This is a pricey but versatile calculator.  Yes, there are better, more advanced calculators out there for the advanced mathematics and scientific user.  And yes, this item should be priced much lower than it is, considering it has been on the market for a long time.  However, for use in an academic setting, consider that there exists a lot of  teaching materials out there in the classrooms, as well as activities, that are built around this model.  So, because of that, this model has survived all this time.