A Calculator's Most Important Button Has Been Removed (theatlantic.com) 108
Apple's latest iOS update has removed the "C" button from its Calculator app, replacing it with a backspace function. The change, part of iOS 18, has sparked debate among users accustomed to the traditional clear function. The removal of the "C" button represents a significant departure from decades-old calculator design conventions, The Atlantic writes. From the story: The "C" button's function is vestigial. Back when calculators were commercialized, starting in the mid-1960s, their electronics were designed to operate as efficiently as possible. If you opened up a desktop calculator in 1967, you might have found a dozen individual circuit boards to run and display its four basic mathematical functions. Among these would have been an input buffer or temporary register that could store an input value for calculation and display. The "C" button, which was sometimes labeled "CE" (Clear Entry) or "CI" (Clear Input), provided a direct interface to zero out -- or "clear" -- such a register. A second button, "AC" (All Clear), did the same thing, but for other parts of the circuit, including previously stored operations and pending calculations. (A traditional calculator's memory buttons -- "M+," "M-," "MC" -- would perform simple operations on a register.)
By 1971, Mostech and Texas Instruments had developed a "calculator on a chip," which condensed all of that into a single integrated circuit. Those chips retained the functions of their predecessors, including the ones that were engaged by "C" and "AC" buttons. And this design continued on into the era of pocket calculators, financial calculators, and even scientific calculators such as the ones you may have used in school. Some of the latter were, in essence, programmable pocket computers themselves, and they could have been configured with a backspace key. They were not.
By 1971, Mostech and Texas Instruments had developed a "calculator on a chip," which condensed all of that into a single integrated circuit. Those chips retained the functions of their predecessors, including the ones that were engaged by "C" and "AC" buttons. And this design continued on into the era of pocket calculators, financial calculators, and even scientific calculators such as the ones you may have used in school. Some of the latter were, in essence, programmable pocket computers themselves, and they could have been configured with a backspace key. They were not.
Not surprising (Score:3)
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In my experience of a few decades, almost no-one knows the difference between C and AC. Even after itâ(TM)s explained when they ask if they do, why there 2 clear buttons.
That is largely due to inconsistency between calculators. For example "C" erasing an entire operand or a single digit. The latter case where "C" is just a backspace. Or where "C" is overloaded, a clear operand if pressed once and clear all if pressed twice in a row. The latter assuming a typo was in the last operand.
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Who needs a calculator?
A true geek uses a bash prompt to enter python3 -c "print(<mathematical expression>)"
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Python? Hah. *True* geeks use bc.
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all the way. I mean, there is a shell somewhere on the virtual desktop I'm at anyway.
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That's what I sometimes use or I'm using a HP15c (real or emulator).
Only use I have for the Windows calculator is that it has easy support for changing between decimal, hex and binary. Octal is a rare thing these days.
Re: Not surprising (Score:2)
Retro (Score:2)
Kids these days. Sheesh. Just get a dang abacus.
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bc?
Pah, I fire up my C64 and have it PRINT the result out in BASIC
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Python? Hah. *True* geeks use bc.
bc is old school. At least use the upgrade bce. All us younger guys use ad or ce anyway.
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@Technetium:~$ calc 3^10
59049
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If you're at a bash prompt, use bash. No need to fire off another process. echo $((<mathematical expression>))
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Use ksh93 if you need floating point, e.g.:
$ echo $(( sqrt(2) / 2 ))
0.707106781186547524
Re:Not surprising (Score:5, Funny)
I just press both buttons thrice to make sure...
The most important button on a calculator (Score:5, Insightful)
is the Enter key
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Followed by the xy button.
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I thought it was the power button?
Re:The most important button on a calculator (Score:4, Funny)
I mainly use a nice RPN calculator on my phone. It's vastly superior to regular infix calculators, especially when you know how to manipulate the stack and set it to show several values.
I took a look because I never really thought about the fact that it lacks a normal clear button. It has a backspace, which clears the last typed character, or if the top-of-stack is a calculation result, sets the whole register to zero (never realized that feature). It also has a clear stack (similar to AC), and a "drop" to get rid of the top value.
Re:The most important button on a calculator (Score:4, Informative)
I ruined myself years ago with RPN. I cannot use simple calculators because I'm constantly losing numbers. Very annoying. I've tried a variety of RPN-style calculator apps. I always come back to Droid48, a HP 48 emulator.
Very much off-topic now, but my real HP 48 is nearly 30 years old now, and is starting to have issues with foam deteriorating and not pressing hard enough on the keyboard ribbon connector. I ordered a non-working HP 48 on ebay to see if I can figure out how to open it up without destroying it. iFixit scale on the HP 48 would be 1/10 I think. Apple can only dream of a device less fixable. Some day someone will do a modern recreation of the original HP 48 complete with that awesome button feel. I can dream.
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I recently decided to go back to University and one of the classes I'm taking has a rule prohibiting graphing or pr
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I press with my thumb above the B and C keys and that usually does the trick but it's annoying.
Preserving HP (Score:2)
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I prefer calculators where you can lay out the whole equation and edit it, simply because if you want to change something you don't have to go through all the steps of entering it again.
One of the best I ever used was a Casio fx-CG20, because it has an engineering mode where the function keys are mapped to SI units. Very handy for doing electronics work. The result would be displayed with SI units too. Sadly very few calculators have that.
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This Is The Way (Score:2)
Can still clear everything ... (Score:5, Informative)
From TFA:
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> The ability to destroy all local mathematics
Sounds like a horror movie plot in which a super villain destroys science.
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There's nothing more user friendly than a button that changes context and screws you if you accidentally press it twice.
Forth Calculator (Score:2)
I use Gforth as a calculator https://gforth.org/ [gforth.org] .
When my computer boots up, I have it automatically pop up a terminal window running Gforth so it is always available for a quick calculation:
ok 2.0e pi f* f. 6.2832
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Now we are into something interesting.
Re: Forth Calculator (Score:2)
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Well, Forth is Turing Complete, and the built in calculators aren't.
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Forth and 16KB of RAM and you can send a man to the moon!
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Right. You can use Gforth as a calculator, and segue into programming. Here's a trivial program to sum numbers:
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It's expensive (Score:2)
To run a server that does only one thing. Once we found that we didn't need a cloud service that cleared the input buffer, we just eliminated the skeuomorph. You'll still have the backspace ^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H delete key.
Alternately press and hold delete (Score:1)
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Hmm, only in the exam the kid has no "delete key" on the approved calculator they MUST use.
They have a CE or C button and are lost.
Interfaces like this are standard for a reason, to be THE SAME allways.
slow news day? (Score:1)
And Apple's redesign is inferior (Score:5, Insightful)
[BS], backspace, operates on individual digits and operators
[C] clear, operates on operands (collections of digits) and operators
[CA] clear all, operates on the entire pending expression (all operands and operators)
You might want to do any of the following depending on the nature of a typo, consider "12 + 34"
[BS]: "12 + 3"
[BS][BS]: "12 +"
[BS][BS][BS]: "12"
[BS][BS][BS][BS]: "1"
[BS][BS][BS][BS][BS]:""
[C]: "12 +"
[C][C]: "12"
[C][C][C]: ""
[CA]: ""
Re:And Apple's redesign is inferior (Score:5, Funny)
I think the word you are looking for is "courageous"
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And an upgraded phrase from Steve Jobs' old "you're holding it wrong" quote to "you're using it wrong".
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Or perhaps:
"Teachers are teaching maths wrong"
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Re:And Apple's redesign is inferior (Score:5, Interesting)
The old app was single entry and worked like a single entry calculator. The new app is algebraic entry and works like an algebraic entry calculator.
Your example is for algebraic entry but I don't think I've ever seen an algebraic that supports C, only AC and backspace. I looked at all of my Casios, Sharps, TIs, and HPs and none of them support it. Can you provide an example that does?
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Re: And Apple's redesign is inferior (Score:2)
You can make up you own definitions all you want and complain that everyone doesnt do things your way, if it makes you feel good about yourself, go for it. Nobody else cares though
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You can make up you own definitions all you want and complain that everyone doesnt do things your way, if it makes you feel good about yourself, go for it. Nobody else cares though
They are not my definitions, they are my observations. As I said, there is great inconsistency between calculators and the above are all observed implementations.
And thank you for caring enough to bother to post.
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Apple computers keyboards (Score:2)
That's kind of an weird and inconsistent change, considering that Apple's computer keypads have a Clear key. That convention goes as far back as the Apple Lisa in 1983, if not further.
On USB keyboards it is the same key as Num Lock on PC but interpreted differently. Microsoft in its Apple-envy even added a separate Clear key to some of its own keyboards even though that one isn't normally supported by MS-Windows and requires a driver.
80085 (Score:2, Funny)
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55378008
Re:80085 (Score:4, Funny)
5318008
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3200 8008 379009
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710.77345
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5318008
Or if you're talking about my wife it's more 55378008.
The headline is wrong (Score:1)
The Atlantic got it wrong (and the Slashdot editor just went with it) but "C" is not the most important button. I don't know which button is, but the "1" button is more important that "C". A power cycle will substitute for a "C" button but you won't get far with a missing "1". "2". "3", "4", etc. are more important that "C" too.
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> A power cycle will substitute for a "C" button
You clearly dont know hat the CE button is for.
No C-button on Android (Score:1)
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Not on mine, has both a C and backspace
But, progress, maaan *inhales* (Score:3)
But, progress, maan. *inhales and keeps it in*
What, you gonna do what those pale stale males did 60 years ago? Get wiiith it maaan.. *inhales*
Yeaaah. All that progress for progress' sake, never stopping to think that sometimes holding on to what was is better than being a bleeding-edge radical.
I thought change and progress was this group's bag, no? Is this suddenly too much?
Make up your minds. Keep it as it was, or move fast and break everything.
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Eh?
I mean the skeuomorphic representation of an old fashioned desk calculator is OK, I guess, but this is an odd one ot care about. I use an xterm running python or octave depending on my mood if I want to do some one off calculations.
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We need to get rid of QWERTY keyboard layouts next.
ABCDE... is the new standard
Welcome change (Score:2)
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As I am prone to âoefat-fingeringâ a digit or 2, this seems more intuitive to me than a âoeCâ button
You definitely need to work on that problem... or use a device with a bigger keyboard, maybe?
You insenstive clod! (Score:3)
All I have is this stinkin' slide rule.
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HiperCalc Pro (Score:2)
I bought HiperCalc Pro and it keeps getting significant new features. My kids use it too for their advanced math classes and prefer it to a TI.
A good blend of traditional calculator and phone capabilities.
cz.hipercalc.pro on Android - maybe iPhone people can get it too.
It's just nice to see small developers still making great software.
Apple: Unburdened by what has been (Score:1)
HP Calculators Use Arrow Key (Score:2)
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Bullshit (Score:2)
I have a 1990s HP48G somewhere. It has both a backspace and a delete key. If you want clear you have to hit shift. I also have a Casio CFX-9800. It's got a backspace and an AC button but no C.
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Colossal tempest in a teapot clickbait as usual.
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The Casio isn't RPN. And I specifically quoted the article's claim about programmable calculators.
Probably the author has never seen a calculator that wasn't an app or a dollar store version on their parents' desk, but the claim is specifically about all calculators, including sophisticated ones.
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And I specifically quoted the article's claim about programmable calculators.
Unless they are RPN programmable calculators, they are a member of the set peasant calculators.
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Scientific Calculator (Score:2)
Busywork (Score:2)
not all calculators (Score:1)
As I first started reading, I was confused: doesn't the C clear everything? so replacing it with backspace makes no sense. Then I continued to read, and they described C and CE as functionally equivalent, as though this is universal. It's not: Many TI calculators use(d) C as their 'all clear' button, and CE as their 'clear entry' button.
Clickbait bullshit (Score:4, Informative)
Primary function you say? Oh, yea, one small detail: C isn't not gone. Long press backspace and poof! The entire line is gone.
Bsckspace (Score:2)
Many scientific calculators did have a backspace, the newer WYSIWYG calculators even have cursor keys.
I have an exact copy of my HP calculator (from HP) on my tablet, why would I care about Apple's little calculator? Who really uses the original calculator supplied with their device?
Relax.. Hold backspace for a second and it clears (Score:1)
It's supposed to be idiot proof. They failed, but if you hold the backspace button for a second it will clear. Backspace might be more useful since this calculator is more powerful.
WAY Less Useful Now (Score:1)
Math teacher here.
I didn't notice this change when I updated until I saw it here, but I feel like this change is less useful.
Before, one was able to press = repeatedly to repeat the previous operation, for example, powers of 2.
You press 2 then x then = and it would give you 2^2
Then you press = again and it gives you 2^3
and so on. Helpful for a demonstration of recursion in sequences and series. Worked with +, / and - too.
Now this is impossible. And I'm not sure what this change adds to the functionality?
use an HP48 emulator instead (Score:2)
Putting an HP48 emulator on my phone has brought be great joy. I see there is one for iOS as well so give it a whirl. Its both a fun blast from the past, and a chance to learn a tool from a previous era. there is a feeling of craftsmanship and nostalgia that makes it fun to use.
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More Apple designer-led UX footgunning (Score:2)
Idiots (Score:2)
You know Apple, there is a reason why well-worn user interfaces and conventions become, you know, conventions.
That’s because they are standard.
It doesn’t matter about all the claptrap spouted about how a calculator works internally (note I didn’t say USED to work). The CE or C or AC or M buttons are standard UI elements that are needed. Why? For one main reason: standardisation.
Why is that important?
User friendliness.
Apple, I think you need to cast your minds back to the days you were i
They should have removed the '=' key (Score:2)
If your calculator has a dedicated '=' key its just a toy.
#RPNForLife
#ImOld
The most important button is 'switch to RPN' (Score:2)