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…)

EDIT/UPDATE: If you are taking any math beyond pre-algebra or algebra 1 you will need at a minimum the TI-Nspire CX-CAS and NOT the TI-Nspire CX. The other version is better for algebra 2 and beyond. I typed in the command to extend a ploynomial and the TI-Nspire CX had a pop up that said, "try the TI-Nspire CX-CAS" It's a great calculator all the same, I really wish I had known it was not advanced enough when I bought it about 3 weeks ago. I have my second math exam tomorrow and will have to familiarize myself with the TI-Nspire CX-CAS tonight. Thanks to Amazon's same day shipping it's only a minor set back. Immediately worth it. Many years ago, I was loaned a TI 81/82/83 to use in school. I never bought one. It never occurred to me that a newer version would make that much of a difference. I thought, "I can use my phone for graphing and stuff or a computer program." I never gave much thought to a futuristic TI-Nspire graphing calculator. I had a scientific calculator and was mostly a C student in math, until now. Now I'm in college algebra at Thomas Edison State University and I saw my math score go from the 80% range to the 90%+ range. I became an A student with this calculator. Having the right tools for education make all the difference in the world. I absolutely recommend investing in your future with a good graphing calculator and for college students this is a must have. I was completely floored by the trackpad style cursor button! It was pretty easy to use. I haven't used a graphing calculator in 12-ish years, but I picked this one up and it was familiar enough that I could immediately graph and perform algebraic calculations. It came just in time, despite our Nor-easter storm. I used it today for my first college algebra test, graphing, functions, systems and all that fun stuff. I love that this calculator is the perfect blend of the classic TI calculators with some futuristic feeling features that make it a little more zazzy than the older non-backlit 8 bit pixelated clunky calcuators. This one is light and holds a charge and can work for a long time off a single charge. No more eating batteries the way the old ones did. It's also super light. I was nervous about the purchase at first but it is 100% worth it.

I bought this calculator for my daughter who is in ninth grade. Ninth grade! I was a bit shocked when I heard the graphing calculator requirements so early. Maybe that's a good thing, I thought. Maybe she'll be cranking out high-level mathematical graphilicious graphs of doom. With the power of this TI Nspire CX Graphing Calculator in her hands, my daughter could one day rule the world. Okay, that's not really how it went down. In truth, I was miffed. I just spent a few hundred dollars in school fees and now I was being asked to purchase an expensive calculator for a class I was sure wouldn't be using it to the full potential. At best, I figured maybe some brainiac would show the other kids in the class how they could script little games and build funny functions of prepubescent bliss. I guess tech familiarization under the guise of math isn't the worst thing we've got going for us, so I bought in. I pulled up Amazon and started pricing the requested models. The TI-Nspire CX was at the top of the range, but I found a used one for a killer deal. The description indicated the device had only been used one semester by a college student and the pictures looked good. A swift discount and a click to buy later and we were both happy campers! My daughter got props from the teachers for showing up with such a nice calculator with its fancy color screen. And I got the cool dad points for getting a kick butt calc for the price of the standard lower end comparables. I love you, Amazon.

Admittedly somewhat disappointed in the product, however I’ll start with the pros. I love the backlit color screen! One of the main reasons I got another calculator was due to working later at night and needed more than adequate light to see my original ti-nspires screen. Being a non cas variant also allows me to use this on tests which is a plus. Having owned a ti-nspire in the past, the controls were quick to pick up. I like being able to charge the battery, instead of expending AA or AAA’s. The calculator is just as zippy and I think it serves all of its purposes nicely. The biggest grief I have with the product is the build quality. It feels like it was built from cheap, thin plastic. The calculator itself is unreasonably light, the clicks although audible leave something to be desired. You have to push relatively hard on each switch to get the input. The keys roll left and right, which just screams poorly made, as if they couldn’t make them the right size for each hole. Theirs a sizeable gap around each side of the touch pad and I can actually see the board underneath. The cover snaps on way too tight, and I feel like I’m going to break the calculator from trying to pry it open. It just feels like a cheap plastic toy to me which is the complete opposite of my original ti-nspire cas. Considering the price point that these sit at, I think we can take a step in a better direction. I understand cutting back on weight a little as the original ti-nspire is a brick to hold, but it fits well in your hand and it feels like it will last me a lifetime. The buttons have a soft tactile feedback with each push and I can’t stress this enough, the buttons actually fit their holes. It seems like such a simple thing, but it shows that they took their time with the design. You see this type of quality in cheap $5 calculators and even those often times get it right.

Ideal para la Escuela