If you press [math] and select the >Frac option, it will convert the answer back into fractional form.

I don't believe that anything you've described has changed for the CE.

You can view answers as fractions, just as you've always been able to, by using the ►Frac conversion:



If you really need more than 8 digits of precision from coordinates on the graph screen, you can view the coordinate values on the home screen, just as you've always been able to:

Basically, I'm researching this for a high school math student. I'm deciding between the TI-84 Plus and the TI-84 Plus CE.

Can anyone comment on the protective cover that comes with the TI-84 Plus CE? I've read multiple reviews that state that it leaves a small gap at the top of the screen, which can allow a pencil or something else to fall in and scratch the screen. If that's true, how do you overcome that?

I've also read multiple reviews of engineering students and math tutors saying that, if they key too quickly, the keystrokes are not always registered, causing them to have to check and recheck that the buttons were all registered before relying on the result.

From what I understand, the basic black 84Plus has the advantage of being built like a tank and being less likely to get damaged than the CE. In terms of computer connectivity, I researched before buying, but TI put out a new OS for the CE very recently (5.2). 5.1.5 was supposedly compatible with an older Mac running 10.6.8, but 5.2 is only compatible with Macs running 10.10 or 10.11. According to TI's website, the TI-84 Plus is compatible with Mac 10.6.8, but is that actually true? (Mac discussion threads don't seem to support that idea.)

The one obvious advantage of the CE is that the pixels seem crisper and sharper and the graphing function appears inordinately easier to read than the basic 84Plus. The CE also appears to have a rechargeable battery, though it seems like problems with the "deep sleep mode" have come up.

Any advice anyone can offer will be welcome ... and will be shared with my entire school community, all of which are using older computers at home than probably anyone on this board. Thank you!

About the issue with fractions on the TI-84 Plus CE ....

I thought that the CE eliminated the option to format answers as "FRAC-APPROX", which means you can't choose a mode that auto-converts all answers from decimals back to fractions with the CE, the way you could with the TI-84 Plus C. (The C version allowed for AUTO, DEC or FRAC-APPROX.)

It seems like the CE allows you to press [math] and select >Frac, and convert it manually that way, but there isn't an auto-setting for that anymore. I'm not sure why not.

Has this annoyed anyone using this for school?

You'd have to have a pretty small pencil to get in that gap. It's super small, at least on my calculator.

Its more of a problem in the programs than the actual calculator. However, yes sometimes the calculator misses some keypress', but that's usually because of the calculator still turning on and things like that and when you're just typing too fast. Type slower. Big deal.

2 things.
1. Don't drop it. It's not super fragile, but you just shouldn't.
2. Compatibility is something that is always going down. Apple does that all the time themselves. Like iOS 10 isn't compatible with the Ipod 5 when it's the second newest Ipod.

That is a super big advantage. Another is that there is more RAM, and development for it is on the rise above all other calculators. TI and 3rd party developers are now focusing on the CE and improving that.

Yes, however, we get over it. Maybe they'll release it in a newer update.

For the issue with fractions on the TI-84 Plus CE, you can always make an asm program that forces fractions.
Try this
Code:

And run it from the homescreen with the Asm() token
This will force fractional results when it can until you turn the calc off or press [2nd] and [mode]
Once a Zstart-like program is released for the CE, you wil be able to make it run this command on startup and always get fractional results when you turn it on.