The TI-Nspire is a graphing calculator line made by Texas Instruments, with the first version released on 25 September 2007. The calculators feature a non-QWERTY keyboard and a different key-by-key layout than Texas Instruments's previous flagship calculators such as the TI-89 series.
Development
The original TI-Nspire was developed out of the TI PLT SHH1 prototype model, the TI-92 series of calculators released in 1995, and the TI-89 series of calculators released in 1998. In 2011, Texas Instruments released the CX line of their TI-Nspire calculators which effectively replaced the previous generation. The updates included improvements to the original's keyboard layout, an addition of a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, 3D graphing capabilities and reduced form factor. TI got rid of the removable keypad with this generation and therefore, the TI-84 compatibility mode. In 2019, the TI-Nspire CX II was added, with a boost in clock speed and changes to the existing operating system.
Versions The TI-Nspire series uses a different operating system compared to Texas Instruments' other calculators. The TI-Nspire includes a file manager that lets users create and edit documents. As a result of being developed from PDA-esque devices, the TI-Nspire retains many of the same functional similarities to a computer.
TI-Nspire The standard TI-Nspire calculator is comparable to the TI-84 Plus in features and functionality. It features a TI-84 mode by way of a replaceable snap-in keypad and contains a TI-84 Plus emulator. The likely target of this is secondary schools that make use of the TI-84 Plus currently or have textbooks that cover the TI-83 (Plus) and TI-84 Plus lines, and to allow them to transition to the TI-Nspire line more easily. The TI-Nspire started development in 2004. It uses a proprietary SoC of the ARM9 variant for its CPU. The TI-Nspire and TI-Nspire CAS (Computer algebra system) calculators have 32 MB of NAND Flash, 32 MB of SDRAM, and 512 KB of NOR Flash. However, only 20 MB and 16 MB are user-accessible respectively. The TI-Nspire released in two models; a numeric and CAS version. The numeric is similar in features to the TI-84, except with a bigger and higher resolution screen and a full keyboard. The feature that the numeric lacks is the ability to solve algebraic equations such as indefinite integrals and derivatives. To fill in the gap of needing an algebraic calculator, Texas Instruments introduced the second model with the name TI-Nspire CAS. The CAS is designed for college and university students, giving them the feature of calculating many algebraic equations like the Voyage 200 and TI-89 (which the TI-Nspire was intended to replace). However, the TI-Nspire does lack part of the ability of programming and installing additional apps that the previous models had, although a limited version of TI-BASIC is supported, along with Lua in later versions. C and assembly are only possible by Ndless. Because the TI-Nspire lacks a QWERTY keyboard, it is acceptable for use on the PSAT, SAT, SAT II, ACT, AP, and IB Exams.
TI-Nspire CAS The TI-Nspire CAS calculator is capable of displaying and evaluating values symbolically, not just as floating-point numbers. It includes algebraic functions such as a symbolic differential equation solver: deSolve(...), the complex eigenvectors of a matrix: eigVc(...), as well as calculus based functions, including limits, derivatives, and integrals. For this reason, the TI-Nspire CAS is more comparable to the TI-89 Titanium and Voyage 200 than to other calculators. Unlike the TI-Nspire, it is not compatible with the snap-in TI-84 Plus keypad. It is accepted in the SAT and AP exams (without a QWERTY keyboard) but not in the ACT, IB or British GCSE and A level. The body color is grey.
TI-Nspire Touchpad and TI-Nspire CAS Touchpad
On 8 March 2010, Texas Instruments announced new models of the TI-Nspire Touchpad and TI-Nspire CAS Touchpad graphing calculators. In the United States, the new calculator was listed on the TI website as a complement to the TI-Nspire with Clickpad, though it was introduced as a successor to the previous model in other countries. The calculators were released alongside the OS 2.0 update, which featured a number of updates to the user interface and new functions. The keyboards on the touchpad keypads featured a different and less crowded key layout along with the touchpad, which is used for navigation. The touchpad keypads were also compatible with older calculators that are running OS 2.0 or newer. New calculators that were shipped with touchpad keypads supported an optional rechargeable battery. The second generation was available in two models, the TI-Nspire Touchpad and TI-Nspire CAS Touchpad; each model has maintained the color of itself, with the base model being white and black while the CAS is black and gray. While the keyboards of the Nspire Touchpad and the Nspire CAS Touchpad are both removable (to access the AAA batteries), only the Nspire Touchpad is compatible with the TI-84 Plus Keypad that invokes the TI-84 Plus emulator. The Nspire CAS Touchpad keyboard has a slightly rounded top which makes it incompatible with the emulator keypad. To reduce theft of school-owned TI-Nspire calculators, Texas Instruments also introduced the EZ-Spot Teacher Packs with a bright, easy-to-spot, "school bus yellow" frame and slide case. The hardware of both versions are the same, with the only differences being cosmetic. The TI-Nspire calculators that were released after the touchpad TI-Nspires also have EZ-Spot versions.
… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.
