The Calculator application in Mac OS X is pretty handy beyond the basic 10-key functions that most people use. As with many things from Apple you can make things much more complicated than the easy to use, basic screens that Apple provides. For example, did you know that Calculator can perform binary, hexadecimal, ASCII and Unicode conversions? To do so, click on the View menu and select Programmer (or use Command-3 to open the view. You can also stop carrying around that old TI-85 you’ve been using for years (to some degree) to calculate those random tangents from time to time.
One of the best parts of Calculator is that you can then access the tape function, which will show you a history of all of your calculations. I use this option all the time, for pasting how I came across various numbers into documents rather than retyping. To use it, simply run the calculations you need and then select Show Paper Tape from the Window menu (you can also use Command-T to access the tape).
Another feature of the Calculator.app that often goes unnoticed is the ability to Convert one unit to another. This includes Area, Length, Power, Pressure, Speed, Volume, Time, Temperature and Weight. But Calculator can also convert currency, which will update automagically when you open Calculator, making it all you need to know how many rupees you should get per dollar!
One thing that I’ve tinkered around with in the past is fully branding the Calculator application. All of the buttons are stored in files nested inside the Calculator.app bundle, giving you the ability to change them to suit your needs. This is pretty cool when used alongside kiosk mode. Although a Mac is a pretty darn expensive dedicated calculator, it can make for a fairly flashy NetBoot image when done right.
Overall, Calculator is one of the more underestimated and underutilized software packages available for Mac OS X. It is versatile and fast, it can show you the history of commands and perform a wide variety of conversions. So if you haven’t had a chance to play with the Calculator then give it a whirl! Oh, and did I mention that Calculator can speak results for you!?!?
