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Is my vision that bad? No, it's just a bug in Apple's Calculator

(martin.wojtczyk.de)
631 points wojtczyk | 8 comments | 31 Aug 24 04:29 UTC | HN request time: 0.205s | source | bottom
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jb1991 ◴[31 Aug 24 09:12 UTC] No.41407501[source]▶
On mobile devices, Apple’s Calculator app has always been one of the most frustrating apps I’ve ever used, and I’m surprised it’s a stock app by the company itself. If you press buttons quickly, like you would a normal calculator, many of the key presses simply don’t register at all. I’m not sure if they’re prioritizing some pretty little visual animation over actual functionality, but it’s incredibly surprising from a company that focuses on user interaction, supposedly.
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1. bqmjjx0kac ◴[31 Aug 24 15:04 UTC] No.41409391[source]▶
I switched to an iPhone a few years ago and I really miss the Android calculator app. It showed the entire expression typed so far and its current value! In desperation, I have resorted to SSHing to my desktop and using `python` as a calculator.
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2. jb1991 ◴[31 Aug 24 16:09 UTC] No.41409817[source]▶
Well, if you really want that on your phone you can get other calculator apps that are quite advanced. Might be easier than doing what you are doing.
replies(2): >>41410829 #>>41410946 #
3. oluminate ◴[31 Aug 24 17:20 UTC] No.41410313[source]▶
You can use Siri Search on iOS as a calculator, which works the same way as Finder on a Mac — this keeps track of the entire expression when you’re doing it
replies(1): >>41410635 #
4. EricE ◴[31 Aug 24 17:53 UTC] No.41410530[source]▶
If you rely on a calculator then you owe it to yourself to check out pcalc. One of the few apps I maintain paying for these days.
5. diggan ◴[31 Aug 24 18:09 UTC] No.41410635[source]▶
> You can use Siri Search on iOS as a calculator

With the added benefit of having to press not just one, but two buttons in order to add a "+" sign. First press "123", then press "#+=" and now you can add your complex mathematical characters :)

replies(1): >>41446647 #
6. lynndotpy ◴[31 Aug 24 18:35 UTC] No.41410829[source]▶
Other calculator apps that might have different privacy policies, and who might call home to Google and Facebook despite reporting "no data collected", and which might disappear from the app store because it costs $100/year to have the privilege of providing a free app (e.g. as happened with OpenCalc. https://github.com/breeko/OpenCalc/issues/3 )
7. bqmjjx0kac ◴[31 Aug 24 18:51 UTC] No.41410946[source]▶
Believe me, I looked for a while. Nothing quite scratched the itch while also being free, ad-free, and private. I guess I sound quite picky, but SSH + python checks all the boxes.
8. bqmjjx0kac ◴[04 Sep 24 15:06 UTC] No.41446647{3}[source]▶
I'm with you.

If I have to use the default keyboard to enter arithmetic expressions, I'd rather SSH to my own server. I'm not exactly sure of the privacy implications of typing things into Siri.