Well this software is really like a calculator, but it can do 1000 times more than what a regular graphing calculator can do. It has it's own programming language as well but I figured it'd best fit in this topic. I just recently started learning how to use this program in my computer class and it has so many possiblities. If there isn't a built in function to perform the operation you need, you can program one yourself. Maple can do 3D graphs, tell you whether a number is prime, but that's only the begining. It's really hard to explain all of the possibilities, you sort of have to see for yourself. It is used a lot in Scientific Research, Engineering, and Architecture. I plan to use it for Calculus next year.

One of the demos shows how they made a model of a car and tested it in animation. This link will show you some of the basics.
http://maplesoft.com/products/Maple11/Demo/Pro/index.aspx

It is really a complex tool and I'm only learning the basics. It runs around $1900 but I was able to purchase one through my school for $50. If you are a student you can purchase it for $99. To learn more about the software, their website is http://maplesoft.com If anyone has ever used it, I'd like to hear what you use it for to help explain what the program can do.

I have never used Maple, but I'm running Mathematica 6 which seems similar and really does a good job with very difficult operations that most symbolic calculators can't do, and it also has nice 2D/3D graphing power. What a pity that you can't have these tools during exams, they would come so handy...