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Can't I use a Mac as a calculator?

Killyp

Killyp

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Jun 14, 2006
3,859
7
The OS X Calculator Widget is pretty rubbish when it comes to actually calculating. For example:

-5 + 2

Try and do that, it won't let you! It just displays 'Error'. So after I found I couldn't add to a minus number with the widget, I tried calculator.app.

It'll let me do it, but now it throws out other random numbers and glitches! For example:

12.8 / 2

Since when did that equal 6.40000000000000004?!

Nice one Apple! I seem to remember Windows 1 had a glitch like this, which Microsoft patched straight away :rolleyes:

Anybody else getting these problems?
 
no, for complicated fomula, i normally use excel, or the visiual cal on my palm if the laptop is away.
 
Don't you think it sucks though? World's best OS and it can't even work out numbers... :confused:
 
I'm guessing you have precision set to 16, right? Set it to a lower value and you should get 12.8 / 2 = 6.4.
 
For the dashboard widget calculator.. -5 + 2 got me an error, but 2 + (-5) got me (-3). So maybe you have to put the positive integer first?

on the calculator app... 12.8 / 2 gave me 6.4 the first time.
 
Mine works perfectly. Sorry that doesn't help you solve your problem, but I don't think it's something inherently wrong with the widget, just the one on your system.
 
There is still the regular little calculator app. Can't remember if it's in the applications folder or in utilities, but I found in on my MBP. I always kept it in the dock on my PB.
 
Killyp said:
The OS X Calculator Widget is pretty rubbish when it comes to actually calculating. For example:

-5 + 2

Try and do that, it won't let you! It just displays 'Error'. So after I found I couldn't add to a minus number with the widget, I tried calculator.app.
Click to expand...

Highlight/select -5 + 2, (Cmd-C) copy it, then (Cmd-V) paste onto the calculator widget's screen and you get the correct result. :)
 
I'm actually interested in finding out whether or not there is a engineering calculator available for the Mac. I use a lot of equations and also use graphs quite often and would love to have a nice calculator on my Mac.

Any ideas?
 
You are aware

that computers aren't magic boxes correct? Computers are binary machines with finite resources, therefore they have to represent decimal numbers of arbitrary length using a binary system of fixed length. The IEEE, an international standards body, defines the standard binary representations of numbers using a fixed length. Intel designs their chips to work with these standards, and therefore almost every major player uses them in their software. As a consequence, computer arithmatic is rarely 100% precise, as evidenced in your 12.8/2 example. That is why you shouldn't set the precision to 16 digits unless you know what you are doing. That is a user error, not a software one.
 
Killyp said:
Don't you think it sucks though? World's best OS and it can't even work out numbers... :confused:
Click to expand...

windows' calculator is just slightly better anyway.

But, an OS is a platform, the main task is to support other apps to finish the work as a onwer wants.
 

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Start with Zero

Hint - when working with a simple calculator that doesn't have a "negative sign" button, simply start with zero.

0 - 5 + 2

I don't see this as a glitch with the widget. It's designed to emulate a simple 50 cent calculator that you'd buy in the checkout line at your local grocery store. It doesn't have a "negative" sign. Starting to type with the minus sign gives the same result as if you were to begin with the division button - it would accurately give an error.

It also isn't meant to understand Order of Operations. It's up to the person doing the calculating to determine the OoO.

For those of you who are too young - this is the way all calculators used to work. :)
 
ronni3 said:
I'm actually interested in finding out whether or not there is a engineering calculator available for the Mac. I use a lot of equations and also use graphs quite often and would love to have a nice calculator on my Mac.

Any ideas?
Click to expand...

There is an app called Grapher that does complex equations and comes with OS X.
 
jsalzer said:
Hint - when working with a simple calculator that doesn't have a "negative sign" button, simply start with zero.

0 - 5 + 2

I don't see this as a glitch with the widget. It's designed to emulate a simple 50 cent calculator that you'd buy in the checkout line at your local grocery store. It doesn't have a "negative" sign. Starting to type with the minus sign gives the same result as if you were to begin with the division button - it would accurately give an error.

It also isn't meant to understand Order of Operations. It's up to the person doing the calculating to determine the OoO.

For those of you who are too young - this is the way all calculators used to work. :)
Click to expand...

thank you, i was just about to post that....
 
Have you tried changing the View in the Calculator App? You can easily enter in Negative numbers in the Scientific View. In this Calc there is a +/- key for entering negative numbers.
 
Loge said:
I'm guessing you have precision set to 16, right? Set it to a lower value and you should get 12.8 / 2 = 6.4.
Click to expand...
foidulus said:
that computers aren't magic boxes correct? Computers are binary machines with finite resources, therefore they have to represent decimal numbers of arbitrary length using a binary system of fixed length. The IEEE, an international standards body, defines the standard binary representations of numbers using a fixed length. Intel designs their chips to work with these standards, and therefore almost every major player uses them in their software. As a consequence, computer arithmatic is rarely 100% precise, as evidenced in your 12.8/2 example. That is why you shouldn't set the precision to 16 digits unless you know what you are doing. That is a user error, not a software one.
Click to expand...

it's bad programming if you try 12.8/2 and you get anything but 6.4. there is no excuse. if you set the precision to a 16, for instance, Calculator.app should know to use the correct variable type with more precision, instead of generating something other than 6.4 using type with less precision.


psycoswimmer said:
For the dashboard widget calculator.. -5 + 2 got me an error, but 2 + (-5) got me (-3). So maybe you have to put the positive integer first?
Click to expand...
perhaps if you put (-5)+2... aka with the parenthesis (can you do that?) you will get the right answer? or not have the space between - and 5? i dont have my mac now, i dont know if that's all possible...
deputy_doofy said:
There is still the regular little calculator app. Can't remember if it's in the applications folder or in utilities, but I found in on my MBP. I always kept it in the dock on my PB.
Click to expand...
:rolleyes:

localoid said:
Highlight/select -5 + 2, (Cmd-C) copy it, then (Cmd-V) paste onto the calculator widget's screen and you get the correct result. :)
Click to expand...
that's convenient...
 
jsalzer said:
It's designed to emulate a simple 50 cent calculator that you'd buy in the checkout line at your local grocery store. It doesn't have a "negative" sign.
Click to expand...
Seriously! I don't see what's up with all the complaining about the Calculator widget. There's a Calculator app to use for anything above basic calculations.
 
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