Interesting. Two models (and computer software) - this is certainly looks far better than the ClassPad 300. I only have two irritants: no pricing info yet? And it looks like the software is Windows-only. I thought it was going to be Win/Mac? Am I just remembering a fevered delusion?

*From the article*

*TI-Nspire computer software for Macintosh operating system version 10.4 and later will be available in early 2008.

I am so excited for this... I am going to buy both the day they come out.

Hmmm. I didn't see that. The "Computer Link" page says "running a supported Windows® operating system". I assumed that meant Windows-only. Maybe the Mac version can't link. That's not /too/ bad.

What?!? You can't possibly need both. Perhaps one with the software, but...

I probably won't get one, simply because I'm getting a TI-89 Titanium tomorrow afternoon...

Oh, I definitely want both, one for the CAS, and the other so that I will not need to carry around my 83 plus. For further proof, I already have a Ti-81, Ti-83, 4 Ti-83 pluses, 2 Ti-83 Plus silver Editions, Ti-85, Ti-86, Ti-89, and Ti-89 Titanium.

Dude.

Why no 92 Plus?

Why not an 92 Plus?

Because it is discontinued, and I have no credit card to get one off of E-bay or the likes.

*from the article, again*

The TI-Nspire CAS handheld is priced comparably to the TI-89 Titanium graphing calculator.

Still, priced comparably to the TI-89 Titanium would probably mean that it were more expensive than the TI-89 Titanium.

I think that it is probably better to stick with the TI-89 until more is known.

TI-Nspire CAS will be approximately $10 more than the retail price of TI-89T. TI-Nspire will be approximately $10 more than the retail price of TI-84+SE.

This is intriguing. However, I wonder how teachers will react to it, because it does offer saving features and more. Also, is there a detailed spec sheet?

Haha, I misread that as "daylight saving features".

Haha, I litereally laughed out loud at that.

Haha, I literally laughed out loud at that. :P

Very interesting... the 84+ snap-in keyboard is something else. I can't imagine any teachers actually getting a class set of these things to make its power useful. That thing must go for at least $250 each. Too bad it doesn't have a good "actual" video of a unit in use.

You know, I just noticed on the webpage--there is a Reset button on the back so teachers can blast the unit's memory. Scary.

B-L-ECH! Eww! Yuck! That is NOT a good idea on TI's part.

Not really. If they have a class set, it takes forever to erase each unit before the test (I know - I was the one who did it). This is easier on them, and you can always refuse to let them reset /your/ unit, and use a class calculator. If you get really ambitious, you can desolder it and take it out.

The problem is that quick reset buttons lend themselves very easily to annoying pranksters/bullies. They also make it easy to accidentally reset your calculator during transport.

Not that big of a deal. Your documents autosave constantly and the reset only reboots the device. It doesn't clear the memory. You have to go deep into the menus to do that.

That's actually a really good idea - a way to bring it out of a hung program without pulling the batteries or losing data.

Except that he's wrong. But it /is/ a good idea.

No, the reset button does not blow away the memory. It only reboots it in case it freezes or crashes.

I quote form the "Exam Acceptance" page: "Quickly and easily prepare TI-Nspire and TI-Nspire CAS handhelds for test day. Educators can simply press a reset button located on the back of each unit. "

To make this actually useful, you'd have to delete all programs and APPs from the calculators - if you kept all your data, you could use that to cheat (notes in text files as well as programs).

Also, I suspect the button is one of those paper clip/ballpoint pen reset buttons to prevent accidental resets.

Of course, those buttons are DESIGNED to prevent accidents, that doesn't mean they DO prevent accidents. ;-) They're also very easy to hit by a school bully.

If you ask me, for the "reset" feature to work like the TI website says, it would have to clear out all the memory. Ouuch.

Of course, someone could just make a memory-resident program that disables the Reset button, so it doesn't matter anyway.

Thanks; that's exactly what I was trying to say.

No.. not exactly... I heard something about a "testing mode" from people going to T3. I'm guessing TI doesn't like thee fact that in early models the only way was clear everything.

If it's like the 84+'s "test mode" oddness, that could be. It would seem, to make sense, and be workable. I hope you're right - that seems lots better than the alternative (s).

I, for one, would welcome a reset button. I have pulled a battery out & reinserted it so many times on my TI-92+ that the springs are wearing out (causing random crashes if the calculator is hit too hard & wiggles the batteries), & my TI-86 appears to be headed the same way (though it has better springs, I sometimes program it using machine language directly from memory, which results in lots of crashes if & when I goof).

It occurs to me that an MMU would mostly alleviate the need for a reset button without the teacher-initiated memory clearing effect. But, of course, that would not be very good for the unit's perception as a calculator (since then it could easily run Linux even without the noMMU patch). So I guess I want a calculator with an MMU instead.

Retail for TI-Nspire, with the TI-83/84 keypad, is approximately $10 more than the TI-84+SE.