Why Texas Instruments Graphing Calculators Still Dominate Classrooms

For more than two decades, Texas Instruments graphing calculators have remained a constant item on back-to-school shopping lists for students. The company's calculator division has built a long-standing market dominance that stretches back to the early 2000s and earlier, securing its devices as a standard tool in mathematics classrooms.

stretches back to= 延伸、追溯至過去某個特定的時期或時間點。securing its devices as= 使用現在分詞子句表示主句帶來的結果，指使其設備確立為某種標準工具。

In an episode of The Verge's technology history podcast Version History, journalists David Pierce, Nilay Patel, and Victoria Song discussed how Texas Instruments established control over the calculator market and maintained it for years. The podcast segment forms part of a series focused on classroom technologies and educational devices across recent decades.

forms part of= 構成整體或系列中的一部分。

While software and hardware in schools have evolved significantly, Texas Instruments has kept a strong hold on the market. Analysts and journalists highlight how the company turned classroom calculators into a lasting market monopoly that has persisted across student generations.

kept a strong hold on= 對特定市場或領域保持著強大的控制力或主導地位。turned ... into= 將某事物逐漸轉化或變更為另一種狀態。

學習筆記

文法整理

句型	意思
stretches back to	延伸、追溯至過去某個特定的時期或時間點。
securing its devices as	使用現在分詞子句表示主句帶來的結果，指使其設備確立為某種標準工具。
forms part of	構成整體或系列中的一部分。
kept a strong hold on	對特定市場或領域保持著強大的控制力或主導地位。
turned ... into	將某事物逐漸轉化或變更為另一種狀態。

詞彙整理

單字	意思
long-standing	存在或持續了很長時間的；由來已久的
dominance	身體一側的發育或功能比另一側明顯優越的情況。
securing	安全的；不會受到危險、傷害或損失的
maintained	受到妥善維護而保持良好狀態的
evolved	逐漸發展、演變，形成不同於原來的樣貌或狀態。
persisted	持續存在或維持一段時間，沒有消失或停止。

延伸學習

•TI-83 與 TI-84 等繪圖計算機深度融入美國 SAT、AP 等標準化考試與數學課程體系，使得學校與學生面臨極高的轉換成本。
•「back-to-school shopping lists」（返校用品清單）反映了北美市場的季節性消費現象，特定教育工具被列為學生入學的必備用品。