Texas Instruments TI-Nspire CX Graphing Calculator

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.

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.

The packaging was a bit deformed, but it is more likely the problem of shipping than the seller. The calculator itself was intuitive and easy to use (if you used a GDC for the first time). For those who are used to TI-84, it may take some time getting used to, but the result is worth it. Graph processing, inputting functions, calculating definite integrates and so on uses 50% less time than the TI-84, and is much easier. The UI clarifies numbers, and the better LED screen really helps me to lessen my mistakes of copying wrong values through the use of a more natural font. SAT, AP and IB all approves this model, along with others. I highly recommend this calculator, because the time you spent typing those chunky expressions (made faster through the mini keyboard) will be saved dramatically, giving you that much-needed extra two or three minutes to finish off that last crazy hard math problem. (Not to mention the ability to "cheat" by using the graph to derive vertices directly from a given function, rather than going through the standard process of algebra) it helps you to kill all those easy questions in seconds.There are several problems though.The 3D modeling component is a bit less intuitive and hard to manipulate, and lacks certain features (though if they allowed, they will be banned from being used in high school level tests)It is hard to delete certain features (as required by IB)In some schools, you may have a hard time learning how to use your calculator if TI-84 is the standard used by teachers. That happened to me, but I was able to catch up within a week, and me being faster than my classmates helped push me to being top in mathematics (seriously, I got 10 more marks than the second SIMPLY because I had more time to do the harder questions because of the calculator)

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.