Published by KermMartian 7 years, 1 month ago (2017-03-09T06:39:47+00:00) | Discuss this article


In mid-January, long-time Cemetech member and Casio programmer TeamFX let us know that Casio is releasing a successor to the venerable Casio Prizm (fx-CG10/fx-CG20). To be called the Casio fx-CG50, this new calculator appears to be an incremental improvement on its 6-year-old parent. Since TeamFX first posted that topic, our members have posted a wealth of new information about the calculator, and more recently, Casio published a press release, and community members have gotten hands-on experience with the fx-CG50. Among the most important facts about Casio's new Prizm replacement that have been discovered:

• 3D Graphing Add-In: This new add-in is one of the headlining features of the new fx-CG50. Cemetech members may be aware of Graph3DP for the Casio fx-CG10/fx-CG20, a community-made add-in by yours truly that added 3D graphing capabilities to the original Casio Prizm. Specifically (from a press release), "the device can display up to three types of 3D graphs overlaid on one screen. Besides, users can visualise the cross section of the sphere." Casio appears to have noted the importance of a 3D graphing add-in, especially with a high-resolution color screen, and created their own. Unfortunately, it does have some limitations; gbl08ma kindly wrote in the attached topic, " Graph3DP with a better UI would still beat their add-in, which doesn't allow arbitrary 3D functions."
  
• Faster Processor: Since the Casio fx-CG10/fx-CG20's OS was relatively open to investigation, Cemetech's members succeeded in overclocking and underclocking the Prizm not long after the calculator was released. From its base speed of 58MHz, members were able to bring the calculator as high as a stable 94.3MHz. However, long-time Prizm hacker gbl08ma found that some calculators could only go as high as 87MHz; others could get up to 101.5MHz.
  
• New Main Menu Look: As in the screenshot below, Casio has refreshed the look and feel of the main menu, without substantially changing the layout or how it works.
  
• More Emphasis on C-Lab: Casio chose to mention connectivity to external sensors as one of three majors points in their press release, implying that it's a keystone feature of the new device. Per their release, "[t]he calculator can simply be connected to the data collection interface C-Lab in order to measure data [from] temperature or distance [or] triaxial acceleration" sensors. As on other popular graphing calculators, the resulting data can be graphed and inspected.
  
• Other Hardware Capabilities: As long-time member gbl08ma notes in the attached thread, "[t]he screen resolution, memory size, etc. are all the same as on the fx-CG 20, judging by the DynaTech page." It also still has a 3-pin I/O (serial) port, and is still powered by 4 AAA batteries (rather than a rechargeable battery, like TI's modern calculators).
  

As an extra bonus, TeamFx has discovered (from French community website TI-Planet) that Casio is also updated the controversial color touchscreen Classpad calculator with a new model, the fx-CG500. Have you gotten a Casio fx-CG50 yet? Do you plan to do so? Will it also be called the Prizm? Weigh in with new news, opinions, and thoughts in the attached topic (or the original discussion topic)!




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