Aw, when I was an exchange student in Japan, all I had was my Casio graphing calculator (ironically bought in Norway, as it was one of a few required/approved for use on exams). The limited programming language was rather awful, but I still managed to implement plotting a zirpensky gasket, and a mandelbrot set (in black and white. The mandelbrot took roughly three hours to render, as I recall. I'd just start it, and leave it in my bag, and check it after a few periods... it was a little bit like self-mutilation -- but also a great feeling when you manage to make something like you intended, despite the limitations of the system... I had bought a copy of "The Mathematical Tourist: Snapshots of Modern Mathematics" by Peterson. A great and fun update on math, with pretty pictures. And enough detail that I could implement eg. the mandelbrot generator :-)

I'm not too sad to see old calculators go -- I'm just hoping we'll get something like python notebooks on smart phones used in the classroom. Might have some problems with the networking... maybe there's a marked for an android pad that doesn't have any wireless hw?

In Norway those Casio calculators were also approved for use at the college level -- but they were stupidly banned, because you could flash the rom, and store all sorts of useful things on them. Really stupid IMNHO, because if you can solve the (college level/sen. high school level) exam with the help of some utility or other -- or just a large book -- the exam is probably structured very poorly.

There was an initiative to move to "open book exams" -- where you were allowed to basically bring any books/notes you wanted. I think it was great -- the questions were a little harder -- and you still had to know the subject matter or you'd run out of time before completing -- but I think it encouraged better tests than when you could essentially administer a glorified spelling test for any subject.