I’m always interested in computer tools for teaching math. I recently heard about Algebrator by SoftMath and have been checking out the online animated demos. Seems like this is a good tool for students needing help with basic concepts (kind of like a fixed-cost home tutor) or for teachers to create lessons and use as an interactive teaching aid. I suppose it might also be useful for technical professionals wishing to quickly solve complex algebra problems, but most people I know already use Mathematica, Maple, or something similar. Given a cost of about sixty bucks, it seems that individual students and teachers are the primary market for Algebrator.
There does not seem to be an online demo, so I can’t check it out in more detail. If anyone is using this tool, I’d be interested in your feedback. Check out Algebrator here.
The Algorithmist 
For one twelfth the price of that Algebrator site, a student could use http://www.guaranteach.com and be just as satisfied.
Guaranteach features thousands of videos on all kinds of K-12 math subjects, which the students can tailor to their own learning styles. If you haven’t yet, I would go look over the site. They also do have a free demo, unlike Algebrator.
I’ll check it out, although given it’s a monthly subscription, that 1/12th seems to only apply for one month, and you seem to be comparing a series of static videos with a software tool that offers freeform data entry. Even so, I always like to have links to good resources 🙂 Free trials are always appreciated. thx.
If you or any of your readers wants to see more about Guaranteach, there is a promotional code you can use to try the site for free for 31 days. When signing up for the site, simply enter the promotional code ‘Algorithm’.
thx – I’m sure readers will appreciate this.