Hello, I am looking into getting a TI-Nspire CAS model and while searching around found the touchpad model.
I was wondering if anybody has experience with the touchpad on the Nspire CAS. Why is it somewhat cheaper than the regular TI-Nspire CAS? Does it have any fewer functions? Which one would you recommend, the CAS with or without the touchpad?
Would another calculator be better for AP Calculus and math in college?
The TI-Nspire CAS with Touchpad was just recently released by Texas Instruments. It has the same functionability as the one with the clickpad, and to be honest, after using both, I do not see the great advantage of the touchpad. If you are going to buy a TI-Nspire CAS, get the one with the touchpad. It is cheaper (I can't explain why it is cheaper than the one with the clickpad. I wondered the same thing.), and because the keypad is removable, it can be upgraded if a new keypad is ever released. It also will have better support from Texas Instruments because it is newer.
Another comparable model is the TI-89 Titanium. Although this is an older calculator, it does almost the same things as the TI-Nspire CAS. The Nspire CAS was built off the CAS in the TI-89. All of the flaws of the TI-89 CAS are present on the TI-Nspire. The TI-89 has much better programs available. You can get programs that can do Riemann Sums, for example, that are not available for the TI-Nsprie. Although the technology is older, it still does the job just as good, and in many cases better, than the TI-Nspire CAS.
I would reccomend that you get the TI-Nspire CAS if you are not interested in programs to enhance the built in calculator functions, but if you want to use programs to make your calculator better, buy a TI-89 Titanium. A good website for calculator programs is www.ticalc.org
Good luck with AP Calculus!
Apparently TI are no longer providing support for the TI-89, which has 'forced' a lot of people to have to 'upgrade' to the TunI-Nspire CAS.Originally Posted by sleigh
The TI-Nspire CAS with Touchpad was just recently released by Texas Instruments. It has the same functionability as the one with the clickpad, and to be honest, after using both, I do not see the great advantage of the touchpad. If you are going to buy a TI-Nspire CAS, get the one with the touchpad. It is cheaper (I can't explain why it is cheaper than the one with the clickpad. I wondered the same thing.
Another comparable model is the TI-89 Titanium. Although this is an older calculator, it does almost the same things as the TI-Nspire CAS. The Nspire CAS was built off the CAS in the TI-89. All of the flaws of the TI-89 CAS are present on the TI-Nspire. The TI-89 has much better programs available. You can get programs that can do Riemann Sums, for example, that are not available for the TI-Nsprie. Although the technology is older, it still does the job just as good, and in many cases better, than the TI-Nspire CAS.
I would reccomend that you get the TI-Nspire CAS if you are not interested in programs to enhance the built in calculator functions, but if you want to use programs to make your calculator better, buy a TI-89 Titanium. A good website for calculator programs is www.ticalc.org
Good luck with AP Calculus!
The Casio Classpad might be worth considering. (I should declare a significant personal bias against TI because of its commercial decision to stop support of the TI-89, a CAS calculator I am very fond of).
I don't know if the Casio Classpad would be good to get because I believe it is not allowed to be used on College Board tests (AP Calculus, SAT, other APs). Another comparable model is the HP 50g. I have never used this calculator, but I have read many positive reviews. I still feel that the TI-89 is the best calculator because it is probably the most widely used CAS calculator in the country today and it has great support with programs and online information.
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