TI-Nspire CX

So the time has come to send my oldest to middle school. His school requires the use of one of two calculators in his math class...the TI-84 Plus OR the TI-Nspire. After doing a LOT of research I settled on the Nspire. Why? Well.... At first glance the TI-84 would have been the better choice. It's based on a platform that was first introduced in 1996, and twenty years later the market has had a lot of time to embrace this calculator. Indeed, there's a vast amount of resources out there to support the TI-84 and having all of that would seem to make the case that it is the best choice. The lower price point is also another factor. But then my research started showing something. The updates for the TI-84 had been doing a commendable job at beating back the clock, but the reality is the hardware is aged and can only do so much. While it may have been the best calculator in the world ten years ago, the reality is that was ten years ago. In other words, it is now limited and will always be limiting going forward. Add to that TI's loving attention to the Nspire, and it becomes clear that the Nspire is the new platform. Equipping my son with yesteryear's technology would be, I think, to put him at a disadvantage with his peers. So the Nspire it is. Sadly the school outright prohibited the use of CAS calculators in their list. More's the pity, as the CAS version offers some very compelling features and abilities at a trivial price increase. If it weren't forbidden, my son would have received the CAS version of this calculator. On the other hand, this particular model will serve him well into college, so buying this platform today means I don't have to buy it for him in six+ years. And if the need for CAS becomes acute then, well, the CX CAS will be waiting. Using this handheld (it's really not a calculator, but a mini computer) has addressed a lot of the nonintuitive quirks of the TI-84. You work with documents, you can interact with things directly via the touchpad, and so on. Regular OS updates ensure that this platform has a LOT of life in it. Too, the Nspire has capabilities that are simply impossible for the TI-84 to have, like 3D graphing. On the other hand, since math teachers tend to be a staid and Victorian lot, you'll still see the TI-84 hanging around schools longer than I think is wise. Since TI stopped selling the TI-84 keyboard attachment for the Nspire, it's clear that TI is committed to forcing the issue. Better to, I think, learn the platform of the here and now vs the old one. What put me over the edge was a brief survey I took of the engineers in my office. To a man (and woman), they agreed that the Nspire was the way to go. So that's why I bought this, and the support from TI in addition to the software tools (the PC application, document transferability, etc) has made that decision a wise one. I firmly believe this is the best, most flexible handheld calculator device on the market today. I armed my son with this, a couple of tutorial books, and let him play...and he's taken to it quite well. It's an outstanding device.

This is an excellent device, and although it takes getting used to, it is much more intuitive than the TI-84 and others like it. While other calculators offered by TI also have color LCD panels, this one seems to match the aptitude of this calculator, finally putting all the power and functionality under the hood. It offers plenty of space for documents and pictures, which can be helpful in graphs and determining geometry. It doesn't stop there, though. I'm a high school sophomore in Precalculus and AP Statistics, and this is more than enough to get me through these classes, because it offers a much more computer-like intuitive workspace rather than the often obscured environment on the TI-84. I find it handy to be able to type in my operators, especially in Precalc, because experience with this has let me type much quicker. If you have never used one of these, I found it handy to have a "study buddy" who knows or is learning how to use this. I would also recommend finding a "scavenger hunt" like activity from TI's website to learn the basics of what your calculator can do. Then, experiment with it in your free time. Create a new document and play with the various functions. The great thing is, if you mess something up, you can just delete the page or even the entire document. Many of the key combinations that work on PCs also work on the TI Nspire, like Ctrl+C for copy, Ctrl+V for paste, Ctrl+I for new page and Ctrl+S for save, which helps the learning curve.

Good quality calculator that will last you for years to come. This calculator has lasted me from high school math up until the end of my college year (still works like a champ with no issues, but I just don’t have much of a use for it anymore). I bet it could last another ten years. High quality product and easier to use than some of the other graphing calculators available.

Solid calculator for the price range. If you don’t need "CAS" I can't think of anything better under $45 than this. (Always check the battery life when buying used Nspires…)

Très satisfaite. Mon colis est arrivé le jour prévu et en parfait état

La calcolatrice è arrivata nei tempi previsti ed è dotata di una custodia rigida + 1 caso USB + 1 cavo mini USB, utilizzati per la ricarica delle batterie (presumibilmente anche per lo scambio dati ma non ho ancora provato la comunicazione fra la calcolatrice e il pc). Interessante la licenza software per studenti che permette di scaricare un software che emula in tutto la calcolatrice fisica sul proprio pc di casa. Alla prima accensione ho potuto configurare il linguaggio italiano, mentre i manualetti su carta sono soltanto in lingua estera fra cui inglese. Per la navigazione del menù e la normale operatività si deve usare un touch-pad che fa perdere un po' di tempo, uno schermo touch-screen sarebbe stato il massimo. La calcolatrice arriva con una custodia rigida a slitta a copertura della parte superiore, mentre la parte inferiore, sempre rigida, è fissa e fa parte del corpo della calcolatrice stessa. La custodia rigida ripara sicuramente da eventuali graffi e/o danni allo schermo e ai tasti, non saprei dire quanto può essere utile in caso di caduta accidentale. Per un prodotto di questa fascia, mi sarei aspettato in dotazione anche una custodia morbida esterna che invece deve essere acquistata separatamente. Agevole la tastiera alfanumerica. Data la grande varietà di funzioni della calcolatrice, è richiesto un po' di addestramento per sfruttarne al meglio le potenzialità. Complessivamente un ottimo prodotto.

Great to save documents and pics but it takes alot of time to read it. Computer transfer, but does only support .tns documents so thats not so good. i think its a really good calculator have many functions. but they should make it faster in document reading.

Funciona justo como se describe. Muy útil para estudiantes de la carrera de ingeniería o aquellos que trabajan con funciones especiales.

Works great and has features that old TI calculators don't have like say an auto conversion to fraction or an easy typing keyboard for note taking and a huge list of things you can do to basic stuff like graphing, finding x-intercept, fractions to finances and matrixes, document typing, network connections and even classroom logins (but you gotta forget everything the teacher said since they are talking in ti-83 and 84 language so if you buy this, you must accept the responsibility to go research on how to use your calculator)