Apple has bought my favorite smartphone calculator app

October 20, 2021, 08:17 AM

Pipe Smoker

From its developer, TLA Systems, it appears… The app is “PCalc”. I’ve used it for years. Your choice of algebraic or RPN operation (RPN for me). Many built in keyboard layouts to choose from – basic to scientific – or you can craft your own. Scientific or engineering exponential format choice. A wonderfully extensive unit conversion feature. More…

This morning, as usual, I checked to see what app updates are available for my iPhone, and see one for PCalc:

“This app has been updated by Apple to display the Apple Watch icon. …”

Apple had previously bought the excellent “Dark Sky” weather app (and ended support for the android version). I open Dark Sky at least once virtually every day.

I wonder which app will be next.

October 20, 2021, 08:22 AM

mark123

Tangent alert: thanks for recommending Dark Sky. I’m probably going to buy it because wunderground is pretty lame now.

October 20, 2021, 08:45 AM

ensigmatic

*sigh* Another app I'll lose if I switch back to Android

"America is at that awkward stage. It's too late to work within the system,,,, but too early to shoot the bastards." -- Claire Wolfe
"If we let things terrify us, life will not be worth living." -- Seneca the Younger, Roman Stoic philosopher

October 20, 2021, 08:52 AM

maladat

quote:
Originally posted by ensigmatic:
*sigh* Another app I'll lose if I switch back to Android

RealCalc is a good Android calculator app with all the common scientific calculator functions and stack RPN support.

October 20, 2021, 09:41 AM

smschulz

quote:
Originally posted by ensigmatic:
... if I switch back to Android

{gasp}

October 20, 2021, 09:44 AM

maladat

Also, from what I can see, it doesn't look like Apple bought the app, just that they updated one of the icons to comply with their mandatory style for apps with Apple Watch support without involving the developer.

October 20, 2021, 10:03 AM

architect

I have used both PCalc and RealCalc and like them both, however, I have pretty much switched over to using Free42 (an emulation of the HP-42S calculator) almost exclusively, as long time HP-41C user, I find Free42 more closely fits my assumptions of how a stack-based RPN calculator should work, key arrangement, etc. I believe it is available for most platforms, not just iOS and macOS.

October 20, 2021, 10:04 AM

ensigmatic

quote:
Originally posted by maladat:
RealCalc is a good Android calculator app with all the common scientific calculator functions and stack RPN support.

I think that's what I used when I was on Android.

quote:
Originally posted by smschulz:
quote:
Originally posted by ensigmatic:
... if I switch back to Android

{gasp}

Keep up, dude

I mentioned this some time back when Apple announced they were going to put on-device-CSAM-scanning into iOS 15.

I they do: I'll be switching back to Android.

(TBH: I really don't much like Apple anymore.)

October 20, 2021, 11:26 AM

Perception

quote:
Originally posted by mark123:
Tangent alert: thanks for recommending Dark Sky. I’m probably going to buy it because wunderground is pretty lame now.

Yeah, I used to love Wunderground. Then IBM bought it, and it's been awful ever since.

"The people hate the lizards and the lizards rule the people."
"Odd," said Arthur, "I thought you said it was a democracy."
"I did," said Ford, "it is."
"So," said Arthur, hoping he wasn't sounding ridiculously obtuse, "why don't the people get rid of the lizards?"
"It honestly doesn't occur to them. They've all got the vote, so they all pretty much assume that the government they've voted in more or less approximates the government they want."
"You mean they actually vote for the lizards."
"Oh yes," said Ford with a shrug, "of course."
"But," said Arthur, going for the big one again, "why?"
"Because if they didn't vote for a lizard, then the wrong lizard might get in."

October 20, 2021, 12:54 PM

maladat

quote:
Originally posted by ensigmatic:
(TBH: I really don't much like Apple anymore.)

Their recent MacBook Pro announcement was like a parody.

Their "revolutionary" product update is basically just undoing all the changes since about 2015 (they have added back the HDMI port and SD card reader, ditched the touch bar for normal function keys again, gone back to a MagSafe charging port, etc.).

Of course, they're not the only ones making those kinds of silly claims. A bunch of laptops are starting to move away from the widescreen and ultra widescreen displays to more square aspect ratios and there are a bunch of reviews and articles breathlessly promoting the revolutionary productivity benefits of going back towards the aspect ratios everyone was using 15 years ago.