I just bought a TI-Nspire, but haven't received it yet. It's the first non-HP Scientific calculator I have ever bought. I have a lot of mixed feelings about it but I'm getting tired of waiting for HP to come out with a competing unit.
There was an earlier topic about a new Nspire coming out and in my research of the Nspire family, it now has four models; the TI-Nspire with Clickpad, the TI-Nspire CAS with Clickpad, the TI-Nspire with Touchpad, and the TI-Nspire CAS with Touchpad. The clickpad version is the original and the Touchpad is new but a little different and the screen is the same for all four units, 320 x 240 pixels, around 115 DPI and 16-level gray-scale with no touching the screen for input. The big hardware difference is the new keypad that separates alpha and numeric keys and owners of the original Nspire will be able to order the new keypads for $10. There is a major update to the OS to version 2.0 but I don't know if it's a big improvement or not.
I'm not sure if I'm going to like this unit, being so spoiled by HPs, but I've been curious about the Nspire ever since it came out. I almost bought one then but when I read the reviews, it turned me off so I waited, hoping HP would release a new generation unit to compete with the Nspire. Since HP has written off the school market and focuses on the Financial profession, I wonder if HP will ever release a new HP scientific to replace the 50g (that's NOT an update)?
I have had a 50g for several years and like it but it's basically a revamped 49g+ (which I also have), which is an update to the 49g (which I have), which is an update to the 48gx (I have several), which ...etc. After being at HHC 2009 and learning about just how small their calculator development division is and what they have to deal with, at present they can barely turn out one or two 'upgraded' calculators a year.
Sorry to be such a downer, but I am getting tired of reading and discussing HP's past successes. What is HP doing today to keep up with the scientific/engineering market? Are their products so good and ahead of the competition they can wait to come out with new products? Or are they just looking at where they can get the most bang for the buck? Where is the innovation and long-term view? That's what excited me about my first HP-45 and later sold it to buy to the HP-55 (which I still have). Something so unlike anything I had seen before that excited me just by looking at it and to hell with the price. When I saw it in the Base Exchange (I was in the Air Force at the time), I borrowed money from my girl friend to get enough cash to buy it. I didn't care who... opps, I mean what I had to sell to get it, I WANT IT, NOW! That's also how I felt about the HP-41 then and which I still collect and work on today. No wonder my wife thinks I'm crazy.
I also wanted an HP-97 back then but it was just too much money. I had to wait over 25 years and now I have two of them. I'm so glad to have them but I rarely use them. What's that all about?
Anyway, Feeling frustrated today,
Gerry
Edited: 10 Mar 2010, 1:46 p.m.