Correct. Omnicalc, for example, has problems. Although, I released a version which fixed some of the worst problems. I also found 2.53 to be generally quite unstable.

Yeah I heard about the stability issues too. Fortunately I rarely use MathPrint so I am fine, but I also saw some of my games didn't run well in it. An example is Reuben Quest and ROL2. I wouldn't be surprised if some other old games broke on ticalc. Ticalc got thousands of them, after all.

The only reason why I think TI would do this is to force PTT on each new calculator. If this is true, then I'm sure you can expect the new 84's that will come out to have the 1.03 (or later) bootcode.

I know, but I mean that it will not be possible to downgrade to another os that doesn't have PTT.

I'm probably in the minority here, but I've been using 2.53/2.55 for a couple years now with less than 3 RAM clears due to the OSes...

EDIT: @Jim, the boot code doesn't force PTT, which is also present on the normal calcs.

I now run 2.43 since that's what my Wabbit runs, but I agree 2.53 isn't as bad as everyone makes it out to be.

This is how I first reacted when I read this:

I think that someone should compile a list of all the CEOs and calc directors at TI, and see if changes in leadership have anything to do with what the code is. I suspect that TI's ambivalence might have to do with CEOs having different priorities.

One thing I also think about with these malicious attacks is that, although we are a minority of calc users, we are the Coders of Tommorow - their future employees. In today's time, there is a shortage of computer programmers (at least I think there is). TI wants to protect against hacking and exploitation, but they don't realize that there are plenty of programmers out there who got their start on hobbyist devices such as calculators. They need programmers to work their new devices, and if they defeat programmability, they are only defeating themselves.

We also have to remember that if there is a will, there is a way. TI's first offerings were not easily programmable, without native ASM support. The previous generation of TI programmers, with greats such as Joe Wimbergule and Sam Heald, were able to hack the 85 and bring ASM to the TI, which had influenced TI's decision making for the next several years. Now we are in the second generation, and TI is mounting their defenses again. They did it once. We can do it again.

What a shame! Why? Why?! What a shame! Oh wait, what a shame!

Seriously now though, this is awful, this really sucks, why would they break their only programmable calculator?

Sorry, I've had a hard day as some of you have noticed.

I've tried a random game on my new TI-84 Pocket.fr and it worked without any problem:
http://ti.bank.free.fr/index.php?mod=news&ac=commentaires&id=1183

Do you want me to try some specific games?

Let me play devils advocate. What if the anti-downgrade protection is there because the hardware is designed in a way that would make any earlier OS incompatible or unstable?