There are many data collection devices that can be used with the TI-Nspire. I've enjoyed teaching with the CBR2 motion detector, Go! Temp with the USB to mini-USB converter, and many probes that can be plugged into the Easy Link. Many of these are pictured below, including Vernier's dual force range sensor, infrared thermometer, charge sensor, hand dynamometer, sound intensity meter, light intensity sensor, voltage probe, and force plate.
You plug in any sensor and it automatically detects and quickly sets up the graph with appropriate scale and labeled graph. These data collection peripherals are so much more intuitive to use with the TI-Nspire than the TI-83/84. You can learn more about using these probes with the lastest operating system (OS 1.7) at a Physics Nspire Summer Workshop. Physical science teachers would also be interested in these 1.5-day and 3-day workshops. See this link for details about the Indy site.
In the past I've used the TI-Keyboard with the TI-89 or 83/84 to take notes. It was easy to use the Notefolio and convert those files to Word documents. Others have used keyboards with TI-Navigators for the 84 to illicit more robust open responses from students. It is interesting how much some students can write when they have a keyboard.
I've also heard of a speaker being able to plug into a TI-83/84 or 85/86 and you can play songs or use the 83 as a piano, but I haven't tried it myself. I did try to plug a USB keyboard into the TI-Nspire using a USB to mini-USB converter. Let me save you the time, don't do it. You'll need to reset the handheld (remove a battery) because next time you plug something that was designed to work with the Nspire, it won't recognize it. Resetting solves this issue.
There are many variations of what would be nice to have and why they would be useful, either now or in the future. There was a great conversation about this going on at the Nspire Google Group. One person said they would like a keyboard, another a mouse, and another idea was a touchpad. While it could be possible to have a keyboard with a touchpad and a mouse that attaches to the side of the keyboard, can you pick your favorite?
I thought I would try running a poll for a week or so to see if anyone would like to participate in a non-scientific data collection effort. I figured maybe more people would voice their choice if there was anonymity and speed in voting.
Quick Poll: Which TI-Nspire handheld peripheral would you most like to have? (A) mouse, (B) keyboard, (C) touchpad
You can easily submit your vote in the right sidebar that is at the top of this page. [NOTE: This is not sponsored by TI and these add-ons do NOT currently exist, despite how well the picture at the top may have deceived you.]
UPDATE: At the close of the poll, it was a tie with a touchpad mouse getting among the top votes. Nspire users will be pleased to know that they can now (March 2010) get a TI-Nspire Touchpad to replace their old Clickpad. Here is one vendor teachers may be interested in.
