The Rise and Fall of the NumWorks Graphing Calculator: What ACTUALLY Happened.

Should you still buy a NumWorks Graphing Calculator?

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[djlclopez]

Wait a minute...it's March 2022 now, so if I buy a new Numworks Calculator, does it automatically come with the update or not? I want to be able to write my own programs for it. That's the only reason I want one.
P.S. I subbed as well, good video!

[typingcat]

Couldn't they have designed it to have a signed bootloader (meaning, only the manufacturer can create a bootloader for the device) and when an unsigned OS (meaning, any OS other than the manufacturer's one) is loaded, the bootloader shows a big message that it is loading a custom OS, so that the supervisors at an examination could easily verify it by rebooting the device?

[Lesterandsons]

Despite this evolution, it's very popular in France, 0, 01% people may be angry, but the company has to comply and to sell to survive.
It's a very good product, no longer open to hacks, but it doesn't fall in sells

[VollkinSea]

For a future calculator I could easily see this being fixable: have a signed OS that cannot be overridden except for official updates that is used for testing. Enabling exam mode boots into this, with an external light hooked only to interface with this special testing mode to flash. Moreover, custom operating systems would get a big message during boot that the OS is unsigned, and the currently booted system is unfit for testing. The light means exam mode can't be faked, and the boot menu means the calculator can always be confirmed to be running a signed OS during testing, either stock or exam, via a reboot.

[radnukespeoplesminds]

Calculators are the only devices sold by the features they lack.

[tookitogo]

Well, locked down systems are basically mandatory for calculators if they’re to be allowed on exams. :/ Also, I don’t think it’s accurate to characterize these as “popular”. They got decent penetration in a tiny handful of markets, and are largely unknown anywhere else, remaining an ultra-niche product.

[leo.girardi]

If you have to cheat to get through a high school exam, it bothers me what one would do to pass a physics or chem test in Uni.

[JoseDiaz-erww]

Yo no lo entiendo!
La gran mayoria se queja de que el Sistema de esta calculadora (o mini computadora) ha cambiado y no permite hacerle modificaciones, que permitan utilizarse en Modo de Examen; entonces me pregunto:
"Acaso todos los estudiantes dominan Lenguajes de Programacion y saben escribirlos para emplearlos en un Examen (en modo oculto), PEEEERO no saben Aritmetica, Algebra, Fisica o Quimica BASICAS???
Es decir, dominan la ciencia de la computacion, pero ignoran o desconocen las bases de las materias que necesitaran en sus estudios en la Universidad???

[ativerc]

Mate, this video is so good. Will check out more videos.

Edit: Subbed. Can't wait to watch what you create next.

[DrQuyetNguyen]

Have you got your hands on a Numworks? still seems like a solid calculator to me. Everything I wanted apps for is there by default. Great video btw, never in a million years Id be so invested into calculators

[JonGretarB]

I thought that with version 16 it got actually simpler to upload custom apps. They do however get disabled in exam mode.

[DJOmnimaga]

The price of the calculator has gone up to something higher than what the TI-Nspire CX II costs over here now. HP calc prices skyrocketed recently, too. I think I'll stick with TI or Casio for the time being, unless their prices go up as well.

[petermuller]

Nice wrap up. However I don't agree with your assessment of information publication as irresponsible.

Every device can be used to cheat. They just differ in how easy it is to misuse them.

In my opinion, a simple education edition of the calculator would have fixed this issue easily without removing the core functionality of being able to use a different OS.

[Flubberkoekje]

So is it still a good calculator for someone that doesn't care about running custom stuff on it?

[SHIN_official]

I do have a TI-84 Plus CE (which I just got several hours ago)

[Roanokekidstech]

Just found your channel. Excellent content thanks. I love calculators and I have been considering the numworks since it came out

[STICKOMEDIA]

Neat video bro, never knew this calculator existed, it seemed like a cool concept

[theelmonk]

Exam mode basically kills all the use of calculators for use as an appliance. It's interesting that this calculator failed once it was no longer open source and extensible. These two justifications for a calculator need to be separated so we can have some development in them, otherwise it effectively restricts their use to schoolchildren.

[Thauxeeb]

Check out NumWorks Phi project, a jailbreak for Omega to work again. There's still hope.

[BBC]

So here's the question now that I get from this is it still allowed to be used on Dutch examinations or did the education authorities revoke its official status?