Calculator HD for iPad, the perfect calculator app?
Sometimes you come across apps that simply make sense, without any interface element or feature that makes you go “huh?”. Calculator HD for iPad is one such app, and one I’ve had on my iPad for ages without remembering to do an article on it.
The full name of this app is indeed “Calculator HD for iPad” and is not the same as CalculatorHD, Calculator HD+, or any of the other similarly named apps on the App Store. The app has a calculator with 4 different modes; Basic, Note, Tape and Scientific. Each calculator mode shows the calculator as a physical calculator on a table, with decorations such as pencil, pen etc (that can be turned off) to give you that desk feel. The basic calculator has just that – a basic calculator. The Note mode adds a notepad on the side of the calculator, which actually works to write on, preferably with a stylus. That helps a lot to do calculators where you need to remember numbers etc, and math is often easier to do with handwriting than a keyboard. The Tape mode takes the basic calculator and adds a receipt-looking paper strip on the side, like you’d find on some real life calculators. All your calculations will be printed to this strip and can be emailed or printed. The final mode is a scientific calculator, which adds more advanced calculator features, sort of like you’d find on the built in iPhone calculator if you use it in landscape mode.
What makes this calculator great is the excellent design of it and the very clever (but not overwhelming) features it provides. The Note mode is what I use the most, and I absolutely love it because I can open the app and immediately do some quick calculations without needing to type stuff into the keyboard to remember. It’s the perfect balance between functionality and usability and is a must-have on every iPad. Definitely worth the $0.99 they’re charging for it.
[iTunes]
