Casio Prizm Graphing Calculator Review

When I attended the Electronic Entertainment Expo in June 2010, I had the pleasure of meeting several folks working the Casio booth. After that meeting, I had the privilege of obtaining and reviewing a Casio Green Slim Projector, the review of which can be read here.

During the review process for the Green Slim, I was also offered the opportunity to review their latest line of graphing calculator known as the Prizm. This calculator won me over instantly with its amazing color LCD display, large button layout (I have relatively large fingers), and state-of-the-art sleek design for the 21^st century student.

FEATURES OF THE CASIO PRIZM GRAPHING CALCULATOR

Technology in the classroom continues to grow. No longer is it an option; it’s a necessity. Blackboards are now smart boards, projectors are overhead, high-definition LCD units, and computer labs are stocked full of the latest PC technology, operating systems, and educational applications.

So where does the graphing calculator fit? In short, every aspect of a student’s life, especially those who are inundated with math and science courses.

For teachers, the Prizm is a solid answer to making the student experiences at home closely match the classroom sessions. With its amazing 3.17″, 216 x 384 high resolution (over 82,000 pixels) Hyper Amorphous Silicon TFT display rocking out over 65,000 colors, students can now experience graphs and charts in full color like they appear in textbooks and computer applications. Gone are the hard-to-read black and white…or even green…displays of boxy graphing calculators on the market today.

Other technical features are listed below for those interested in learning more…or are just geeks like me who love to know this stuff:

• USB 2.0 port
• 16MB max storage capacity (10MB operational)
• Auto power off for either 10 minutes or 60 minutes, approximately
• Weighs a scant half pound with four alkaline batteries installed
• 28 Variables
• Calculation Range: +/-1×10^-99 to +/-9.999999999×10⁹⁹ and 0. 
• Internal operations use 15-digit mantissa.
• Exponential Display Range: Norm 1:10^-2> |x|, |x| ≧10¹⁰ … Norm 2:10^-9>|x|, |x| ≧10¹⁰
• Program Capacity is maxed at 61,440 bytes
• Power consumption numbers range from 250 hours down to about 85 hours depending on the battery type used and the running programs. See Casio’s website for more details.
• At a retail cost of $129.99, this calculator is equitable in cost (or maybe less, depending on inflation) to the Texas Instruments series of graphing calculators most of the twenty- and thirty-somethings remember from our high school years, with so much more to offer.

 THE REAL LIFE TEST

Being that I’m (a) no longer a student and (b) not a math whiz, testing the calculator required me to seek out assistance. Casio, again, answered the call and provided me with their Prizm Education program in a rather large binder.

Practically speaking, the Prizm has so many features it’s mind-boggling. For example, the Prizm comes with 40 pre-loaded pictures that can be used in 8 of the 15 built-in programs that utilize the Picture Plot function. This enables users to plot graphs and curves over familiar shapes from the world we live. Speaking of Picture Plot – as of October 7, 2010, this is the first time this feature has ever been used in a graphing calculator.

Oh, and how about this nifty feature: that USB 2.0 port I mentioned above in the technical features? Yeah, remember that? What could it possibly be used for?  Well recall that Green Slim projector…how about hooking up the Prizm to the Green Slim and having a high definition display that’s even larger? For you teachers, I found this feature to be the most impressive. Need to illustrate how to perform a function on the Prizm to your entire classroom? Use your Green Slim and let them watch you! Of course, the Prizm can output to any PC as well, using the USB port.

I was able to perform basic graphing functions per the Casio Education material, but the real fun I had was hooking it up to my Green Slim and working on a much larger screen area. At my age, I look at things from a teaching perspective rather than a student perspective.

SUMMARY

The Casio Prizm is ground-breaking, dynamic, and robust for the ever-expanding technological requirements in the classroom. It’s sleek design coupled with a beautiful color display compliments the amazing features and technology contained out of the box. Coupling it with a Green Slim projector or a PC expands the capabilities for teachers and students alike.

The 21^st century classroom demands a 21^st century calculator. The Casio Prizm answers that call with confidence.  This product receives two thumbs up from B.T. Robertson.