Parents Find Back-to-School Value in TI-Nspire™ with Touchpad Graphing Calculator from Texas Instruments

Learning Tool Fosters Math and Science Learning from Middle School through College

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Aug 10, 2010, 05:06 ET

DALLAS, Aug. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Getting kids ready to go back to school can be a budget busting task. And while children may outgrow their new outfits or consider last year's backpack a fashion faux pas, parents don't have to get frustrated over their student's shopping whims when it comes to choosing a graphing calculator for math and science classes.

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One Graphing Calculator for Algebra through College-Level Math

With an investment in the Texas Instruments TI-Nspire™ with Touchpad graphing calculator, parents can purchase one product that students can use from middle school through college. The graphing calculator, which comes with TI-Nspire Student Software for the home computer, gives students the flexibility to do their homework at school, at home or anywhere they go. With the TI-Nspire Student Software, students can view their work in more detail on their larger computer screens. The computer software also supports color for vibrant views of graphs and charts.

Shane Poole, a senior from Grapevine, Texas, said that the TI-Nspire with Touchpad has made learning math easier and more interactive. "It's more interactive than a worksheet. You can move the graphs around to see what happens when you change things. The touchpad and the keypad are more convenient. The layout is a lot easier to use and it is a lot easier to access functions."

Poole, a member of the TI-Nsiders online student community, added that he uses the student software for more typing-intensive projects such as reports and for sharing his work. The color graphs, he said, make it easier to see the detail.

TI-Nspire with Touchpad also includes instructions on how to order a TI-84 Plus keypad at no extra charge by mail. This TI-84 Plus keypad can be interchanged with the TI-Nspire Touchpad keypad giving students the option to choose between two calculator models, in a single purchase. The keypad options and the software make the TI-Nspire with Touchpad a great three-in-one value.

Free, Online Homework Help

With a TI-Nspire purchase, students receive 25 minutes of free online homework help from Tutor.com. Just enter the calculator's I.D. number at http://www.tutor.com/ti/ and create an account or sign on to an existing account to access tutors in algebra, trigonometry, chemistry, calculus, physics and other subjects. This offer is limited to one registration per person. Students can download additional resources on TI's Student Zone.

Standardized Test Preparation and Use

The TI-Nspire with Touchpad graphing calculator comes with access to free, downloadable test preparation questions for SAT, ACT and AP exams from Princeton Review, and is also permitted for use on SAT*, AP*, ACT**, IB®, PSAT/NSMQT*, and Praxis™ exams, as well as many state standardized tests.

Retail Availability and Pricing

The TI-Nspire with Touchpad graphing calculator is available at leading office supply and national retailers including Staples, Office Depot, Best Buy and Wal-Mart. A full list of retailers carrying TI products is available at http://education.ti.com/us/purchase.

About Texas Instruments

Texas Instruments (NYSE: TXN) helps customers solve problems and develop new electronics that make the world smarter, healthier, safer, greener and more fun. A global semiconductor company, TI innovates through manufacturing, design and sales operations in more than 30 countries. For more information, visit www.ti.com.

* SAT, AP and PSAT/NSMQT are registered trademarks of the College Entrance Examination Board. ** ACT is a registered trademark of ACT, Inc. IB is a registered trademark of the International Baccalaureate Organization. Praxis is a trademark of the Educational Testing Service. The Princeton Review is a registered trademark of The Princeton Review, Inc. These organizations were neither involved in the production of this product, nor do they endorse it.

SOURCE Texas Instruments