If the OS is upgraded in the nSpire, am I suddenly going to have to update corresponding C or LUA programs?

Yes, for both C and Lua:
* the Ndless API changes a bit, and targeting a new Ndless version usually requires a recompilation;
* TI changed the Lua API multiple times as well. API levels should alleviate the problem, though... assuming they implement them correctly.

Because I don't wanna have to consider my stuff obsolete!

You will have to

Is nDless a difficult process?

Of course, otherwise it would be done much more quickly
The task of porting Ndless to a new OS version consists in:
* finding a needle of several hundreds of functions in a haystack of dozen thousand functions scattered in a dozen megabytes of code and data. The binary changes significantly across versions, which tends to foil code analysis heuristics - and some functions in the OS change, too;
* finding and reliably exploiting yet another arbitrary code execution vulnerability across all Nspire models. That, too, takes lots of time.
As a result of its overly high price tag for such an underpowered device (the Raspberry Pi is 5x more powerful for 4x-6x cheaper, it's much more flexible and has more I/O, etc.), the Nspire platform is sufficiently underwhelming for learning programming, that relatively few users care about it, which further reduces the incentive for people to work on Ndless...

If you just want to do C programming and not assembly, i would forget about the 84+CSE

Agreed. The Z80 ISA simply isn't well suited to C programming, and no C compiler that targets the Z80 (there are several of them) produces code which does not make Z80 experts weep.

Lua is a lot better than TI-Basic, and will not be locked down.

That's not entirely true: the capability of outputting data to the RS232 port was removed by TI in OS 3.1.0.392, so in a sense, it has already been locked down (making the calculator obviously less useful, even for classroom usage, by removing the ability to control external peripherals through a standard protocol). We added it back with FixPrint ( https://tiplanet.org/forum/archives_voir.php?id=4227 ) thanks to Ndless, but cannot do that in all 3.2 OS versions (well, we could with nLaunch on Clickpad and Touchpad, but nobody has done so yet).

So instead of Ti-Basic we get something, that is not a major hassle to program afaik, and we are not grateful?

On-calc programmability is low (and only available through third-party Oclua, at that - TI didn't bother)... isn't that a hassle ?


While you're at it... have you looked at the HP-50g, dapianokid ?

Nowadays, the hardware characteristics of the HP-50g are even more outdated than those of the Nspire are, but when the HP-49G+ was released, thanks to its ~200 MHz-capable RISC ARM7TDMI, it was far above contemporary TI hardware.

Well, this escalated quickly!
This topic is obviously one where everybody has opinions. It looks like people who have both prefer the Prizm for programming. Oncalc programming is what I was hoping for, as I have limits on how long I can spend on the computer per-day. I am, however an apt hacker and would love to help or at least see what I can find out as for the people here at Omnimaga. I only need a disassembler
 Ndless, as well as a Linux port for the nSpire, USB research for the nSpire, and things of that nature are right up my ally. I will eagerly learn any programming language. I don't usually contribute with programs as much as I simply come up with the information needed to write them.

HP calculators look like a significantly different.. realm of handheld devices. I'd like to spend time with an nSpire/Prizm first. The CSE will only be a novelty when I get one, really, as I usually like devices with better hardware.

I'm learning a lot, and I'm going to be a busy programmer as I progress in my pursuits of calculator programming! I think that the nSpire is calling me to hack it better. I want to make it easier for people to develop for, and less scary to start out as a programmer on.
The Prizm isn't as well documented as the nSpire series is, so it's less of an attraction for me.

DJ_O did a nice job explaining the calculators, and FF is here to help even more!
What do you recommend, to learn as a programming language? Because hacking doesn't require that knowledge as much. Hacking is finding little quirks and exploiting the fudge out of them, at it's roots. And, which calculator to use to learn it? I'm a TI-Basic expert and Axe amateur. I cannot wrap my young mind around ASM, yet.

So in general, the nSpire is the best one. Especially for a person like me, as every project out there for the nSpire is stuff I LOVE to do.

I have done a lot of work into hacking Nintendo Wii's without having the help of cheaty things like LetterBomb. I'm excited about things like Linuks, (That is the Linux project for the nSpire, correct?), nDless, and gbc4nSpire. also, the z80 emulation for the CX is basically what I've been waiting for before I bought one. Hopefully, by the time my birthday money is within my grasp, a TI83+ emulation may be possible. 

Is there anywhere I can get a little bit of info on emulating one of these nSpires, or do I need to buy one and dump a ROM/the whole NAND? I see USB documentation on it is being quickly written!

Also, HP emulators are out there, right?

I'm excited about things like Linuks, (That is the Linux project for the nSpire, correct?)

Hmm, where did you find that name ?

Is there anywhere I can get a little bit of info on emulating one of these nSpires,

For instance, on Hackspire, or TI-Planet's partially translated nspire_emu tutorial: https://tiplanet.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=57&t=8698 .

or do I need to buy one and dump a ROM/the whole NAND?

For the CX series, you're indeed supposed to dump the boot1 of the real calculator through PolyDumper. Emulation of older models doesn't require a boot1 for the vast majority of purposes, official OS upgrades containing a boot2 image are enough.

I see USB documentation on it is being quickly written!

Not "quickly", nope

I'm not going to go searching around for a CX image. I'm a respectable person, and I only find illegal ROM dumps of devices or volumes that are at least 10 years old. I kid, but seriously I don't pirate.
I see that hacking the nSpire involves a lot of similar concepts used in hacking Wii's, and I'm happy about that. It's quite the calculator! I'll own a CX CAS soon enough, less than a month hopefully. Leave this topic open for others wondering the same thing. I think choosing between calculators can be difficult for some people.

HP calculators are wayyyy different from any device I am used to o.0 It seems to have lots and lots of functionality/programmability. Perhaps there is an HPcalc.org?

Well I asked about the CasioCalc.org, I knew about Ticalc, and now I find out about HPcalc. Is there a CrappyDollarTreeCalc.org?

What is the most favored calculator on this website, by majority?

Go ahead and say your favorite calcs for which purpose, and how often you use it