It�a4���a4�s a testament to the ubiquity of niche software that hand-held calculators are now a rarity in the enterprise and scientific worlds. They�a4���a4�re still used in college classes, however, which is why Canadian Renac has been able to build a business on renting them out to students.

Rather than buy a graphic or financial calculator for use in just one or two classes, students can save more than 70 percent of the devices�a4���a4� retail price by renting one instead, Renac says. Six calculators are available on the Renac site, with prices beginning at CAD 1.25 per month for a BA II Plus financial device, for example. Monthly, semester, 10-month, 12-month and two-year plans are available, with lower rates for longer rental periods. When the student is done with the rented calculator, he or she simply puts it in a prepaid return envelope and mails it back to Renac.

Launched last month, Renac currently serves transumers on Canadian campuses. Who will bring something like this to the rest of the ownership-averse world... (Related: Green car-sharing by the hour at Hawaii hotels �a4���a4� Toy rental service targets businesses with waiting rooms �a4���a4� Rental service for kids'' video games �a4���a4� Designer dresses for rent (back-up size included) �a4���a4� Clothing rental for size-changing dieters.)

Website: www.renac.ca Contact: support@renac.ca

Spotted by: Heather Buist