HP Prime vs TI-84 Plus CE for Jr. High and High School

[JDW]

Thank you, Tim.

In all honesty, I am currently only mulling the HP Prime versus the TI-83 Plus or TI-84 Plus CE.

If you don't mind my asking, Tim, how does HP get schools to "think different" (to borrow from Apple) in terms of being more open-minded about their calculator recommendations and calculator assistance to Jr. High and High School students? Most US schools stubbornly stick with TI and TI alone, even though there are better devices out there like the Prime. How does HP make inroads into schools with the Prime when teachers so very strongly embrace the TI-series, especially a calculator they themselves own and have taught with for years, and when these teachers teach from math textbooks that sometimes show pictures of TI calculators and give specific instructions on using them? How does HP overcome that huge barrier to any calculator other than TI, or at least how does HP try to overcome that?

I ask because as a parent I feel a bit like I'm in an awkward position where my hands are tied. Sure, the Prime is on the CollegeBoard list of approved calculators, and sure my kids could step outside the recommendations and just study the Prime on their own. But peer pressure is strong, and so if the rest of their peers are using TI and following the teacher's recommendations, you as a young student feel like an outcast if you have something different, even if what you have is technically better. It's like you are being strong-armed into compliance, and parents of such kids are hesitant to just say, "Don't worry about that and just be independent and choose what's best." It's easy for us parents to say that when we aren't in our kids shoes. Kids are just concerned about pleasing their teacher so they can get the best grades possible with the least resistance.

Thanks.