TI-Nspire CAS with Touchpad Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Call me totally impressed! I have used the TI-83/84 calculators for years but rarely the advanced features they offered. I often found them to obscure and annoying. The Nspire takes a powerful document approach that is totally different than the Ti 83/84 series.

This Nspire CAS Touchpad is quite a revelation. It took me all of an hour to understand (with the Dummies book at my side) almost all the functions it offers. The keypad is clear and obvious unlike the first versions of the Nspire. I was amazed at how much I could do with this device with so little effort. I have been using Mathematica for many of the classes I teach. The Nspire can replace Mathematica for most of the things we do in undergraduate physics and engineering courses. That is impressive.

The large screen is a bonus. The characters are clear with high resolution. The large screen means that everything you do is easier to see and analyze. The screen is adjustable but it is still a calculator screen. You need light to see it well as it is not backlit like LCD computer monitors.

Some people compare the Nspire with the Ti-89. Sorry, no contest. This Inspire runs rings around the Ti-89, a calculator I never really liked. It is faster, easier to use and read, and a joy to use. Don't waste your time with the TI-89. Putting a little time in learning the Nspire paradigm will reward you.

The Nspire comes with desktop software that duplicates the functions of the calculator. On a MacBook Pro, it installed right away without problems. There is a link included with the software that allows you to backup and update the Nspire as well as move files back and forth.

The Nspire links up with the Venier Go! and EasyLink sensors. I haven't tried this yet but will in the next week or so. We have LabPros and LabQuests for our classes, but it will be fun to try the Nspire anyway.

I have not been so impressed with a calculator since my very first HP-15C too many years ago. It's even more impressive than my first professional slide rule! I very rarely gush about a product, but this device is something I have been looking for a very long time.

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Product Description:
TI-Nspire CAS w/ Touchpad