Calc 2M app review: A better scientific calculator for your iPhone or iPad

Introduction

Until recently, I thought a calculator was much like a mouse trap – once you’ve seen one you’ve seen them all, but it turns out you can build a better calculator even if you can’t build a better mousetrap. Calc 2M by inkOfPixel is probably the most intuitive and enjoyable calculator app I’ve ever had the fortune to use on the iOS platform. It functions much like any other calculator when performing mathematic calculations, but it’s the little extras that the developers have provided that make this app better than the average calculator app. It is a free app, although it does have some themes which you can purchase to enhance the look and feel of the app. It will work on iPads, iPhones, and iPod Touch’s and it will only take up 18.9 MB of the space on your device.

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Scientific Tools and Themes

For a free app, Calc 2M has a lot of great tools for you to use. It’s a full scientific calculator with all of the scientific formulas you’ll need for various algebra, calculus, and financial equations. I haven’t used a lot of these formulas since high school, but they definitely come in handy for the student. They’re clearly laid out and easily accessible in a keypad format that’s very familiar in style to any other calculator.

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There’s nothing more annoying than typing out a long and complicated formula only to lose all of your information when you move onto the next calculation. With most calculators this is a problem you have to put up with, but with this one each one of your calculations is saved in a list above the calculator in case you want to use it again later. You can still delete that formula whenever you want – the choice is entirely up to you.

While you don’t really need a calculator to have a lot of bells and whistles that aren’t related to math equations it’s still a nice extra touch that the developers of this app have included theme packs. The company that created the app, inkOfPixel from Milan, Italy, claim that they like beautiful and functional digital experiences and that’s what they’ve created with this app. It definitely seems to have a bit of that Italian flair and personality to it.

Tips and Export

You might not think there's a need for directions on how to use a calculator, but just in case you’re wrong, the developers of this app have also included a comprehensive tips section. Here, you’ll find simple explanations of how the calculator’s various functions work and you’ll quickly get the idea. It may not be overly necessary, but I’m always surprised when I find an app that doesn’t have a tips section as why would you want to take a chance at annoying the user? It’s better to include the information and leave it up to the user to decide whether or not they need to use it.

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If you use a lot of math calculations in your job or at school there may come a time when you’d like to send your calculations to someone else to help you when you’re trying to solve a problem. The developers of this app aren’t just iOS app developers they’re also a full comprehensive software company that’s designed websites and web solutions for several different companies. Their expertise in a diverse range of software types really shows through in how easily they’ve made it to share information from this app with anyone you like. Once you’ve completed the calculation you can share with friends or family members through email or social media and get their opinion on the subject.

Delete or Reuse Calculations

When you’re sure that you’re done with a calculation you can simply swipe left on the completed calculation to remove it from your screen permanently. If you want to start over with a current calculation you’re working on you can simply swipe right to clear the screen. This is a lot easier than some calculators that leave you scrambling to find out which button actually represents the clear button. As Apple’s devices are ideal for swipe gestures it seems such an obvious thing for an app developer to include, but this is probably the first calculator app that I’ve seen that uses swipe gestures in this manner. It’s a simple addition, but it works very well and really adds to the user’s experience.

My personal favorite feature in this app is the ability to reuse calculations that you’ve already performed – no matter how long ago it was. You simply find the calculation in your formula list, tap and hold on it for a second or two, and then drag it to the active expression window. You can then make an addition to the calculation or a subtraction as the case may be. I’ve never seen this type of functionality in a calculator app before, but I’m glad I found one that includes this function as I can’t see myself going back and using a traditional calculator again after discovering this.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Includes all major scientific formulas
• You can change the theme of your calculator
• Save previous calculations for later use
• Great Tips Section
• Quickly export history
• Swipe to Delete
• Interactive mini-videos for tips
• You can reuse calculations

Cons

• Extract theme packs are available through in-app purchase

Scientifically Proved to be Better

I have to say that I was really impressed with this calculator. It performs simple math just as well as any other calculator and it also makes it easy to quickly reuse a calculation that you may have used before. You can export a calculation to get help from a friend or family member as well. It’s one of the most user friendly calculators in the App Store and it’s definitely worth downloading.