What super-calculator do you use? [closed]

Question

Windows Calculator can switch into a "Scientific" mode, getting more math and logical operators, but that's not good enough. I know there are tons of features its missing, such as the ones we see in the Windows 7 calc, or simply making things more visual. Its been years and I still haven't found a good calculator replacement.

Suggestions? And hopefully your calc replaces MS Calc when I press the dedicated "calculator key" on my Keyboard, so I don't have to hunt around for a shortcut.

Answer 1

I like SpeedCrunch.

Answer 2

Python interactive interpreter (or better yet, iPython)

Answer 3

I have been loving the new Windows 7 calculator. You can get it on Vista too. I also can't stop using Wolfram Alpha.

Per comment: There are some 3rd party ports for XP, but I haven't tried any so I don't want to link them here. You can also grab Calculator Plus directly from MS.

Answer 4

I do about 95% of my calculations in Microsoft Excel. It has almost everything you need, trig functions, logs, exponentials, factorials etc.

Moreover, you have a record of what you've calculated when you are done, so you can check your work.

Answer 5

I often reach for bc.

Answer 6

Mathematica

Why? Because all calculations in Mathematica are fully symbolic. It does have a pretty steep learning curve, but after you have mastered the syntax and a couple of basic keyboard shortcuts, it beats every calculator.

I especially like the fact that its actually a programming language. You can build a whole pipeline of computations and tweak it until it does what you want.

One downside: It takes quite some time to launch.

Answer 7

MATLAB, although I've been trying to use Python more. I'll admit that it's probably overkill for most other people, though. ;-)

For simple calculations (or unit conversions), I often use Google as a calculator.

Answer 8

Google does quite a bit of calculations and conversions, complete with built-in constants, from whatever browser you happen to have installed (assuing you're connected, but who isn't these days?). It's not an installed replacement for a desktop calculator, but is nice when you don't have one available.
How to use the Google calculator

Some examples:
sin(90)
5*9+(sqrt 10)^3
1 mile to mm
1 terabyte to megabytes
0xFF + 0xFF
1.21 GW / 88 mph
0x7d3 in roman numerals
0b1100101*0b1001
EDIT: Couple more interesting ones for the astronomers:
150mm in AU
1 mile in light years
1 light year to miles
EDIT: New one:
1 hellameter = 1.0 × 10^27 meters

Answer 9

On OS X, "Magic Number Machine"

A free, full-featured, graphically laid out, high-precision, scientific calculator for Mac OS X 10.4 and greater. Full source-code is included with the distribution.

Good if you need to enter large expressions or have accurate precision. Data Drawers allow statistical data, linear regression and gaussian elimination. All parts of the program support complex numbers and hexadecimal numbers.

I sometimes use OS X's Grapher application

For more complicated things I use Python, either an interactive session or a script.

Answer 10

Wolfram|Alpha

Answer 11

For small things I use speedcrunch but for more advanced stuff is sometimes use octave.

Octave is a open source matlab "copy" (well not a copy but let's say it is heavily inspired from matlab...)

Answer 12

You could use Microsoft PowerToys Power Calculator for Windows XP

Power Calculator

With this PowerToy you can graph and evaluate functions as well as perform many different types of conversions.

Windows XP Original Calculator

Power Calculator

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Edit: One more option

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Calculator++

Calculator++ is a cross-platform, arbitrary-precision, customizable, multifunction, scientific calculator. Using Calculator++, you can perform any of the customary handheld or online calculator operations, and many more. While it serves as an excellent replacement for your operating system's built-in calculator, it also offers many powerful features that are not available together in any other handheld or computer-based calculator. Calculator++ supports over 25,000 units for conversion in an ever growing list of categories and units. Scientists, engineers, programmers, and students will find it a simple to use, yet powerful, tool.

Calculator++ is written entirely in Java, so you can use it on the platform of your choice. Calculator++ requires Java Runtime Environment 6.0 or later.

Scientific Display

Conversion Display

Answer 13

After being thoroughly impressed with PCalc on the iPhone, I've also switched to using it on my Mac dashboard as well:

Answer 14

I am very fond of qalculate

Answer 15

WxMaxima, IPython

Answer 16

Firefox's Google search bar..

5+5= (and the auto-suggestion will tell you the answer)

Answer 17

gnome-calculator.

Especially the programming mode:

Answer 18

HP 48G+

Does everything you could want. If it doesn't, you can program it to your will.

Answer 19

I almost always have Mathcad running at work, ocasionally MATLAB, so they're only an Alt-Tab away. If none of those are running, I'll go to Wolfram.

Answer 20

Emacs/Lisp.

The scratchpad function on Emacs allows one to quickly drop in Lisp code/equations and execute in place. Makes an excellent replacement for calculator when you have complex mathematical tasks.

Answer 21

R is a nice calculator.

You can do a lot of calculations without having to import stuff which you would have to when using Python.

Answer 22

Depending on the situation, i use one of 2 calculators.

If its anything very complicated or requiring symbolic math, defiantly using Matlab.

However, for the vast majority of my work, ill just revert to the good old ti-83 hand held graphic calculator. There is no fancy computer calculator that can match the speed, flexibility, and power of a Matlab + ti-83 combo.

Answer 23

I like Microsoft Math 3.0 because it actually shows you how the formulas are applied, which is very good if your math skills are not as strong as they should be.

Answer 24

maxima

Answer 25

Formative Software, Inc. has calculators for windows, and windows mobile. If you work with different units, these are the best. My favorite is the Ultimate Advantage.

Answer 26

mIRC's $calc() identifier lets you do some nice things...if you like the command line input like myself

Answer 27

I have often found myself reach out to a gdb shell
even when I have a SpeedCrunch installation close at hands.

Lets me continue to think in C...

Beyond that, I'd probably give Python interpreter a thought.

Answer 28

If I can't do it on my HP-12C, it's obviously something I need not care about. ;-)

Answer 29

Sage Mathematics - It's like a free, open source version of Mathematica. Very powerful!

Answer 30

I usually use Windows PowerShell.