAA 2010 methods exam 2.

[Lasercookie]

I don't use the classpad myself, but you'd really want to take a good look at the documentation / guidebooks etc. that's up for the new software versions and really see if it's worth it.   

On one hand, your calculator currently works fine and does what you need it to do - and you've been using it for years as is, so it's probably instinctive to you on how all the functions work by now. It might be worth waiting until after your Further exams, rather than having to possibly relearn / readapt to the calculator.

On the other hand, if there's new features (not just bugfixes for bugs you're probably already coping with) that will make certain things in Further easier for you this year, then it's probably worth putting in the effort to relearn a few things on calculator.

If there's significant bugfixes, then update immediately. Either way, update or not to update, you'd want to read through most of the significant documentation anyway. I wouldn't update without being informed, in the possible case that some of the changes actually hamper how you like to use the calculator.

I'd imagine the updates would be useful, especially if they've fixed the problem that made every Classpad user unable to do a certain question in VCAA 2010 methods exam 2.

I don't really remember what it was, but wasn't that issue due to students trying to use a particular function on the calculator improperly. I'm not sure, but I remember somebody somewhere (probably on this forum) saying something along the lines of that. (I'll see if I can find it, might just be thinking about something different)

[pi]

From memory, it was a calc malfunction. Students' marks altered on VCE maths exam after a calculator issues

Either way, I'd follow the advice of this guy, he knows what he's on about:

CASIO is not that good of a calc for VCE. If at all possible, try returning the calc for malfunction, and use the money to buy a Ti. Preferably get a second hand old grey ti nspire, as their the best for VCE maths. If this is not possible, then i guess the advice above is the best u could do. Good luck with fixing/replacing the cas! 

[brenden]

Why wouldn't the CAS beat a TI? I didn't take any math last year but from what I've seen the TI takes more effort/knowledge and the CAS is relatively straight forward.

[pi]

The general consensus is that the TI is better than the Casio in every way

[brenden]

The general consensus is that the TI is better than the Casio in every way

Wow! Unexpected. At my school if you take Methods, you use a CAS. Maybe I should inform our teachers hahaha.

[Stick]

This is my main concern regarding the update: Calculating quartiles

[paulsterio]

I'd imagine the updates would be useful, especially if they've fixed the problem that made every Classpad user unable to do a certain question in VCAA 2010 methods exam 2.

Rubbish, I did that question fine with old software, you just have to know your calculator well and how to use it - that's my reasoning anyway, if you're just blindly plugging and playing then yes, it will not work

The general consensus is that the TI is better than the Casio in every way

You're just saying that because you used a TI - I used a ClassPad throughout Y12 and I didn't encounter any problems whatsoever, so I think that comment is a little unwarranted. Similar to most other things - it's what you're used to.

Stick - yes, you should update, always update.

[pi]

I'd imagine the updates would be useful, especially if they've fixed the problem that made every Classpad user unable to do a certain question in VCAA 2010 methods exam 2.

Rubbish, I did that question fine with old software, you just have to know your calculator well and how to use it - that's my reasoning anyway, if you're just blindly plugging and playing then yes, it will not work

Say "Rubbish" to the concerns of thousands of students that panicked when it didn't work for them due to the Casio.

The fact remains that a significant proportion of Casio users couldn't do the question. If one needs a very solid understanding of the calc to be able to do a VCAA question, then I wouldn't consider that to be a good thing. That's a problem. Such issues have never occurred with TI users to my knowledge.

Just because you can use it after "know[ing] your calculator well and how to use it", doesn't mean it's suitable to the average Methods student who doesn't have that ability. Even some "high achieving" students had problems with it. Be considerate.

The general consensus is that the TI is better than the Casio in every way

You're just saying that because you used a TI - I used a ClassPad throughout Y12 and I didn't encounter any problems whatsoever, so I think that comment is a little unwarranted. Similar to most other things - it's what you're used to.

A consensus isn't a unanimous decision, but I don't think it's a coincidence that most of the top schools have sided with the TI and have never had issues with it in VCAA exams. The general consensus is that the TI is better, and many Casio users have said this too, especially those who were dogged out by it in the 2010 exam 2. Hence, "general consensus".

[paulsterio]

I just think you're unfairly biased against the ClassPad because you've never used one and appreciated it's strengths, especially the usefulness of it's touchscreen interface and wizard modes. I've used both the ClassPad and the nSpire and even though I agree that overall the nSpire is faster than the ClassPad (better hardware), it's not as intuitive and easy to pick up, use and figure out as the ClassPad is.

I don't agree that anybody was dogged out in that Exam 2 - many of my friends who knew how to use the ClassPad well and had experience using it did it fine, another friend of mine did it by hand and did it fine, so I seriously think that if you don't know how to use the calculator properly and don't know which functions to use for which situations and where to fall to if your initial function doesn't work then, I'm not sure what to say - because you can't expect everything to be straightforward and easy.

Anyways, this TI vs. CASIO is off-topic, so I'll stop it here

[Stick]

I don't use the classpad myself, but you'd really want to take a good look at the documentation / guidebooks etc. that's up for the new software versions and really see if it's worth it.   

On one hand, your calculator currently works fine and does what you need it to do - and you've been using it for years as is, so it's probably instinctive to you on how all the functions work by now. It might be worth waiting until after your Further exams, rather than having to possibly relearn / readapt to the calculator.

On the other hand, if there's new features (not just bugfixes for bugs you're probably already coping with) that will make certain things in Further easier for you this year, then it's probably worth putting in the effort to relearn a few things on calculator.

If there's significant bugfixes, then update immediately. Either way, update or not to update, you'd want to read through most of the significant documentation anyway. I wouldn't update without being informed, in the possible case that some of the changes actually hamper how you like to use the calculator.

I'd imagine the updates would be useful, especially if they've fixed the problem that made every Classpad user unable to do a certain question in VCAA 2010 methods exam 2.

I don't really remember what it was, but wasn't that issue due to students trying to use a particular function on the calculator improperly. I'm not sure, but I remember somebody somewhere (probably on this forum) saying something along the lines of that. (I'll see if I can find it, might just be thinking about something different)

Thanks so much for your advice, laseredd. After checking what the update really entailed, all it did was bring in a couple of functions from the '2D' tab into the 'Action/Interactive' tabs. It also changed the calculation of quartiles into a method which is not acceptable in Further Maths. Hence, updating the CAS would actually have been a very silly thing for me to do.