[tweetmeme]Calcbot started off as an iPad only app in the beginning. It made sense to build a simple, but beautiful calculator for the iPad since there wasn’t one included with Apple’s software. While the app is great on iPad, it’s the iPhone version that really shines. There have been plenty of calculator’s so far in the App Store, but the ones I’ve tried have either been unwieldy or unattractive. The guys at Tapbots excel at making not only good-looking software, but also at building useful software. I use two of their apps, Pastebot and Weightbot, pretty much everyday. The other previously released app, Convertbot, comes out any time I need to do conversions. With Calcbot, Tapbots has not only created another gorgeous application, but also another useful one; second only to Pastebot.
Calcbot is great because at first glance, it’s just a simple, basic function-only calculator. If you swipe across the number pad though, it reveals more advanced functions. So for people like me who don’t need to do fancy calculations, I can just never swipe over to those functions, and I can do my arithmetic quickly and easily. If you need to do more than that though, it’s just a quick swipe away. This works the same on both the iPhone and iPad. If you’re using Calcbot on your iPad, you can turn the iPad on its side and get easier access to advanced functions.
[Ed note: When it comes to tapbots screenshots, it's hard to keep up with Mark Jardine in the screenshot presentation department. This is the best I could do.]
One of my favorite things about Soulver, the app I had been using for calculations, was its tape. It made it easy to see running totals and look back at all the steps it took to get there. Calcbot has a tape as well, although it’s hidden at first glance. On the iPad, the tape only shows up if you’re looking at it in landscape mode. On the iPhone, since there’s no landscape mode, you must be wondering, well, where is it? If you swipe down from the top of the screen, the calculator slides down to reveal your tape. It’s a great way to quickly view the tape without wasting precious iPhone screen real estate when you don’t need to see the tape. While viewing the tape, you can also clear the tape out entirely or email the tape. I found myself creating a “+” address label in Gmail, and emailing completed calculations to myself for backup purposes.
For the first time ever, I don’t have anything to complain about with an app. I know, you must be shocked. But as far as calculator apps go, Calcbot is exactly what I wanted. It’s simple and beautiful. It’s far more attractive than Apple’s own calculator, and feels more streamlined than Soulver, while still including a lot of the advanced functions of that app. Calcbot doesn’t allow you to create multiple documents like that app does, but most of the time, that feature from Soulver just got in my way. If you want a powerful but easy to use calculator for your iPhone or iPad, Calcbot is the new gold standard as far as I’m concerned. And at just $0.99 for a universal iPhone and iPad version at launch, everyone reading this should go download Calcbot right now.
#protip: Try some of those upside calculatorized words from 6th grade math class and see what happens.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
I couldn’t agree more. This is the app that Apple should ship with the iPhone. Once again, Tapbots (and Taptaptap) have out done Apple on quality of software. It seems to be happening more and more with software from people like Panic too.
Sorry to ask this here, but how do you insert iphone/ipad screenshots in iphone/ipads? Is there some kind of app or a web service?
Thanks, and oh, you can delete this comment and reply me privately. Thanks again.
It’s all done using Photoshop (though I don’t see why it couldn’t be done using Pixelmator). I do believe there’s an app that does iPad-ised screenshots, but I don’t know the link.
I so would like the tape aspect of this app, but rarely have a need for the buttons along the top, with the exception of the +/- button. And I often use the memory button functions of the built-in calculator…so unlike you I do have something to complain about Calcbot.
I realize to most it’s probably minor, but for me it’s an unfortunate trade-of that will most likely lead me to give up the tape in favor of the built-in app.