lefei
22nd March 2004, 10:24 AM
<TABLE width="75%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR borderColor=#ffffff bgColor=#ffffff><TD>I have never given much thought about calculators until recently. I bought the FCPlus Professional 2.0 financial calculator from Infinity Softworks (http://www.infinitysw.com/) and found it strange that it did not support Operator Precedence. Mind you, FCPlus Professional is an excellent program and I consider it the best financial calculator for the Palm platform. But still, I wanted to find out what other calculators are out there.
Operator Precedence 101
By the way, what is Operator Precedence? Consider this statement:
x = 8 + 5 * 3
Which is performed first, the addition or the multiplication? If the addition is performed first, the answer is 13 * 3, or 39. Now, if the multiplication were performed first, the answer would be 8 + 15, or 23. Depending on what’s calculated, the difference can be substantial! This is no doubt a simple example, but if you consider that every operator (+, -, /, %, &, (), +=, etc.) has a precedence value, the chances for errors creeping in increase as more complex calculations are performed.
Ultimately, while it is important to have a basic understanding of how operators have precedence, there’s no need to learn it by heart! Just remember that Precedence is the order in which a program performs the operations in a fixed formula, and one which has precedence over another is evaluated first.
In the traditional way we are trained in mathematics and algebra, the way we use the calculator reflects the way we are taught. We use parentheses x = 8 + (5 * 3) to avoid ambiguity and mistakes. But one guy, Polish logician Jan Lukasiewicz (1878 - 1956), decided that while conventional algebraic notation places the operators between the relevant numbers or variables, there’s a better way—place them before the numbers or variables, hence the term Reverse Polish Notation (RPN).
In this review...
I know that a whole suite of calculators exists out there, and any comprehensive review should consider a number of them. Instead, I've decided to narrow it down to four, and the four are non-RPN calculators. These were chosen based on the look and feel (those that sport the same look and feel as a traditional black-button calculator and are instantly recognisable), those with a myriad of functions (statistical, financial, programming, etc), and of course, varied price points. Based on these criteria, I selected them to be the best in their category.
Also, this simple comparison of calculators will not focus on RPN calculators. Most of us are not heavy users of esoteric formulas anyway. Besides, the functionalities of calculators are quite fixed. A formula is a formula is a formula. So what’s there to compare? Here’s my list:
Ease of Programming : Easy and intuitive to add new formulas, including clear, directive data-entry and output screens.
Ease of View : The entire formula should be easily seen, especially for complex and long ones.
Easy changes : Formulas are easily editable without too much fuss.
Documentation : User can add notes if required.
Breadth of Functions : performs a variety of calculations like conversions, statistical and financial.
14allCalc 1.3
If you want a more robust calculator at an extremely affordable price point, 14allCalc is the cheapest of the lot. You get what you pay for and 14allCalc provides the least functions. This is as basic as you can get for the polytechnic or university student. It is really straightforward to use. For example, it has only one preference for you to set, and that is to define whether you prefer comma or a decimal point to separate the digits. It main features are Decimal/hexadecimal/binary conversion, 14-digit display, Memory functions, Easy Copy/Paste value exchange with other applications, Degree/Radian/Grad trigonometry measures.
This basic calculator gives you the familiar look and feel of a scientific calculator and every function can be seen at a glance. This is because the buttons don’t toggle to different functions, and as such, the buttons are small and viewing is a little hard at times. Users will not have difficulty to switch from a traditional calculator to this one as it operates in exactly the same way. Of course, the feel of punching in a solid button is not there, you have to lose that on the Palm. But at its price point, it’s a good step up from the inbuilt basic calculator.
APCalc 1.98d
This is by far the most powerful of the lot so far, and I adore the interface which is the cleanest of the four compared here. Well laid out buttons and a number of popup screens gives it extreme flexibility and the ability to pack so many functions! APCalc has an intuitive feel to it even for those who prefer the traditional black-button type interface. Starting with version 2.0 which is available now, Import/Export to MemoPad will be available and will be FREE to users who registered prior to the release of 2.0. Cost will be US $13.75 new users.
This is truly a heavy-duty calculator. In fact, APCalc allows a sequence of expressions (programs) to be executed. For instance, expressions like: sin(x1)+cos(x1+y1)+COs(ang2), can be saved and executed as a sequence of expressions (programs). Other features include 27 APCalc functions and 27 MathLib functions, with 32 registers for data storage and the ability to save up to 32 expressions in the form of program steps easily earns this program the king of scientific calculators. The rest of the functions include Variables, Conditional branching (using labels), looping, comparison operators (==, !=, <, >), 64-bit floating point, scientific functions, Base Conversions (2-36), Degree/Radian Modes, programmability, store and recall functions, input prompting, output labels, and more. Auto prompting at the first occurrence of variable (or variable assignment with =). Single Step execution. Up to 48 programs can be saved in program database, with up to 32 program steps in each program. 32 storage locations. 48 User Definable Function Keys. 20 Variables. History buffer saves the last 32 expressions for easy retrieval.
Very clean and neat user interface. Don’t be deceived by its looks. This calculator packs a wallop!
APCalc uses popup menus and scrolls to store and display its power-packed features.
A number of preferences allow you to customise how you wish to see the UI.
There’s nothing to criticize if you need a lot depth as well as breadth in a scientific calculator. It’s hard not to notice that the programmer has taken a lot of pain in putting the program together; he shows that he understands that ease-of-use is a major consideration. A lot of planning has gone into the details and the Preferences menu, for example, shows it. But I would have preferred it if Financial and Statistical calculations like TAM, Cash Flow calculations, Depreciation and so on were predefined and hard coded internally. But being a truly awesome programmable calculator, you can set the formulas manually, but only once, when you key in the formulas and store them for later use. At US$13.75 (for version 2.0), it’s a steal. Very highly recommended!
Note from Mike Davis:
The point of APCalc is that you can write programs to do all of these financial calculations. Formulas are readily available for these functions. In fact, the user manual, for APCalc, includes programs for TVM, pv, fv, pmt, payments, etc. These calculations do not have to be done manually. Also, version 2.1 will include TVM functions built-in to APCalc. APCalc makes use of 27 MathLib functions (scientific) and has 27 internal functions that include math, statistical, programming, etc functions. For users, I am listing some programs to show how you can do financial calculations with APCalc. Click here to see a sample of its capabilities. (http://www.spug.net/reviews/rcalculators2.htm)
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<TABLE width="75%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR borderColor=#ffffff bgColor=#ffffff><TD>CplxCal 3.12
This is another heavyweight calculator but without the accompanying price tag. Input is easy and you can literally input formulas as they are written, from left to right. Formulas can include mixed arithmetic operators and parentheses, and CplxCal will automatically apply true algebraic logic to calculate the result. This takes out a lot of the pain in checking and rechecking formulas, and minimizes the time spent to verify the results. The calculator not only evaluates trig, log, exp. functions but it even evaluates complex numbers.
CplxCal offers internal financial calculations too!
You can also select between different screens, Financial or Statistical, and choose whether you want a Normal, or Advanced interface for different type of complexity. Toggling to Advanced introduces more function buttons, and it can be quite convenient, a nice touch indeed! Copying programs to and from the Memopad is a cinch. Features at a glance: Hexadecimal conversions, Logical functions, Rectangular and polar input/display, Trigonometric operations in either degrees or radians, Several scientific input/display formats, Suffixes p,n,u,m,K,M,G input/display, Advanced math functions supported, Eight user programs.
The User Interface can be slightly improved, though. For example, there’s an extra line that doen't really serve any purpose other than to display the version number and to tell the date. Given that space is a premium on the Palm, I would have preferred the additional line to view my formulas (which by the way has no scroll bar) instead of going to a different Edit screen. Also, the only instance where a popup menu is utilized is when you maneuver to the Help section. That’s more clicks than necessary.
Evert Rozendaal, the programmer for CplxCal, thinks that though the way a user interacts with the calculator is very important, the design is ultimately based on how engineers would like to use a calculator. Engineers normally are impressed with its capabilities and not so much with all kinds of bells and whistles. They like it to be easy and effective.
Overall, CplxCal covers pretty much what the rest covers, but goes one step further by incorporating a limited number of Financial and Statistical functions. If you are looking for an all-purpose calculator that will serve you for most of your needs, this is the calculator to get, and the price is still much lower than a regular one. Psst, if you can wait, I suggest that you email the author to ask him about the future upgrades. I got a sneak peek and I can verify that what he told me is true—that a more powerful calculator is already brewing in the works. As if CplxCal is not powerful enough, he is adding a ton of new features for the upcoming one, which he aptly calls CplxCalPro. You have to ask him for the special URL though. Here’s a hint: it will Include financial and statistical features like linear regression and even integration, derivatives, Newton Raphson (roots), etc. Drool on it.
One+One 1.4
Fire up the One Plus One program and the first thing you will notice is the solid design which reminds you of an HP or TI calculator of yesteryear. The buttons are huge and the functions clear to the eye. (BTW, you can choose to reverse the button colors and have white instead, great for those with screen contrast problems). The goal of the look and feel, according to Clay Thompson, has been to create a natural calculator interface so that the calculator is easy to learn. "My customers really appreciate that." On a calculator's functions, he adds: "One thing that makes the calculator market is an interesting market is that the dream function list for one person doesn't include many of the dream functions for another. Personally, I use the financial functions all the time so I would really miss them if they were not there. I think that a graphic representation might be better for some tasks. Outliers, for instance, are much easier to spot in a graphical display than in a tabular one." Talking about functions, One+One is a standard algebraic scientific and financial calculator for your Palm device. The calculator features double precision accuracy, 25 scientific functions, 5 financial functions, 4 number bases, 7 statistical functions, greater than 15 levels of parentheses, 20 memory registers (two banks of 10 each), fix, sci, and eng display formats, graffiti input, international number formats. Also, on the subject of Precedence, One+One offers it.
Compared to the selection here, One+One is the most pricey of the lot. Even if you include internally built-in Statistical and Financial functions which 14allCalc and APCalc do not have, there's little to justify its price tag given that CplxCalc cost much cheaper with the same functions. Using the calculator is straightforward, and there are no popup screens. Again, this is strictly a preference and One+One chooses instead to use two extra buttons appropriately called "2nd" and "3rd". Clicking on any of these will access a different function.
Price aside, One+One offers the traditional user little excuse to lug the old, bulky calculator along. Use it once and there's little convincing needed to switch. The sheer look would make any long time user of an HP/TI (or comparable calculator) feel right at home. (Note: CreativeCreek also puts out the MathU Pro RPN calculator for the Palm similar to One+One, but with lots more features.)
One+One has 10 Primary and 10 Secondary registers to store values or functions.
<TABLE borderColor=#808080 cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 width=605 align=center border=1><TBODY><TR bgColor=#ccff33><TD vAlign=center width="25%">Application
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="18%">
14allCalc
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="20%">
APCalc
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="20%">
CplxCal
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="17%">
One+One
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=center width="25%" bgColor=#cccccc>Version(s)
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="18%">
v1.3
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="20%">
v1.98d
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="20%">
v3.12
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="17%">
v1.4
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=center width="25%" bgColor=#cccccc>PRC Footprint
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="18%">
28K
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="20%">
63K
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="20%">
62K
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="17%">
49K
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=center width="25%" bgColor=#cccccc>Price (US$)
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="18%">
US$8.00
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="20%">
US$13.75 (for version 2.0)
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="20%">
US$12.95
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="17%">
US$19.95
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=center width="25%" bgColor=#cccccc>Type of App
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="18%">
Solves Formulas
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="20%">
Programmable
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="20%">
Programmable
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="17%">
Solves Formulas
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=center width="25%" bgColor=#cccccc>Number of scientific functions
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="18%">
11 MathLib,
7 Internal
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="20%">
27 MathLib,
27 Internal
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="20%">
36 MathLib,
30 Internal
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="17%">
25
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=center width="25%" bgColor=#cccccc>Number of financial functions
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="18%">
N/A
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="20%">
Via User Programs,
Internal with v2.1
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="20%">
4
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="17%">
5
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=center width="25%" bgColor=#cccccc>Number of statistical functions
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="18%">
N/A
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="20%">
N/A
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="20%">
12
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="17%">
7
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=center width="25%" bgColor=#cccccc>Programming Ease
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="18%">
N/A
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="20%">
*****
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="20%">
*****
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="17%">
****
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=center width="25%" bgColor=#cccccc>Ease of Viewing and Understanding
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="18%">
***
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="20%">
*****
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="20%">
****
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="17%">
***
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=center width="25%" bgColor=#cccccc>Ease of Modifying Formulae
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="18%">
**
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="20%">
*****
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="20%">
*****
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="17%">
**
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=center width="25%" bgColor=#cccccc>Ease of Importing/Sharing New Formulae
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="18%">
N/A
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="20%">
Import/Export to MemoPad, uses categories
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="20%">
Import/Export to MemoPad
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="17%">
N/A
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=center width="25%" bgColor=#cccccc>Requires MathLib (add 50K of space)
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="18%">
Yes
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="20%">
Yes
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="20%">
Yes
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="17%">
Yes
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=center width="25%" bgColor=#cccccc>Shows history of recent outputs for comparison
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="18%">
No
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="20%">
Yes
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="20%">
Yes
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="17%">
No
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=center width="25%" bgColor=#cccccc>"Intuitiveness" to a non-programmer
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="18%">
*****
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="20%">
*****
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="20%">
****
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="17%">
*****
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=center width="25%" bgColor=#cccccc>Attachable Notes
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="18%">
No
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="20%">
Yes
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="20%">
No
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="17%">
No
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=center width="25%" bgColor=#cccccc>Database
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="18%">
No
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="20%">
Yes – 48 user programs, internal
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="20%">
No
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="17%">
No
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=center width="25%" bgColor=#cccccc>Quality of Documentation
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="18%">
****
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="20%">
*****
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="20%">
*****
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="17%">
*****
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
14allCalc 1.3 from http://members.teleweb.at/lelo/14ac.htm (http://members.teleweb.at/lelo/14ac.htm)
APCalc 1.98d from http://www.halcyon.com/ipscone/apcalc/overview.html (http://www.halcyon.com/ipscone/apcalc/overview.html)
CplxCal 3.12 from http://www.adacs.com/PalmSoft.htm (http://www.adacs.com/PalmSoft.htm)
One+One 1.4 from Creative Creek (http://www.creativecreek.com/)
All pictures captured with TealPaint, courtesy of TealPoint Software (http://www.tealpoint.com/).
Review by Stephen Lee (stephen@spug.net)
4 Dec, 1999
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Operator Precedence 101
By the way, what is Operator Precedence? Consider this statement:
x = 8 + 5 * 3
Which is performed first, the addition or the multiplication? If the addition is performed first, the answer is 13 * 3, or 39. Now, if the multiplication were performed first, the answer would be 8 + 15, or 23. Depending on what’s calculated, the difference can be substantial! This is no doubt a simple example, but if you consider that every operator (+, -, /, %, &, (), +=, etc.) has a precedence value, the chances for errors creeping in increase as more complex calculations are performed.
Ultimately, while it is important to have a basic understanding of how operators have precedence, there’s no need to learn it by heart! Just remember that Precedence is the order in which a program performs the operations in a fixed formula, and one which has precedence over another is evaluated first.
In the traditional way we are trained in mathematics and algebra, the way we use the calculator reflects the way we are taught. We use parentheses x = 8 + (5 * 3) to avoid ambiguity and mistakes. But one guy, Polish logician Jan Lukasiewicz (1878 - 1956), decided that while conventional algebraic notation places the operators between the relevant numbers or variables, there’s a better way—place them before the numbers or variables, hence the term Reverse Polish Notation (RPN).
In this review...
I know that a whole suite of calculators exists out there, and any comprehensive review should consider a number of them. Instead, I've decided to narrow it down to four, and the four are non-RPN calculators. These were chosen based on the look and feel (those that sport the same look and feel as a traditional black-button calculator and are instantly recognisable), those with a myriad of functions (statistical, financial, programming, etc), and of course, varied price points. Based on these criteria, I selected them to be the best in their category.
Also, this simple comparison of calculators will not focus on RPN calculators. Most of us are not heavy users of esoteric formulas anyway. Besides, the functionalities of calculators are quite fixed. A formula is a formula is a formula. So what’s there to compare? Here’s my list:
Ease of Programming : Easy and intuitive to add new formulas, including clear, directive data-entry and output screens.
Ease of View : The entire formula should be easily seen, especially for complex and long ones.
Easy changes : Formulas are easily editable without too much fuss.
Documentation : User can add notes if required.
Breadth of Functions : performs a variety of calculations like conversions, statistical and financial.
14allCalc 1.3
If you want a more robust calculator at an extremely affordable price point, 14allCalc is the cheapest of the lot. You get what you pay for and 14allCalc provides the least functions. This is as basic as you can get for the polytechnic or university student. It is really straightforward to use. For example, it has only one preference for you to set, and that is to define whether you prefer comma or a decimal point to separate the digits. It main features are Decimal/hexadecimal/binary conversion, 14-digit display, Memory functions, Easy Copy/Paste value exchange with other applications, Degree/Radian/Grad trigonometry measures.
This basic calculator gives you the familiar look and feel of a scientific calculator and every function can be seen at a glance. This is because the buttons don’t toggle to different functions, and as such, the buttons are small and viewing is a little hard at times. Users will not have difficulty to switch from a traditional calculator to this one as it operates in exactly the same way. Of course, the feel of punching in a solid button is not there, you have to lose that on the Palm. But at its price point, it’s a good step up from the inbuilt basic calculator.
APCalc 1.98d
This is by far the most powerful of the lot so far, and I adore the interface which is the cleanest of the four compared here. Well laid out buttons and a number of popup screens gives it extreme flexibility and the ability to pack so many functions! APCalc has an intuitive feel to it even for those who prefer the traditional black-button type interface. Starting with version 2.0 which is available now, Import/Export to MemoPad will be available and will be FREE to users who registered prior to the release of 2.0. Cost will be US $13.75 new users.
This is truly a heavy-duty calculator. In fact, APCalc allows a sequence of expressions (programs) to be executed. For instance, expressions like: sin(x1)+cos(x1+y1)+COs(ang2), can be saved and executed as a sequence of expressions (programs). Other features include 27 APCalc functions and 27 MathLib functions, with 32 registers for data storage and the ability to save up to 32 expressions in the form of program steps easily earns this program the king of scientific calculators. The rest of the functions include Variables, Conditional branching (using labels), looping, comparison operators (==, !=, <, >), 64-bit floating point, scientific functions, Base Conversions (2-36), Degree/Radian Modes, programmability, store and recall functions, input prompting, output labels, and more. Auto prompting at the first occurrence of variable (or variable assignment with =). Single Step execution. Up to 48 programs can be saved in program database, with up to 32 program steps in each program. 32 storage locations. 48 User Definable Function Keys. 20 Variables. History buffer saves the last 32 expressions for easy retrieval.
Very clean and neat user interface. Don’t be deceived by its looks. This calculator packs a wallop!
APCalc uses popup menus and scrolls to store and display its power-packed features.
A number of preferences allow you to customise how you wish to see the UI.
There’s nothing to criticize if you need a lot depth as well as breadth in a scientific calculator. It’s hard not to notice that the programmer has taken a lot of pain in putting the program together; he shows that he understands that ease-of-use is a major consideration. A lot of planning has gone into the details and the Preferences menu, for example, shows it. But I would have preferred it if Financial and Statistical calculations like TAM, Cash Flow calculations, Depreciation and so on were predefined and hard coded internally. But being a truly awesome programmable calculator, you can set the formulas manually, but only once, when you key in the formulas and store them for later use. At US$13.75 (for version 2.0), it’s a steal. Very highly recommended!
Note from Mike Davis:
The point of APCalc is that you can write programs to do all of these financial calculations. Formulas are readily available for these functions. In fact, the user manual, for APCalc, includes programs for TVM, pv, fv, pmt, payments, etc. These calculations do not have to be done manually. Also, version 2.1 will include TVM functions built-in to APCalc. APCalc makes use of 27 MathLib functions (scientific) and has 27 internal functions that include math, statistical, programming, etc functions. For users, I am listing some programs to show how you can do financial calculations with APCalc. Click here to see a sample of its capabilities. (http://www.spug.net/reviews/rcalculators2.htm)
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<TABLE width="75%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR borderColor=#ffffff bgColor=#ffffff><TD>CplxCal 3.12
This is another heavyweight calculator but without the accompanying price tag. Input is easy and you can literally input formulas as they are written, from left to right. Formulas can include mixed arithmetic operators and parentheses, and CplxCal will automatically apply true algebraic logic to calculate the result. This takes out a lot of the pain in checking and rechecking formulas, and minimizes the time spent to verify the results. The calculator not only evaluates trig, log, exp. functions but it even evaluates complex numbers.
CplxCal offers internal financial calculations too!
You can also select between different screens, Financial or Statistical, and choose whether you want a Normal, or Advanced interface for different type of complexity. Toggling to Advanced introduces more function buttons, and it can be quite convenient, a nice touch indeed! Copying programs to and from the Memopad is a cinch. Features at a glance: Hexadecimal conversions, Logical functions, Rectangular and polar input/display, Trigonometric operations in either degrees or radians, Several scientific input/display formats, Suffixes p,n,u,m,K,M,G input/display, Advanced math functions supported, Eight user programs.
The User Interface can be slightly improved, though. For example, there’s an extra line that doen't really serve any purpose other than to display the version number and to tell the date. Given that space is a premium on the Palm, I would have preferred the additional line to view my formulas (which by the way has no scroll bar) instead of going to a different Edit screen. Also, the only instance where a popup menu is utilized is when you maneuver to the Help section. That’s more clicks than necessary.
Evert Rozendaal, the programmer for CplxCal, thinks that though the way a user interacts with the calculator is very important, the design is ultimately based on how engineers would like to use a calculator. Engineers normally are impressed with its capabilities and not so much with all kinds of bells and whistles. They like it to be easy and effective.
Overall, CplxCal covers pretty much what the rest covers, but goes one step further by incorporating a limited number of Financial and Statistical functions. If you are looking for an all-purpose calculator that will serve you for most of your needs, this is the calculator to get, and the price is still much lower than a regular one. Psst, if you can wait, I suggest that you email the author to ask him about the future upgrades. I got a sneak peek and I can verify that what he told me is true—that a more powerful calculator is already brewing in the works. As if CplxCal is not powerful enough, he is adding a ton of new features for the upcoming one, which he aptly calls CplxCalPro. You have to ask him for the special URL though. Here’s a hint: it will Include financial and statistical features like linear regression and even integration, derivatives, Newton Raphson (roots), etc. Drool on it.
One+One 1.4
Fire up the One Plus One program and the first thing you will notice is the solid design which reminds you of an HP or TI calculator of yesteryear. The buttons are huge and the functions clear to the eye. (BTW, you can choose to reverse the button colors and have white instead, great for those with screen contrast problems). The goal of the look and feel, according to Clay Thompson, has been to create a natural calculator interface so that the calculator is easy to learn. "My customers really appreciate that." On a calculator's functions, he adds: "One thing that makes the calculator market is an interesting market is that the dream function list for one person doesn't include many of the dream functions for another. Personally, I use the financial functions all the time so I would really miss them if they were not there. I think that a graphic representation might be better for some tasks. Outliers, for instance, are much easier to spot in a graphical display than in a tabular one." Talking about functions, One+One is a standard algebraic scientific and financial calculator for your Palm device. The calculator features double precision accuracy, 25 scientific functions, 5 financial functions, 4 number bases, 7 statistical functions, greater than 15 levels of parentheses, 20 memory registers (two banks of 10 each), fix, sci, and eng display formats, graffiti input, international number formats. Also, on the subject of Precedence, One+One offers it.
Compared to the selection here, One+One is the most pricey of the lot. Even if you include internally built-in Statistical and Financial functions which 14allCalc and APCalc do not have, there's little to justify its price tag given that CplxCalc cost much cheaper with the same functions. Using the calculator is straightforward, and there are no popup screens. Again, this is strictly a preference and One+One chooses instead to use two extra buttons appropriately called "2nd" and "3rd". Clicking on any of these will access a different function.
Price aside, One+One offers the traditional user little excuse to lug the old, bulky calculator along. Use it once and there's little convincing needed to switch. The sheer look would make any long time user of an HP/TI (or comparable calculator) feel right at home. (Note: CreativeCreek also puts out the MathU Pro RPN calculator for the Palm similar to One+One, but with lots more features.)
One+One has 10 Primary and 10 Secondary registers to store values or functions.
<TABLE borderColor=#808080 cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 width=605 align=center border=1><TBODY><TR bgColor=#ccff33><TD vAlign=center width="25%">Application
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="18%">
14allCalc
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="20%">
APCalc
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="20%">
CplxCal
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="17%">
One+One
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=center width="25%" bgColor=#cccccc>Version(s)
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="18%">
v1.3
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="20%">
v1.98d
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="20%">
v3.12
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="17%">
v1.4
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=center width="25%" bgColor=#cccccc>PRC Footprint
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="18%">
28K
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="20%">
63K
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="20%">
62K
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="17%">
49K
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=center width="25%" bgColor=#cccccc>Price (US$)
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="18%">
US$8.00
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="20%">
US$13.75 (for version 2.0)
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="20%">
US$12.95
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="17%">
US$19.95
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=center width="25%" bgColor=#cccccc>Type of App
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="18%">
Solves Formulas
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="20%">
Programmable
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="20%">
Programmable
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="17%">
Solves Formulas
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=center width="25%" bgColor=#cccccc>Number of scientific functions
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="18%">
11 MathLib,
7 Internal
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="20%">
27 MathLib,
27 Internal
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="20%">
36 MathLib,
30 Internal
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="17%">
25
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=center width="25%" bgColor=#cccccc>Number of financial functions
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="18%">
N/A
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="20%">
Via User Programs,
Internal with v2.1
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="20%">
4
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="17%">
5
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=center width="25%" bgColor=#cccccc>Number of statistical functions
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="18%">
N/A
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="20%">
N/A
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="20%">
12
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="17%">
7
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=center width="25%" bgColor=#cccccc>Programming Ease
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="18%">
N/A
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="20%">
*****
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="20%">
*****
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="17%">
****
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=center width="25%" bgColor=#cccccc>Ease of Viewing and Understanding
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="18%">
***
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="20%">
*****
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="20%">
****
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="17%">
***
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=center width="25%" bgColor=#cccccc>Ease of Modifying Formulae
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="18%">
**
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="20%">
*****
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="20%">
*****
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="17%">
**
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=center width="25%" bgColor=#cccccc>Ease of Importing/Sharing New Formulae
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="18%">
N/A
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="20%">
Import/Export to MemoPad, uses categories
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="20%">
Import/Export to MemoPad
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="17%">
N/A
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=center width="25%" bgColor=#cccccc>Requires MathLib (add 50K of space)
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="18%">
Yes
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="20%">
Yes
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="20%">
Yes
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="17%">
Yes
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=center width="25%" bgColor=#cccccc>Shows history of recent outputs for comparison
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="18%">
No
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="20%">
Yes
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="20%">
Yes
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="17%">
No
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=center width="25%" bgColor=#cccccc>"Intuitiveness" to a non-programmer
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="18%">
*****
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="20%">
*****
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="20%">
****
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="17%">
*****
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=center width="25%" bgColor=#cccccc>Attachable Notes
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="18%">
No
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="20%">
Yes
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="20%">
No
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="17%">
No
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=center width="25%" bgColor=#cccccc>Database
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="18%">
No
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="20%">
Yes – 48 user programs, internal
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="20%">
No
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="17%">
No
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=center width="25%" bgColor=#cccccc>Quality of Documentation
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="18%">
****
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="20%">
*****
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="20%">
*****
</TD><TD vAlign=center width="17%">
*****
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
14allCalc 1.3 from http://members.teleweb.at/lelo/14ac.htm (http://members.teleweb.at/lelo/14ac.htm)
APCalc 1.98d from http://www.halcyon.com/ipscone/apcalc/overview.html (http://www.halcyon.com/ipscone/apcalc/overview.html)
CplxCal 3.12 from http://www.adacs.com/PalmSoft.htm (http://www.adacs.com/PalmSoft.htm)
One+One 1.4 from Creative Creek (http://www.creativecreek.com/)
All pictures captured with TealPaint, courtesy of TealPoint Software (http://www.tealpoint.com/).
Review by Stephen Lee (stephen@spug.net)
4 Dec, 1999
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>