Hack 15. Replace the Calculator
Programmers and scientists have specific calculator needs that the built-in calculator doesn't come close to meeting. Programmers need to be able to switch bases to convert between decimal and hexadecimal. Scientists and programmers also need access to trig functions. Graphing is a nice bonus. There are several replacement calculators available. 2.6.1. powerOne ScientificThe powerOne Scientific calculator (http://www.infinitysw.com) has the standard trig functions. It also has statistics and base conversions, as you can see in Figure 2-22. Figure 2-22. powerOne Scientific calculator2.6.2. APCalcAPCalc (http://www.palmgear.com) is a programmable calculator. You can write your own functions and map them to buttons. This calculator comes with standard math functions (see Figure 2-23) and base conversion functions. It also has Boolean logic functions and graphing. Figure 2-23. APCalc2.6.3. EasyCalcEasyCalc (http://easycalc.sourceforge.net) is an open source scientific calculator. It also supports base conversions and a reasonably large set of math and scientific functions. A small set of the functions are visible in Figure 2-24. Figure 2-24. EasyCalcOnce you have found a calculator you like, you can set up the hardware buttons [Hack #44] so that the calculator soft key brings up your chosen calculator. |