So a while ago, TI Connect CE 5.0 was released by TI as a compliment to the TI 84 Plus CE. Since it has new features, including a program editor, I have decided to do a full review. Sadly, this software only works with z80 USB-port models, but you can have TI-Connect 4.0 installed alongside it, so you are only really missing out on the new features.

First up: Start Up
Immediately after the splash screen splashes, you are greeted with the basic interface in screen capture mode. There are three modes, easily accessible from the sidebar, including Screen Capture, Calculator Explorer, and Program Editor. To the immediate right is the connected calculator list if you are in Screen Capture or Calculator Explorer mode, and the tokens list if you are in Program Editor mode. When it is the connected calculator list, you can switch between connected calculators quickly. Just click the one you want to switch to, and you're ready to go!

The Screen Capture Mode at Startup
Screen Capture
The Screen Capture mode is just an interface change on the one from TI-Connect 4.0. You can only take screenshots from the confines of the TI-OS level. This means you can't take screenshots from flashapps or assembly programs. Kind of a bummer, but nothing new. The interface does feel sleeker and more modern, but I feel TI could have updated the feature for this software.

Calculator Explorer and File Transfer
Since this is connectivity software, this is the most important part of this package. How is the connectivity? In a word: fast. It takes very little time from drag-and-drop of programs to menu, and the actual transfer takes full advantage of the USB capability. You also have the option to send files to all connected calculators, which is very nice, especially if you are working on a multi-player game and want to improve the time it takes to get the files to both calculators. In the Calculator Explorer itself, you see everything on the calculator in the sleek interface, and can switch between calculators easily. You can also double click a non-protected, non-assembly program to edit it within the Program Editor almost instantly, which leads nicely into the next section.

File Transfer Menu
Program Editor
TI has not released a program editor with their standard link software since TI Graph Link. This program editor is a nice addition to the software, once again with a sleek and modern interface. It features a tokens list and reference on the side, and can send the program to a connected calculator with the click of a button. The editor feels a lot like TokenIDE or SourceCoder, but with different syntax for store arrows and superscripts and such. The copy-paste issues from Graph Link have been fixed, though, so the store arrows (→) and the like show up properly when pasted into posts. The only language supported is TI-Basic, as is expected, since this is TI's product and not the community's.

Program Editor

Overall, this is a nice update to TI-Connect, and you will enjoy the new file transfer speed and the TI-Basic program editing, as well as the new interface. Although the screen capture is still lacking, it is still the best TI Connect to date.