Discussion on:

Discover the hidden gems found in the Windows 7 calculator

Like you probably, I have taken the Windows calculator for granted as quick and dirty way to do some math, but now that it has several more sophisticated functions, it may be time to reevaluate.

Do you find yourself using the Windows 7 calculator more than you did with Vista and XP?

What excellent features, Ive just calucalted by Ford puma is doing 50 MPG. Here in the petrol is sold in liters but fuel economy is still in miles per gallon ?30 of petrol at ?1.09 per liter is 27.3 liters
used the calc to convert to galons: Six galons
used the calc for fule economy in mpg
300 miles using 6 gallons is 50 mpg.

Before you do a google search my Ford Puma is a 1.6 liter sports cope and clearly not an american gas guzzler

is a womans car.

As long as it gets me from point A to point B in relative comfort and safety, I'll take a gander at the Ford Puma. I bought a Toyota Corolla 5 years ago (still gets 36mpg) hoping it would last 10 years, but now it is starting to need big ticket maintenance. If Japan is starting to make cars like Detroit, then I might as well consider domestic at a cheaper price (disposable cars, maybe leasing is an option)....

Any calculator that doesn't have the option to stay on top of other windows is useless for my work.

I totally agree with that!!! This has ever been the fatal flaw of an otherwise useful little gadget.

How about using one of the applets that let you toggle stay on top for any of your apps? Google "stay on top"

I don't think I've missed it but I do not see the litres-per-100km to miles-per-gallon conversion that almost anyone with friends overseas needs.

Fortunately you can type "convert 7 litres per 100km to miles per gallon" into the Google searchg bar and it will do the job.

Let me complain, just this: Corporate hierarchies are obsessed with efficiency because they are inherently ...inefficient ::
Now, why would it be so hard to think outside the box? -A little ? ::
-This calculator should have been implemented in 1995! After all what is 'computing' ?
-This calc is still an emulator. Of all possible features (graphing, RPN, etc.) I think it should at least offer the possibility to -copy/paste and reintroduce previously calculated data, -delete some entries in the history, -enter data as if writing on a blank page.
EDIT: I stand almost corrected... The Edit options work a little like I tought they should... Hey! i'm just an artist.

(sorry i don't know how to move my Re: at the end of the line-up)

For me, a calculator that does not include RPN capability is worthless. Algebraic calculators are for children and the great unwashed masses who have nothing more complicated to do than evaluate their gas mileage--trivial to do anyway with your slide rule. Persons who aren't familiar with Reverse Polish Notation (simply postfix on a stack) and its great virtues should take the small effort required to understand it, or the smaller effort to simply use it.

To use an RPN calculator, work from inside the deepest nested parentheses, the same as with a pencil and paper:
1. Type a number into the calculator.
2a. If you have enough numbers to perform the desired operation, execute that operation.
2b. If you need more numbers, press ENTER and go to step 1.

No multiplication-versus-addition-versus-exponentiation hierarchies to worry about, and you get to see every intermediate answer.

For example, what is ((5.55 / 1.3875) x (square-root of 169))
5.55 ENTER 1.3875 / [showing 4] 169 square-root [showing 13] x [showing the final answer: 52]

Even stupid people can do that. Have I gotten anybody angry, yet?! (Only stupid people.)

Seriously, I use the great Excalibur 32 RPN (only) calculator. It's got numerous scientific, statistics, business, conversion, geometry, computer science, physics, and complex vector capabilities. It's the 800-pound gorilla on steroids of calculators, and it's also programmable. But it has the great ease of use that's characteristic of all RPN calculators. It has a small memory footprint and doesn't need to install anything--no DLLs or registry entries. Just keep the help file in the same folder as the small executable. It works under Windows NT / 2000 / XP / Vista / 7.

You should be happy to pay for it, even if it cost a bundle, but it's FREEWARE. That fits everyone's budget.
Excalibur 32 RPN (2.0) is available at http://www.softpedia.com/get/Science-CAD/Excalibur.shtml FREE!

Disclosure: I have absolutely no personal stake in the Excalibur calculator. I'm just a user who is hyper-happy to have it available.

So, tell me again: Why should I get excited about the Microsoft calculator?

If you mess with imaginary z-axis projections.

I could see a great use for a command line option where the results are stored as an environment variable!

calc 01/01/2010 03/15/2010 DAYS
would result in DAYS being set to 73

Since when is the content of a menu considered hidden? Hidden things are those that you can't get to through the standard interface.

Will remain hidden to you, I fear.

True. I despair.

Remember we are publishing a blog here.

Not exactly "hidden". But, if you're like me and didn't know the features were there, you wouldn't go looking for them most likely. I don't go chasing new features in old utilities that weren't of much value. So, these features were "hidden" to me until now.

Also have to say I'm impressed -- I can say goodbye to all those spreadsheets I've maintained over the years.

I guess I'm different.

The very first thing I do with a new version of anything is work through all the menus, dialogs, More buttons and advanced options to see what's new/changed.

That's why I get frustrated with the endless "hidden feature" and "secret option" discussions frustrating. I'm looking for the stuff that really is hidden. The stuff you can't find in a menu or dialog. Generally the stuff that isn't in the Help either.

WOW Great - never even look at it and it it is just great!!!!

I havent used this Calculator much but I think the one that Ubuntu has is of a decent size and easy to read.

OK, is it .Net ? or Assembler or HP?

would have been nice.. i always have a subnet calculator installed to save time when consulting.

if they could add a subnet option to the win7 calc its another icon i could clear off the desktop...

This is good to see. I have been a big fan of Moffsoft free calculator (www.moffsoft.com) because of the history option, similar to the paper tape option of old. I still prefer the Moffsoft version of history, as each entry is a separate line, making it easier to double-check a long list of additions. Where the Win7 calculator wins is in options like stats, conversions, etc.

COOL VERY COOL

Waiting for the graphing calculator (like TI-84)

I was disappointed to find that the calendar only goes back to January 1,1601.
I wanted to find how many days since Columbus landed here in the U.S!

I guess the Brits are also upset that you can't do the same for the Magna Carta...

Also worth noting you can't go past 12/31/9999. I think we have a Y10K problem we need to be preparing for

If you listen to the Mayans we don't have to worry past 12/2012. Or if you listen to Gore after 2012 but well before 12/31/9999

All of that effort and still no RPN? I would even pay (a little) for an RPN option!

I called it up and played briefly with it. Without thinking, I did a RPN-ish operation and the calculator handled it fine.

Don't have much use for it, though. End of time? Black-hole singularities? Beginning of time? I do these things in my head.

It is too overhelming to use this fantastic calculator ....when I trun my PC in to a castle of windows 7 ....
Thanks for your great tips...

If it had an HP40-CV mode then I'd be really excited.

A calculator that looks like the mac version, how unique. I can count on Windows to eventually copy the Mac. It does take a while though......

I?m sure these were hidden for many as most people I know use the calculators built into their cell phones instead since, as you say, not much has ever been really enticing about the Windows version, but this looks pretty cool! What?s your favorite new feature?

2+3*5=17 in scientific mode,
2+3*5=25 in standard mode, I'd like to know why this very old method of electronic calculating is still used, I thought it went years ago.
Apart from that the calculator is quite handy, I've put a shortcut onto my desktop to save me rummaging in the draw for my calculator.