TI-Nspire CAS Graphing Calculator

by Texas Instruments

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 3.9 x 1.1 inches ; 2 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B000QSX9EK
• Item model number: NSCAS/PWB/1L1
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (77 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank:
  • #8 in Electronics > Office Electronics > Calculators > Graphing
• Date first available at Amazon.com: July 7, 2004

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

Developed hand-in-hand with educators worldwide and built on proven educational graphing technology and methods, the Texas Instruments Ti-nspire CAS Graphing Calculator represents the latest development in advanced educational tools. Some this calculator's unique features let you see multiple representations of a problem individually or together on a single screen and the ability to dynamically link representations of a problem to see how changes to one affect other problems. This calculator also lets you grab and move graphed functions in real time to observe relationships and patterns, and the calculator saves work in documents, similar to a computer. Ideal for classroom use, the calculator's press-to-test feature blocks access to certain geometry features not allowed on exams. You can use this TI graphing calculator on the PSAT and SAT college entrance exams and on AP tests.

Product Description

Developed hand-in-hand with educators worldwide and built on proven educational graphing technology and methods, the Texas Instruments Ti-nspire CAS Graphing Calculator represents the latest development in advanced educational tools. Some this calculator's unique features let you see multiple representations of a problem individually or together on a single screen and the ability to dynamically link representations of a problem to see how changes to one affect other problems. This calculator also lets you grab and move graphed functions in real time to observe relationships and patterns, and the calculator saves work in documents, similar to a computer. Ideal for classroom use, the calculator's press-to-test feature blocks access to certain geometry features not allowed on exams. You can use this TI graphing calculator on the PSAT and SAT college entrance exams and on AP tests.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

89 of 93 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Stick with the TI-89, February 27, 2009

By 

P. Carboni - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: TI-Nspire CAS Graphing Calculator (Office Product)

This is a calculator with tons of potential, however it is not nearly as user friendly as every other TI graphing calculator is. I'm an AP Calculus teacher and ordered one of these through school funds to test out. It can do everything that the TI-89 does and has much more potential than the TI-89, but the thought of teaching my students to use one of these just scares the bejesus out of me.

Pros:
1. Large screen with good resolution.
2. little green letter buttons make it easier to enter commands.
3. WYSIWYG typing means you don't have to remember calculator syntax. It's much easier to enter a definite integral or limit.
4. Graphing window allows you to graph rectangular, polar, and parametric equations simultaneously.
5. Click and drag feature on the graph screen is nice.

Cons:
1. The letter buttons are always in the way while I'm trying to enter numbers.
2. Screen can be difficult to read.
3. There is not a model that hooks up to a TI presenter. It does come with software where you can use a computer version of the calculator (assuming you have an LCD projector), but it's much slower than simply hitting actual buttons.
4. Finding max, min, roots, and intersections takes longer than on the TI-89.
5. When you do find the things from my #4 con, the calculator displays them right in the middle of the graphing screen, so you have to click and drag them out of the way to continue viewing the graph.
6. The "y=" screen is included as part of the graph screen, taking up graphing space.
7. Viewing a function table isn't difficult, but I can't figure out how to view a window containing ONLY the function table. It splits the screen with the graph on the left and the table on the right. This keeps you from being able to see several function values at the same time. Also I can't figure out how to close the table. I'm sure there's an easy way, but due to the completely inadequate user manual I have no idea what it is.
EDIT: I figured out how to view a function table on a different page/tab in the calculator, so the split screen problem is solved and it's much easier to close the function table. It still is not very intuitive at all and if I weren't very tech savvy I'd have never figured it out.
8. I have yet to find a differential equation graphing mode, and internet searches lead me to believe there isn't one. Why in the world would TI include this with the TI-89 and not with their new, supposed top-of-the-line model?

I may edit this as I find more pros or cons. I've had this calculator for 3 or 4 months and I do get it out on occasion to give it another shot, but each time I'm just as disappointed as the last. I keep think it just has a steep learning curve and I'll eventually catch on but it's not happening. That being the case, I have a feeling that if I tried to get my students to use this calculator I would be spending too much time just teaching them to use it.

If this calculator was only $50 and the TI-89 Titanium stayed at about $150 I'd still encourage my students to get the 89.

63 of 68 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Great Potential - Needs Work, April 26, 2008

By 

M. Atherton - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: TI-Nspire CAS Graphing Calculator (Office Product)

I've been working with this calculator for more than two months. My advice? Wait! Wait for updates and upgrades. First, I have to agree with another reviewer who was so angry with the documentation: it's awful. Harks back to the early 1980s when the only way to know what a computer could do was to try it. Trying to figure out how to do even the simplest of operations sometimes required an hour's worth of searching, at times with no resolution. The most helpful thing I've done so far is to print out the entire function manual and read through it page by page, but even this won't help you with specific button operations. Also, if I call technical support and they say they'll have to call me back, I expect to be called back. I don't expect to never hear from them again. Very, very annoying. Lacks class and corporate integrity.

I'm also unhappy with the screen. Although it has excellent resolution, it is very difficult to see unless the ambient light is bright, if not you have to tilt it at just the right angle to see anything. I don't know if it's technologically possible, but backlighting might help significantly. Also, they might want to work on providing 3D graphics.

There are also some operating system tweaks they need to make. For example, in the calculator mode Tab key will move you to the next part of the expression, but in graphing mode it appears to function the same as the Enter key and prematurely enters the expression.

There is also an operating system bug. It appears that if you "grab" something and you allow the calculator to auto power down it locks up. Doing a "soft reset" by pressing the button on the back will not unlock the system. You have to do a "hard reset" by removing a battery.

So what do I like? Almost everything else. I love the wysiwyg interface! It's as if you could actually do calculations with the MS equation editor. I haven't had a problem using the buttons. Also, the calculator is incredible powerful, there are a huge range of functions and operations. Final word: wait for them to solve the problems I've outlined above and then buy one.

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Completely Illegal, yet lots of fun., August 18, 2008

By 

W. W. Taylor (amarillo, tx United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: TI-Nspire CAS Graphing Calculator (Office Product)

After using this calculator throughout 10th grade Algebra II, I thought I might as well get around to writing a review of this newest TI product.

The Pros:
Elegant and efficient solver screen. This calculator does everything: it solves equations, matrices (in pretty print, no less), factors, solves systems of equations...just about anything you ask it to. I could *almost* use this calculator exclusively in algebra class and sleep through the lectures. The only problem I ever had with it was when I wanted it to "complete the square;" a rather obnoxious process in Algebra that takes forever to do by hand. The prevalent pretty print is nice, and I agree with the reviewer who said that parentheses errors are a thing of the past with this calculator...as well as fractional errors, radical errors, order of operations errors, etc...

The Cons:
Just like most of the other reviews said, terribly documented. Figuring out this calc is a real hit-or-miss, guess-and-check process. I cannot access half of the graphing features on this calc, and I don't even know where to begin when doing stat plots. The ability to run split-screen programs is nice; especially if your problem asks for the XY chart of a graph. However, finding intercepts, linear-or-quadratic regression, stat plot trends, etc, are all pretty much lost in translation, and I don't have the time to figure the features out in the middle of a test. Thus, even though I have the calculator that can do everything, I still need to use my TI-84 at times, which draws jeers from my classmates (as in "Geez, how many calculators do you NEED?!"). Also, this calculator is prohibited on almost all standardized tests, as well as most school tests, due to its ability to solve equations, so it loses value right there. Minor issues include screen contrast and button placement (I have big thumbs, and often times, the side of my finger inadvertently hits those annoying little letter keys). One further problem is that the N-Spire's keyboard features different keystrokes from the scholastic standard TI-84, so you have to adapt to classroom demonstrations on the fly, which can get annoying while trying to take rapid notes.

Overall, I love this completely illegal piece of cutting edge technology, but be forewarned: get your PhD in rocket science first if you want to use all this calculator's features, because you sure will need it. Or else, bring your TI-84 along as backup and endure the jeers of your classmates.