macOS 15 Rumored to Feature Revamped Calculator App

[DownUnderDan]

This is really exciting. A calculator. Ok.

When you tie all the apps to an OS and Tim says he wants something new to jabber on about every year, as a developer you do what you have to do. it would be better if the Apple community of users, told Tim to stop dicking around with the OS every year and focus on bug fixes, stability and security instead. The OS does not need yearly updates of features. That is pure marketing.

 

[LavaLevel]

If you can't hold it upside down and spell BOOBIES is it really a calculator though?!?

 

[picpicmac]

is this report representative of all they have to offer to upgrade this essential app?

Maybe you're reading too much into a post by a rumor site that just needs to generate posts for the sake of getting people to spend time on said site?

 

[Corefile]

wow....never knew...
still like PCALC more

Pcalc used to be the Mac calc app.

 

[Beautyspin]

Yes... It's like when you buy a pair of jeans, at some point you'll also need to buy socks, underwear, and a shirt. Or... if you buy a toothbrush, you'll also need to buy toothpaste.

It looks like when you buy a laptop you expect/demand to get free software.

In furtherance to your mission and not wanting to spend $10 for a great app (one I've been using for 20 years - about 50 cents per year), you can get a FREE lite version of pCalc, that will likely meet your needs.

I did not mention MS office, Premiere pro etc, because they are not software that come with the OS. Calculators, calendars, reminders are some things that should come with the OS and they should be as fully-featured as possible. Gimping them so that 3rd party apps can be sold that result in commission is greed. It is like buying a pair of jeans and having shell out $5 for the buttons, $20 for loops for the belt, $40 for pockets, and so on.

If pCalc has a lite version that is free and a paid version that is only $10, then kudos to that developer. But Apple, I think it is time for it temper that greed a little more.

 

[germinator]

Hopefully they will keep RPN mode in the scientific calculator.

 

[citysnaps]

Gimping them so that 3rd party apps can be sold that result in commission is greed.

If that were true (it's not), Apple would be gimping Pages, Keynote, Maps, Preview, Messages, Stocks, Reminders, Notes, GarageBand, Numbers, Mail, Photos, Weather, etc, etc. To, as you would believe, screw their customers.

Try not to go through life believing Apple and TC are greedy and out to screw you. They aren't

And instead realize that Apple's apps are made for the majority of their customers base.

Who are not people who need an RPN scientific calculator that's infinitely configurable and would likely be intimidating to most of Apple's regular customers.

The majority of Apple's customers are regular people; ie teachers, real estate agents, bus drivers, musicians, mailmen, hospital nurses and doctors, car salesmen, gardeners, retail sales clerks, termite inspectors, plumbers, photographers, construction workers, etc, etc. The calculator that Apple includes in MacOS and iOS is perfect for them.

If you're a scientist, engineer, physicist, programmer, etc, etc... simply pay the $10 for pCalc and you'll get an outstanding scientific calculator that will serve you well for 20 to 40 years. Since you already paid $2,000+ for your Apple computer, spending an extra $10 for the best scientific RPN calculator in the world is not out of line.

I don't think it will cause you to go hungry.

 

[Beautyspin]

If that were true (it's not), Apple would be gimping Pages, Keynote, Maps, Preview, Messages, Stocks, Reminders, Notes, GarageBand, Numbers, Mail, Photos, Weather, etc, etc. To, as you would believe, screw their customers.

Try not to go through life believing Apple and TC are greedy and out to screw you. They aren't

And instead realize that Apple's apps are made for the majority of their customers base.

Who are not people who need an RPN scientific calculator that's infinitely configurable and would likely be intimidating to most of Apple's regular customers.

The majority of Apple's customers are regular people; ie teachers, real estate agents, bus drivers, musicians, mailmen, hospital nurses and doctors, car salesmen, gardeners, retail sales clerks, termite inspectors, plumbers, photographers, construction workers, etc, etc. The calculator that Apple includes in MacOS and iOS is perfect for them.

If you're a scientist, engineer, physicist, programmer, etc, etc... simply pay the $10 for pCalc and you'll get an outstanding scientific calculator that will serve you well for 20 to 40 years. Since you already paid $2,000+ for your Apple computer, spending an extra $10 for the best scientific RPN calculator in the world is not out of line.

I don't think it will cause you to go hungry.

Yes, programming or a scientific calculator is not for everyone. I use spotlight (actually Raycast that has replaced the spotlight) for most of my calculations for Google search. However, Apple's philosophy is clearly stated by the DOJ complaint. It is exactly customers like you who have influenced Apple's thinking. No other company, I am sure, thinks in this way. The sheer arrogance boggles me.


"As Apple’s executives openly acknowledge: “In looking at it with hindsight, I think going forward we need to set a stake in the ground for what features we think are ‘good enough’ for the consumer. I would argue we’re already doing *more* than what would have been good enough. But we find it very hard to regress our product features YOY [year over year].” Existing features “would have been good enough today if we hadn’t introduced [them] already,” and “anything new and especially expensive needs to be rigorously challenged before it’s allowed into the consumer phone.”

 

[citysnaps]

Yes, programming or a scientific calculator is not for everyone. I use spotlight (actually Raycast that has replaced the spotlight) for most of my calculations for Google search. However, Apple's philosophy is clearly stated by the DOJ complaint. It is exactly customers like you who have influenced Apple's thinking. No other company, I am sure, thinks in this way. The sheer arrogance boggles me.


"As Apple’s executives openly acknowledge: “In looking at it with hindsight, I think going forward we need to set a stake in the ground for what features we think are ‘good enough’ for the consumer. I would argue we’re already doing *more* than what would have been good enough. But we find it very hard to regress our product features YOY [year over year].” Existing features “would have been good enough today if we hadn’t introduced [them] already,” and “anything new and especially expensive needs to be rigorously challenged before it’s allowed into the consumer phone.”

If Apple's included calculator was like pCalc, the overwhelming majority of Apple's customers' eyes would glaze over and never use it.

Imagine the whine-fest that would cause.

Apple's current calculator, that's included with macOS, does includes a stack-based RPN mode. So... there you go. Use it and try and find a wee bit of happiness.

If you need something better, simply pay for it. Apple is certainly not obligated to make a calculator that would probably only be used by 15% of its customers - if that. And confuse the hell out of its main customer base.

"It is exactly customers like you who have influenced Apple's thinking. No other company, I am sure, thinks in this way. The sheer arrogance boggles me."

Nonsense. That's the silliest thing I've heard in awhile. Apple is not obligated to provide the best RPN calculator in the world that only a small percentage of its customers would use, and frustrate the rest of Apple's customer base.

So... are you going to make a huge sacrifice and somehow find the $10 to purchase pCalc, the best RPN calculator in the world and move on, finding happiness using it for 20-40 years for that $10? Or use Apple's calculator in RPN mode, and find happiness? I realize that would feel weird and totally destroy your above views that Apple is just being greedy.

If you really believed what you're saying above, you would ditch Apple altogether and go with a computer company that isn't arrogant and greedy. Will you do it?

Difficult choices...

 

[BeefCake 15]

TI-84 Emulator!

 

[svish]

Will be great to have updates to the calculator on the Mac. But would love to see a calculator designed by Apple for iPad.

 

[Rookbird¥]

It’s a major update! It will now be subscription based 😂

 

[NewOldStock]

Lot of zero`s in a Trillion dollar company they needed better calculator for the accounting department.

 

[tomtad]

The Mail app is excellent. It could use a bit of work, but it's been a real workhorse for me. Been using it for 20 years across multiple mail providers.

It's been well-known that the Mail team is unique within Apple, and a lot of the work that they do ends up inspiring designs for the OS as a whole.

What revamp are you looking for?

What are you on about? Other than some changes to the UI the app has barely changed in over 20 years. Just open settings for instance, it’s like you’re in Mac OS X 10.0

 

[zwi]

Will it be graphic, have an RPN option or do algebra?

I guess anything from Excel to Wolfram or AI will still be first choice. And if people really need a classic calculator, they will still fire up the emulator of their preferred model.

 

[Beautyspin]

If Apple's included calculator was like pCalc, the overwhelming majority of Apple's customers' eyes would glaze over and never use it.

Imagine the whine-fest that would cause.

Apple's current calculator, that's included with macOS, does includes a stack-based RPN mode. So... there you go. Use it and try and find a wee bit of happiness.

If you need something better, simply pay for it. Apple is certainly not obligated to make a calculator that would probably only be used by 15% of its customers - if that. And confuse the hell out of its main customer base.

"It is exactly customers like you who have influenced Apple's thinking. No other company, I am sure, thinks in this way. The sheer arrogance boggles me."

Nonsense. That's the silliest thing I've heard in awhile. Apple is not obligated to provide the best RPN calculator in the world that only a small percentage of its customers would use, and frustrate the rest of Apple's customer base.

So... are you going to make a huge sacrifice and somehow find the $10 to purchase pCalc, the best RPN calculator in the world and move on, finding happiness using it for 20-40 years for that $10? Or use Apple's calculator in RPN mode, and find happiness? I realize that would feel weird and totally destroy your above views that Apple is just being greedy.

If you really believed what you're saying above, you would ditch Apple altogether and go with a computer company that isn't arrogant and greedy. Will you do it?

Difficult choices...

Well, you must be an expert on calculators, so I will not argue about that with you.

It is not about the specific app that I am talking about. It is the mindset of the company that the Apple executive exhibits. Also, sorry for using the word "You" there. It was a mistake. I did not specifically mean "you" there. I meant the category of people who are happy with apple not innovating. Apologies.

 

[garranhado]

This feels universal calculator. iOS, iPadOS, macOS, visionOS.

Normally I use Spotlight to do some calcs.

 

[ThE.MeSsEnGeR]

The paper tape feature is already there, you can access it via the shortcut COMMAND+T (⌘-T). I didn't know it was there until like a couple months ago, and I've been a Mac user for 16 years already!
So, it'd be nice to have this feature more visible and accessible.

 

[return2sendai]

Nice, I guess.
How about giving the iPad the same thing?

Calculator App Slated for Inclusion in iPad OS 6x9.

 

[Bazza1]

And this is a priority how exactly?
Of all the niggling (and not so niggling) issues that this Forum, other Forums and Apple's own Community reports on, Apple narrows it down to stuff like this?

 

[Bazza1]

It’s a major update! It will now be subscription based 😂

...or only functions on M4 devices and above...

 

[ronno]

You can get probably any calculation by simply googling the formula. You don't even have to hit enter - the answer is presented right there.
Are we suggesting people are gonna buy a computer because of the new Calculator app?
Jesus.

 

[MacHeritage]

I wouldn't care since I use PCalc (for years now) and Alfred for quick stuff. Calculator is OK if you have nothing else but I much prefer PCalc over any calculator app Apple has ever shipped. Once I tried it... the rest is history. It has all the functions I would ever need, can change it's look and what kind of calculator one needs, has every type of conversion etc. Just so versatile and fun to use in comparison. This app is always around on my dock's somewhere. Never use Apple's anymore.

 

[steve123]

NCalc is pretty good ... but it lacks an RPN mode which is a major bummer.

 

[bluedoggiant]

But will it be better than doing math in Spotlight? Prob not