We were allowed calculators too, but the problems were designed that anyone even mildly good at mental math didn't need them. In theory you could teach all of calculus without ever even using numbers (perhaps except 0).

Yes.

It's been so long since I took calculus but that's the reason why we weren't allowed calculators in my Calculus class. All the formulas needed for the test were also provided (as we weren't being graded on our memorization skills either)

My professor also said don't bother doing simple arithmetic just to simplify an answer - leave it at 12/56 or whatever.

Turns out, it was a really, really great system.

Mathematica, on the other hand...

Lets see if the kids know how to multiply fractions:

factorial(256) times ( 1 divided by factorial(256) ) equals ?

And yes, there will unfortunately be kids trying to brute force it by typing it in instead of cancelling the factorial(256).

I think the 89 is awesome for algebra because typing in an equation and doing an ans(1) with an operation will let you do the algebra process without making stupid arithmetic mistakes. I wish someone made a calculator that does this only and not one that does all the other CAS tricks for integration and derivatives. Oh and I wish they would make it RPN but that is a whole other story.