CalculatorsBy Rich Hall This article looks at over twenty calculators you can add to your PC Companion. There are a few freeware programs in here, and most come with free demos so you can download them yourself to check them out. I've divided this article into the following types of calculators: Business used for business & financial calculations (interest rates, Time Value of Money and the like). General calculators that do simple math. I include timers in this section. Multi-purpose have a combination of the other categories built in. Scientific used for engineering, chemistry, and other higher-level mathematics functions. I include graphing and statistical programs in this category, unless they focus on business & finance.
Business
The Financial Consultant v2.0 is an advanced business calculator that combines many of the most popular features of HP and TI calculators. In addition to regular RPN and Algebraic input, Solver forms provide a unique "fill in the blanks" environment for solving a range of business calculations without having to memorize obscure keystrokes. Other features include: Statistics and Scientific functions, Investment analysis, Date calculations, Loans, Leasing and Mortgages, Onscreen amortization tables, extensive online help and user guide. Financial Consultant is priced at $39.95 and has versions available for H/PCs or
Palm-size PCs. I could not find a free demo. Contact: LandWare, Inc; E-mail: sales@ landware.com;
Fiscal Pro is a forms-based financial problem solver that handles amortization, currency and unit conversions, data calculations, retail percentages, and investment analysis. Fiscal Pro is priced at $39.95 (special bundle $49.95 includes Financial Consultant)
and is available for H/PCs. Contact: LandWare, Inc; E-mail: sales@landware.com;
Pocket BizCalc for Windows CE is a full-featured business/financial software calculator that emulates the HP-12C (see Screen 1). Using RPN logic, it performs the following calculations as well as others: loan/mortgage, discounted cash flow, bond, compound interest, leasing, actuarial and markup functions, depreciation, and amortization schedules. I liked the electronic tape display that shows the calculations you've made in the series. The items in the tape display can be annotated, date/time stamped, and saved for later use. Remember that Pocket BizCalc is an RPN (Reverse Polish Notation) calculator. You enter data first and then the operator. For example, to divide 9 by 9 you press 9, press ENTER, press 9 again, and then press / (the division symbol). Pocket BizCalc is priced at $39.95 and is available for H/PCs, H/PC Pros and Ps/PCs. A
free demo is available at the developer's Web site. Contact: Odyssey Computing, Inc.;
A calculator for business, retail, finance, banking, and real estate industry professionals. Pocket MBA-Calc operates like the Texas Instruments BA-II Plus calculator, but with a number of additional features. Similar to BizCalc, but using the more common algebraic logic, Pocket MBA-Calc performs the following calculations as well as others: Annuity/Actuarial, Amortization, Arithmetic, Bond, Compound & Simple Interest, Date, Depreciation, Discounted Cash Flow (NPV, IRR), Loan/Mortgage, Interest Conversions, Markup and Math Functions. It also incorporates a tape display. Pocket MBA-Calc is priced at $39.95 and is available for H/PCs and Ps/PCs. Contact:
Odyssey Computing;
A simple one-touch calculator that lets you determine tips and amount per guest quickly
and easily. Tipster is freeware and is available for H/PCs and Ps/PCs. Download at
developer's Web site. Contact: Ilium Software;
Calculator that lets you solve financial problems involving irregular payments, balloons, and changing interest rates. TValue is priced at $59.00 and is available for H/PCs. Contact: TimeValue Software;
E-mail: info@timevalue.com;
General
RapidCalc is a basic calculator that is accessed from the soft-input panel window on your Palm-size PC (see Screen 2). RapidCalc lets you perform calculations while working with other applications, and easily paste results into another document. RapidCalc also give you the option of using Note Taker (any text editor) as a "paper-tape" of your calculations. This is a very handy way to do basic calculations on a Palm-size PC. RapidCalc is priced at $13.95 and is available for the Ps/PC. A free demo is available
at the developer's Web site. Contact: Developer One; E-mail: sales@developer one.com;
A suite of software utilities that includes EzCalc, a full-function calculator including conversion routines. ToolPack is priced at $49.95 and is available for the H/PC. A free demo is available at
developer's Web site. Contact: Ezos Ltd.;
A swim timer and performance calculator for Windows CE. Features include multiple swim timers; configurable for any pool; hotkeys; automatic calculations for lap time and a lap counter. SwimPro does calculations for swimming speed, stroke rate, and stroke length. Calculations are always shown on the main screen for the most recently completed set of times, as well as the one previous to that, so that changes (as the swimmer is tiring) can be seen. I'm not a swimmer and don't attend swimming meets, but like the look and functioning of this program. SwimPro is priced at $34.95 and is available for H/PCs and Ps/PCs. A free demo is available at the developer's Web site. Contact: Cambridge Computer Corporation; Web: www.cam.com
Multi-purpose
This is one of my favorite calculator programs. CoolCalc gives you a number of different calculators in one program, plus the ability to customize calculators and create your own. I particularly like the macro feature, which lets you automate keystrokes and functions, and assign them to a calculator key. This makes CoolCalc highly customizable for number crunching professionals (see Screen 3). CoolCalc gives you two basic calculators and 2 scientific calculators (with and without Reverse Polish Notation), a computer math calculator, plus the ability to solve currency conversion, loans, and Time Value of Money problems. You can reposition any calculator button with your stylus, and change the function, sound, and appearance of each button. Over 100 different functions are available. CoolCalc is priced at $29.95 and has versions available for all H/PCs, H/PC Pros and
Ps/PCs. A demo is available at the developer's Web site. Unfortunately, only the Basic
calculator functions in the demo. Contact: Applian Technologies;
A powerful RPN (Reverse Polish Notation) calculator providing business, financial, statistical, scientific, engineering and computer science functionality (see Screen 4). Proficiency provides functional emulation of Hewlett-Packard Company's HP-12C financial calculator, most of the HP-15C engineering/scientific calculator and portions of the HP-16C computer science calculator. Proficiency also comes with an extensive library of preprogrammed functions. This is one of the most powerful and complete calculator solutions available for Handheld PC users. Proficiency is priced at $49 and is available for H/PCs and H/PC Pros only.
Unfortunately, no demo is available. Contact: MVA Software, Inc.; E-mail: info@mvasoft ware.com;
Scientific
ArtSoft bills this program as a "powerful mathematical/scientific calculator." I played with the demo version a little and used it to calculate and plot some simple algebraic functions (see Screen 5). It was a little difficult figuring out the proper syntax for the algebraic expressions, mostly because I haven't done it in years. Figuring out the menu items and using the Math and Calculus panels was fairly easy. ArtSGraph comes with an online Help function that describes the functions and walks you through simple examples. You can use ArtSGraph for simple arithmetic, plotting elementary functions, differential calculus, harmonic analysis, optimization, plotting of equipotential lines and field of directions. I have no personal need for this type of program, but it could be used to teach and practice mathematics. ArtSGraph is price at $20.00 and can be used with H/PCs running Windows CE 2.0 or above. English and Russian language versions are available for SH3 and MIPS processors, but not the ARM processor found in the HP Jornada 820. You can download a demo version of the program at developer's Web site. Contact: ArtSoft; Web: www.artsoft.ru/eng/artsghpc.htm
This calculator supports arithmetic, base conversion, logarithm functions, statistics, and memory functions. All features are accessed from a single screen. CalCE is an easy-to-use scientific calculator program. CalCE is price at $19.95 and can be used with any H/PC running Windows CE 2.0 or above (SH3 and MIPS processors only). A demo is available at the developer's Web site. Contact: Queen image; Web: www.queenimage.com/
Calcy Force is another simple, single-screen scientific calculator for the H/PC. It supports base conversions, arithmetic, logical, trigonometric and logarithmic functions. Calcy Force is very easy to use. Calcy Force is priced at $35 and can be used with H/PCs running Windows CE 2.0 or above
(SH3 and MIPS processors only). A demo is available at the developer's Website. Contact:
Ruksun Software Technologies; E-mail: info@ruksun.com;
Graphing calculator for Windows CE designed for the teaching and exploration of mathematics. Gives the user the ability to see the intermediate STEPS taken to solve any problem. Supports Arithmetic, Polynomials, Matrices, Functions, Algebra, Calculus, Graphing, Finite, Trigonometry, and more. Formulae 1 CE is a free (beta) and is available for H/PCs. Download it at the
developer's Web site. Contact: Poliplus Software;
Graphing program that accepts columnar data in text or spreadsheet format from the Clipboard, and generates two dimensional line and scatter graphs. GraphCE is freeware and is available for the H/PC. Download it at www.execpc. com/~fdeck/graphce/
Turns your Palm-size PC into a graphic calculator that can plot 2D functions. Calculator-like button input makes it easy to enter expressions from the touch screen. Graphics Plotter is shareware (registration $14.95) and is available for Ps/PCs.
Download it at the SWForCE
Add a scientific calculator to your Palm-size PC. PalmSciCalc is freeware and is available for the Ps/PC. It can be downloaded at www.cemonster.com.
A graphic calculator that plots equations and performs other types of advanced
calculations. Pocket GraphCalc is priced at $40 and is available for H/PCs. Contact:
Surerange Analysis Ltd.;
A calculator program that lets you type in an equation and enter values for all but one of the variables (see Screens 6 & 7). Unlike a spreadsheet, any unknown variable can be found without having to rearrange the equation. This is a cool little program primarily of interest to students, I think. Pocket Solver is priced at $32 and is available for H/PCs or Ps/PCs. Contact: Surerange
Analysis Ltd.; Fax: +44 (0) 1483 304960;
Designed for technical professionals who need RPN or algebraic input logic, proCALC ce equips the H/PC with a problem solving environment that lets users perform such calculations as hyperbolics, trigonometrics, one or two variable statistics, linear regression, rectangular/polar, radian/degrees and base conversions. proCALC ce is priced at $44.95 and is available for H/PCs. Contact: LandWare, Inc;
E-mail: sales@landware.com;
A suite of H/PC utilities that includes Tascal Calc, an advanced scientific calculator for math from algebra to advanced calculus. Tascal Tools is shareware ($20 registration fee) available for H/PC. Download it at www.cemonster.com. Screen 1: Pocket BizCalc for Windows CE is a full-featured business/financial software calculator that emulates the HP-12C.
Screen2:RapidCalc is a basic calculator that is accessed from the soft-input panel window on your Palm-size PC and pops up in the lower 1/3 of your screen, allowing you to perform calculations while working with other applications. Screen 3: CoolCalc gives you seven calculators in one program, plus the ability to create macros and customize calculators. It is available for all H/PCs, H/PC Pros, and Ps/PCs. Screen 4: Proficiency is one of the most powerful calculators available, providing business, financial, statistical, scientific, engineering and computer science functionality to the H/PC and H/PC Pro.
Screen 5: Use ArtSGraph for simple arithmetic, plotting elementary functions, differential calculus, harmonic analysis, optimization, plotting of equipotential lines and field of directions.
Screens 6 & 7: Pocket Solver lets you type in an equation, enter variables, and solve for the unknown variable. |
