Technology has always played a role in the mathematics classroom whether it be pencil and paper, tables of logarithms or more recently electronic calculators or computers. Furthermore, the introduction of a new technology has always presented a challenge for teachers of mathematics. Of these technologies, the cheap handheld CAS is the latest and perhaps the most challenging of all. In this presentation we will look back at the way that technology has been used in the past, compare the old technologies with the new, and from this analysis, develop a framework for thinking about the potential role of CAS in the mathematics classroom of both today and tomorrow.