PCalc ٤+

I have downloaded (and bought) many iPhone calculators and PCalc is by far the best. The depth and breadth of this app is a true labor of love by the author who has spend decades perfecting it (see his website). As an RPN lover and HP calculator addict, I have searched for and tried most of the offerings in the app store only to be disapointed by the rediculous skeuomorphic designs that abound.

With PCalc, the amount of custimization possibilities is dizzyingly vast but, once the shock of available options wears off, you are rewarded with a true sense of empowerment. Case in point: I love the elegance and simplicity of the original HP35 from 1972. I was able to duplicate this keyboard layout and, with the appropriate theme, I was able get it looking very nice. This took me a while but my layout is automatically saved to iCloud where it syncs with my other iOS devices.

The layout customization is very sophisticated, allowing you to have keys that are hidden until the 2nd key is pressed. All the labels for each key can be set to whatever you want. I'll stop here not because there is not more to say, but because this calculator shines once you start exploring the many options available. The point being, if you don't like what you see in the default layouts, you can make it be anything you want it to be.

this is by a wide margin the best ‘quick’ calculator software ever developed. i love how it allows me to obsess over fine-tuning my layout exactly how i like it. with any program that invites the user to invest this level energy into of customizing their experience, there will always be things i start to notice that i just really wish were present. with this app, the one thing i would like to point out to the developer is that most classic RPN calculators allow the user to combine a STO/RCL operation with plus/minus/times/divide. for instance, you can do things like STO * 2 or RCL / 7. i use these types of operations a lot on my calculators and i find them to be intuitive and convenient. although the multiple memory in this app has a pretty good and authentic interface, it’s missing this one feature I like, and there doesn’t seem to be a good workaround. I’ve tried writing macros and putting custom buttons in my layouts but i can’t really see any good way to replicate this feature. the storied development of this app is obviously a labor of love and i look forward to see what features come out next.

This thing is the Disneyland of calculator apps. The developer is a genius. Every feature you could possibly want, or might one day in the future discover you want, is in here. But none of that vast array of features results in any unnecessary complexity. PCalc is totally user customizable, enabling you to create just the feature set and look and feel that you desire.

Also, every other calc app I have tried has either lagged or mis-registered touches, but PCalc is smooth as silk, which is crucial for a calculator. I never thought I would even review, much less rave about a calculator app, but not only does PCalc work like a dream, but it has such incredible attention to detail and customizability that it's actually a ton of fun just to play around with the endless variations.

But wait, there's more. As if this thing couldn't possibly get any better, in the latest version the developer has added what can only be described as a 3-D graphics wonderland as a hidden bonus. Simply tap the "i" key, then "Help", then "About PCalc" and prepare to be amazed. You just have to try it; I don't want to spoil the surprise.