Snapshot of calculator comparisons

For some people, including myself, computer algebra has been a natural part of life, but there are many more that could make good use of such assistance, who have hardly heard of it. The idea of making computing engines perform algebraic, rather than just numerical, calculations was an early one, and some small steps in this direction were taken in the 1940s. As a research topic it developed during the 1960s and 1970s, but it is with the increased availability of powerful machines that the subject has become suitable for a mass market. Even the usual personal or home computers are now capable of providing an algebraic service.