Computers were invented to help mathematicians perform long and complicated calculations more efficiently. By the time that a computing area became a familiar space in primary and secondary schools, the initial motivation for computer use had been submerged in the many other functions that modern computers now accomplish. Not only the mathematics department used computers, but every other discipline insisted on access for word processing, data storage and retrieval, and the Internet. In fact, many mathematics departments decided not to compete with other departments for use of the computer laboratory, and shifted to an emphasis on programmable calculators which were cheaper for every student to obtain and easier to carry to wherever they were needed by the class or at home.