In truth, calculators are nothing more than well-programmed, application specific, miniature computers. Some are even simple enough to be operated by a preschooler. Moreover, they are inexpensive enough to purchase for home use or as a classroom set. Graphing calculators, which bring the power of computer visualization to all students, can cost less than a pair of trendy new tennis shoes an entire class set can be purchased for approximately the same amount of money it would cost to buy one fully equipped computer, which would only serve two students at a time. Calculators simplify tasks, but they do not do the real work for the student.
Calculators enable students to focus more on the whys of mathematics than on the hows.
And they facilitate the formulation and testing of conjectures and the verification of solutions, since students questions and suppositions can now be answered almost instantly. Mathematical investigations that were not possible just a few years ago are now explored with ease by students, opening the door for them to make more complex and insightful discoveries. Calculators are able to perform arithmetic operations and algebraic manipulations with much greater speed and accuracy than can humans. No one uses slide rules today because calculators are better tools for the job. In addition to speeding up computations and allowing for more class time to be spent on learning real mathematics, calculators serve several other important purposes.