Steve Ouellette

The TI-Nspire device is the most sophisticated handheld graphing calculator available, allowing users to display and evaluate values symbolically, and to reuse the same equations across multiple applications. Because it’s so sophisticated, navigating its features can sometimes be confusing. It helps to know a variety of methods of achieving your aims with the device.

Press [MENU]→Graph Type→Function to switch to function graphing mode on the TI-Nspire. Alternatively, move to the entry line and press [CTRL][MENU]→Function. Two different piecewise function templates are available. The Piecewise template (2-piece) allows you to create expressions and conditions for two restricted functions.

The TI-Nspire (Touchpad or Clickpad) can operate with two different keypads (not at the same time): the TI-Nspire keypad and a TI-84 Plus Keypad. When the TI-Nspire keypad is installed, you are using TI-Nspire. When the TI-84 Plus Keypad is installed, your handheld device works exactly like any TI-84 Plus Silver Edition device.

The TI-Nspire's Scratchpad consists of two parts: Calculate and Graph. Pressing the Scratchpad key, which looks like a small calculator, once accesses one part, and pressing it again toggles to the other part. Alternatively, pressing [CLICK] on the tabs at the top of the Scratchpad to toggle from one to the other.

Data contained within the TI-Nspire Lists & Spreadsheet application can be analyzed from within the Calculator application. For example, you might be interested in viewing the one-variable statistical results of the Total list from the two-dice sum experiment. Follow these steps: Press [MENU]→Statistics→Stat Calculations→One-Variable Statistics.

Sometimes when you're using a computer, you get into typing mode. Call it laziness if you want, but you might not really feel like accessing a symbol palette or catalog to insert the symbol or command that you need. Incidentally, the first seven shortcuts also work on the handheld: To enter π, type pi. To enter θ, type theta.

Shortcuts are available to help you quickly navigate documents on your TI-Nspire, allowing you to move from problem to problem, page to page, application to application, and even to change your view. They are as follows: Display previous page: Ctrl-◄ Display next page: Ctrl-► Switch between applications

Is the display on your TI-Nspire too bright, not bright enough, or need to be turned off? These shortcuts will modify the display on your TI-Nspire quickly: Increase contrast: Ctrl-+ Decrease contrast: Ctrl-– Power off: Ctrl-On

A TI-Nspire file that holds problems and pages is a document. You can manage your TI-Nspire documents with these shortcuts or use them to access the Document and Context menus: Access the Documents menu: Doc Access the Context menu (right-click): Ctrl-Menu Open Document: Ctrl-O Close Document: Ctrl-W