[Free App] Calculator? for Windows 8 and Windows Phone

[richard_walters]

The smart calculator for Windows Phone, and now also Windows 8! Over 25,000 downloads and an average rating of 4.5 stars (150+ reviews). Includes 5 unique calculators: Basic, Scientific, Programmer, Currency Converter, and Unit Converter.

Windows Phone
Calculator? and Calculator? Pro
Windows 8
Calculator?

Features:

• live tiles for each calculator showing the history or latest exchange rates;
• over 50 scientific functions;
• 125 mathematical and physical constants;
• statistical functions for memory values;
• over 150 World currencies;
• over 200 units for conversions across 17 categories;
• searchable constants, currency, and units lists;
• customisable tax buttons;
• customisable button layout;
• Auto, Fixed point, Scientific, and Engineering display formats with choice of digit grouping;
• enable or disable operator precedence;
• copy/paste;
• support for both light and dark themes, and use of the accent colour;
• background task to automatically update the exchange rate information and Currency Converter live tile (paid version only);
• 64, 32, 16 and 8 bit word lengths for the Programmer Calculator, including signed or unsigned integers; and
• local region support for displaying numbers.

 

[SolunaKitty]

I installed it. I really like just how many functions are available in the scientific mode. I also like the updating for the currency calculator. The ability to move functions around as needed is a wonderful addition. The unit converter is nice, but I like the way that MathCalculator shows conversions. I had three calculator apps, and Calculator? has replaced one of them.

Thanks for the great app!

 

[richard_walters]

Thanks for the review SolunaKitty! I'm glad someone figured out that you could move the functions around -- it was one of my favourite additions. I just hope that I've done enough with the YouTube video and help hints that people do realise it's there; not many people would think to hold down a button so it's kind of a hidden feature. The review below yours in the US asks for a rounding feature, but that's already in there by changing the display mode to fixed point and setting the decimal places. I now understand why calculators come with thick instruction manuals!

Hopefully at some point I'll add more calculators. A financial calculator should be easy, then a proper statistics mode and a graphical calculator would be nice. However, first I'll build a Windows 8 version, and before that finish my PhD thesis!

Thanks once again! I'm glad you like the app!

 

[SolunaKitty]

Well, it helps that your description lists it xD Really? I thought it was pretty intuitive to hold the button; I mean, that's how we move tiles, so I figured it's the most natural to do so. It is the only app that I've seen do that, and I really, really like the feature. I also like the favorite constants thing (I've written out the speed of light enough to remember it as 299792458 m/s, and e as 2.718281828459045...) I normally like seeing my numbers unrounded, so that's not an issue for me, and I do know about float and fixed I know my way around my TI-89 for the most part, and doing derivatives, integrals, and solving for variables are awesome features that the older TIs don't have... but it does not fit in my pocket, and it does not go everywhere with me. (It stays in my computer bag, which I do bring along with me a lot, though).

Rewatched the video, and played with the Unit Conversion calc some more. I take back my earlier statement. This is my favorite calculator BY FAR now. It does much more than everything I want. I shall amend my review in light of this revelation! There is so much to like about this calculator, and it shall be the one I recommend to others!

Thanks for your hard work! I can see that it's not over yet xD Coolcool

 

[richard_walters]

Ha, I tried out MathCalculator again and was wondering what you preferred about the unit conversion! Thanks for the updated review. With enough updates hopefully you can leave your TI-89 at home permanently and I can lighten that computer bag a bit for you.

Update 1.5 has just been certified and should appear within 48 hours. Nothing too exciting, mostly bug fixes. I hadn't implemented tombstoning correctly and the app has been crashing when resumed from this state. The app doesn't get tombstoned very often in Mango thanks to fast app-switching, so hopefully no-one noticed!

The latest post on the Windows Phone Developer blog talked about optimising startup time. While I couldn't really improve this any further, I have tried using more multi-threading in other parts of the app, and I should be able to improve the performance of some of the animations. For example, in the settings there's a pause each time the user flicks through the pivot items. I've managed to remove this and get a much better visual experience. So, update 1.6 underway...

 

[SolunaKitty]

Yeah, I like this one more now, ever since I found out you can convert the converting unit number to more or less the SI unit AND the converted unit to find all applicable conversions (I did know to do second part initially, and that's the one I liked the most). Ahaha, admittedly, since I am no longer in class, I wont need the TI-89 for now. I doubt that my future workplace would make much of use of it also.

This app is quite worthy of purchase, and I think I shall do so after I have an income. One thing, though, is that the paid version of the app does not seem to be directly searchable in the Marketplace; I have to go to "more apps by [you]" to get to it. I wonder why that is. Anyway, thanks again for the wonderful app!

 

[richard_walters]

One thing, though, is that the paid version of the app does not seem to be directly searchable in the Marketplace; I have to go to "more apps by [you]" to get to it. I wonder why that is.

All the apps are searchable under their names, but because of the ? character this is difficult to do on the phone with Calculator?. It wasn't something I thought of beforehand, but I like the name and the ? character helps it stand out. I've used 'Calculator2' as a metatag for the free version in case people search for it that way. We're limited to 5 metatags per app, so in the paid app I've used 'base' instead so it appears if you search for 'base converter'. I figured most people will come across the app under searches for 'scientific calculator', 'currency converter', etc, and not by directly searching for 'Calculator?' or 'Calculator2'. Anytime I promote the apps online I use the web Marketplace link and QR code.

I've already noticed that I'm getting more people pay for Calculator? since the launch of Calculator? Free. I think a lot of people like yourself are installing the free version then liking the app enough to want to buy it. It's a shame this kind of model doesn't work better with the trial option. Unfortunately most people ignore the paid apps, and there's nothing in the Marketplace to show the apps have a trial mode until visiting the app page.

 

[richard_walters]

Oops, just figured out there was a Quote button.

A little bit about how I came to build the app...

Richard Walters, graduate student at University of Oxford, talks us through developing his app Calculator? - Microsoft UK Students - Site Home - MSDN Blogs

 

[SolunaKitty]

Oooh, I see, and that makes sense~

Oh? That's great! I don't do trials as often because I figure that most will expire at some point. Even if it's a full trial with no expiration, it would seem wrong if I just used apps like that. I also assume that all apps have a trial mode because I have not seen otherwise yet.

Read (rather, I listened) to the article. It's awesome that you started with just a simple calculator app to test the waters!

 

[SolunaKitty]

Just learned how to use the "backspace" function of the Calculator. I am growing increasingly impressed with the app. If I could only buy one app, this would be that one.

 

[richard_walters]

Update 1.7 should appear in the Marketplace today!

New with the update is an Undo function, which can be found with → ← and C.E. (I've removed the extra Clear button) when a user taps the display. I received some feedback asking for this feature and I thought it was a great idea. It allows a user to backstep through each stage of a calculation, and therefore correct functions/operations, etc.

The app is now fully localised and I've added French language support. I've set up a community project at Calculator? - GetLocalization.com for users to assist in the translations. Of course, there's no obligation for anyone to take part, but if you like the app and think it would be useful for other users in your native language then please get involved! Much of the app can be translated using Wikipedia articles and online translators (the currency, constants, and unit lists, etc.), so if anyone does want to add a new language I can help with the bulk of the work.

Due to the addition of localisation some of the saved setting and lists have been reset with this update, so I apologise for any inconvenience here. There are some other minor changes, most notably with the About page and tiles.

I've begun work on porting the app to Windows 8! Much of the code can be reused, although things like localisation and saving data are dramatically different in WinRT. I have some good ideas for the Windows 8 version, and will post with updates (and perhaps a video) in the near future.

Finally, thanks to everyone who has downloaded the app!

 

[SolunaKitty]

Hey, just dropped in to let you know that I just bought the app; thank you for all your hard work! First app purchase!

 

[richard_walters]

Thanks for the review! Does this mean you're working now?

 

[mjrtoo]

I like the programmers calc quite a lot, but is it a limitation of the OS to not do simultaneous ASCII conversion along with the others? Maybe allow removal of a number system, such as octal, and replace it with another...like ASCII.

Unless there's something in totally missing that's already there.

 

[SolunaKitty]

Thanks for the review! Does this mean you're working now?

You're welcome. Indeed, I am working now

 

[richard_walters]

I like the programmers calc quite a lot, but is it a limitation of the OS to not do simultaneous ASCII conversion along with the others? Maybe allow removal of a number system, such as octal, and replace it with another...like ASCII.

Unless there's something in totally missing that's already there.

Hi mjrtoo. Glad you like the calculator and thank you for the feedback. I've looked at the ASCII part again and I really haven't implemented it correctly at all! I haven't ever really used this in a calculator before and I should have spent a bit more time on it. I don't think there's anything else wrong with the rest of the calculator though.

At the moment clicking on an ASCII key simply adds the decimal representation to the current number, i.e. if I type 'Hello' then the decimal number reads 72,101,108,108,111 (it should actually be 310,939,249,775). What's worse is if, say, HEX is selected, then typing Hello sets the hex number as 72,101,108,108,111 also. Really I should have linked up the ASCII keys to set the Hex number only, i.e. if I type Hello then the Hex number reads 48 65 6c 6c 6f regardless of what base is selected, and then the other bases update automatically from that.

There's no problem in doing a simultaneous ASCII conversion and I'll add this in. I won't change the display, but instead show the ASCII string when the user clicks on ASCII. I'll add the extended ASCII keys also. An update for the app is currently being certified so I'll have to wait a few days before I can submit another update. Shall I post a picture on here beforehand showing the changes to the ASCII part? Also, would Unicode be a useful addition? I see that the iPhone 64 Bit Calculator has it, but I'm not sure how to easily add it in to the interface.

 

[richard_walters]

You're welcome. Indeed, I am working now

Congratulations! Don't work too hard

 

[mjrtoo]

Hi mjrtoo. Glad you like the calculator and thank you for the feedback. I've looked at the ASCII part again and I really haven't implemented it correctly at all! I haven't ever really used this in a calculator before and I should have spent a bit more time on it. I don't think there's anything else wrong with the rest of the calculator though.

At the moment clicking on an ASCII key simply adds the decimal representation to the current number, i.e. if I type 'Hello' then the decimal number reads 72,101,108,108,111 (it should actually be 310,939,249,775). What's worse is if, say, HEX is selected, then typing Hello sets the hex number as 72,101,108,108,111 also. Really I should have linked up the ASCII keys to set the Hex number only, i.e. if I type Hello then the Hex number reads 48 65 6c 6c 6f regardless of what base is selected, and then the other bases update automatically from that.

The decimal representation is correct for 'Hello' 72, 101, 108, 108, 111 is the decimal representation of 'Hello'. But yes, the hexadecimal version of that is totally wrong and agree that it should be implemented across the number bases correctly and simultaneously. Perhaps reducing the size of the font in the display if the 'number' will overrun the text field...

There's no problem in doing a simultaneous ASCII conversion and I'll add this in. I won't change the display, but instead show the ASCII string when the user clicks on ASCII. I'll add the extended ASCII keys also. An update for the app is currently being certified so I'll have to wait a few days before I can submit another update. Shall I post a picture on here beforehand showing the changes to the ASCII part? Also, would Unicode be a useful addition? I see that the iPhone 64 Bit Calculator has it, but I'm not sure how to easily add it in to the interface.

I understand, but I would find it pretty handy to see the ASCII on the fly as I enter the HEX or Decimal numbers as well. Unicode would be useful, although I would much rather see something like a binary 'toggle bit' system implemented if possible. Where you could actually touch the individual bits of the byte you're working on and it calculated the value to the other number base and ASCII/Unicode chars, it makes toggling bits a MUCH faster process rather than having to possibly enter an entire 64 bit Qword each byte at a time.

Thanks for taking the time to respond here and in the forum, it was a no-brainer to purchase the app! Hope you don't mind suggestions.

 

[richard_walters]

I've added a textbox to view the ASCII string and fixed the way this works. A user can edit the ASCII string either with a keyboard or with the existing buttons, and all the bases update simultaneously. However, to view the ASCII textbox you have to click on the ASCII button. The text in the display would become too small if I added it there, and I prefer it separated anyway for UI reasons due to the slightly different functionality (because of the keyboard input).

I'm not quite sure what you meant in the second part of your post:

Unicode would be useful, although I would much rather see something like a binary 'toggle bit' system implemented if possible. Where you could actually touch the individual bits of the byte you're working on and it calculated the value to the other number base and ASCII/Unicode chars, it makes toggling bits a MUCH faster process rather than having to possibly enter an entire 64 bit Qword each byte at a time.

I could possibly add some extra functionality to the Bits display. Please can you give an example for your request?

I don't have much time to spend on the app at the moment, but I'll try to post updates here, and hopefully I can add some screenshots too in the next few days.

 

[mjrtoo]

I could possibly add some extra functionality to the Bits display. Please can you give an example for your request?

I don't have much time to spend on the app at the moment, but I'll try to post updates here, and hopefully I can add some screenshots too in the next few days.

For example, if you're in Bits mode, you tap on the bit you want to toggle on/off. So if you have 16 bits displayed 0000 0000 0000 0000 and you want to change the 7th bit to a 1, 0000 0000 1000 0000, you would just touch on it, which would update the rest of the bases as well. It's much easier than having to enter the entire binary word every time you want to change it.