Texas Instruments have added coding in Python to their TI-83 family of calculators. The question this paper attempts to address is why. This investigation starts by considering the programming language of Python and its benefits, especially as contrasted with TI-83 Basic (the standard language for these calculators). It then considers the implementation issues that confront the idea. As an example, Python is highly extensible, but calculators are by their nature highly proprietary, not extensible. And then there is the interface with its other products Smartview and Connect. These are designed to aid teachers and programmers respectively by porting calculator features to PC programs. Does Python inter-phase with these? How well? These concerns are motivated and organized by a concrete programming challenge: seek to code the quadratic formula (we'll define what that means) in Python and attempt to port it to a calculator -- as easily as possible, if possible, noting issues and problems as we go along.