Texas Instruments has dominated the graphing-calculator market for decades, with its devices becoming a routine back-to-school purchase since the early 2000s. The article previews a Version History podcast episode examining how TI established and maintained this unusually durable position in classrooms.

The episode features David Pierce, Nilay Patel and Victoria Song, and forms part of the podcast’s fifth season, which explores influential educational technologies. It is the second episode in a back-to-school series that will also cover The Oregon Trail, One Laptop Per Child, Chromebooks, LeapPads and overhead projectors, with episodes available through several podcast and social-media platforms.