Why no calculator??

Pcalc Lite is a very good alternative to the built-in calculator app. It also supports split screen multitasking.

 

Yeah I'm still baffled as to why there's no built-in calculator app in iPads. You can find a decent one on the App store.

Edit: So to answer your question, there is no stock calculator built in.

 

I know, no calculator but we now have the option to give our screen a yellow tint to make us sleep better

 

It's funny that you are all baffled. CultofMac posted the answer to this question just four days ago: http://www.cultofmac.com/421893/why-the-ipad-has-never-shipped-with-a-calculator-app/

 

Haha, wow. Thanks, that explains a lot

 

In fact the iPad have never had any default apps that were on the original iPhone, like Calculator, Stocks, Weather, etc. I think it has some historical reasons. To start with, the original iPhone had no third party apps and no App Store when it was released, at that time, Apple wanted us to use web apps only. The later change of mind before iPhone OS 2.0 allowed third party apps through the App Store, so the original built-in apps were no longer essential, but Apple kept them in the iPhone so as not to break things.

When the original iPad was released, there was already a thriving App Store community so the built in apps were no longer needed and Apple wanted to push users to download apps from the App Store instead.

 

Now it all adds up!

 

We may not get a calculator and flashlight app, but at least we don't get that useless stocks app

 

Your screen has a yellowish tint without that feature as is the case with all iPad Pro 9.7s

 

Just got mine and it took me a few to realize it didn't have one. Seems weird.

 

I can understand wanting to use the iPad mini as a flashlight in a pinch, but the bigger ones? The idea is pretty funny.

 

You can use Spotlight to perform calculations.

Also, there's a great app called WDGTS which is a collection of extremely handy Notification Center widgets. One of these being a calculator. This is very handy as it's always available, no matter where you are. Simply swipe down and it's there!

It also contains a month view calendar, a memory & disc monitor, a network monitor, a currency converter, app launcher, contact launcher, battery monitor, photo frame and currency converter.

The basic version is free, or you can spend a few cents to access all of the features.

Well worth checking out ...

 

This sounds like a plausible reason for why the iPad never got those apps. And the fact is, on the iPhone, I decided I like yahoo weather better than the stock app, so use that and the stock app sits there unused. On the iPad, there is no stock weather app, so I just download yahoo weather and don't have an unused weather app taking up space on my home screen. Oh, and talking about weather, there is weather function built into the iPad world clock and today notification. There just isn't a stock weather app.

 

I highly recommend Dark Sky, if we're moving on to weather apps.

It's the best!

Will even alert you when rain is about to start, and will tell you how long it will be before it passes!

I also love the Notification Center widget for Dark Sky.

By the way, never knew about weather being incorporated into the Clock app on iPad. Thanks for that ...

 

I do have Dark Sky, and have it set to alert me about rain. I just like the gorgeous backgrounds of Yahoo weather, so I use that to check the current temperature. When I want detailed forecast, I use Dark Sky.

 

This sounds like a reasonable explanation of why the original choice was made, but having said it doesn't justify why there still are inconsistencies between phones and tablets today (the reasons you gave are not valid any-more and to me there is nothing justifying why today a phone should have these apps built-in and a tablet shouldn't).

In my view the best option for these would be for Apple to develop universal apps which are optional downloads both on the iPhone and the iPad, an possibly auto-install when you set-up a new device (this would also be consistent with what they are doing for Pages/Numbers/Keynote/Garage Band/iMovie).

 

I actually use the calculator and currency conversion in the Spotlight in iPad. Gets the job done for basic calculations. Also use Calcbot if calculations are bigger. Free and looks really neat on big screen.

 

Never saw anyone asking for this before. What do you mean by this? What is this volume slider -- hardware or software?

 

In my opinion your items are too different from each other to be part of the same list calling Apple arrogant.

Especially something like not supporting USB mouse is not arrogance in my view, it is just in line with what has been Apple's design philosophy for the pas 15 years (simple products with consistent UI).

Also I might not get exactly what you mean but if you go to General/Keyboard/Keyboards you can pick different keyboard layouts. And they no also support third party keyboards.

 

How is it the iPhone has a preinstalled calculator but iPads don't?? I'd expect at least 9.3 to have it on the new iPad Pros, but nope

 

There are lots of really good free calculators in the App Store for the iPad.