Solves: Calculator for All

I just updated to Mac OS Sequoia and the updates to the default calculator did not delight me. My biggest gripe is that it is so darned small that I can barely see it with my 60-something-year-old eyeballs. I’m not loving the layout either. Off I went to find a calculator that I actually like. Discovered Solves. I’m never looking back. The conversion groups alone are fabulous. A couple of nice to haves: memory keys, fraction calculator, and ability to resize. That would be 5 stars. Updated to 5 stars. This is just simply the best all around calculator. Hands down. I still would like to see a few things, like a +/- button…something I use alot. But the sheer functionality and reliability of this app is fantastic. And no endless bait and switch in-app purchases, subscriptions, etc. Oleg nailed it.

I first downloaded solves on my iPad because, well, you know, no iPad calculator app. As soon as I used it for the first time I downloaded it on my phone. Being able to use parentheses and write multiple functions into one problem was a huge time saver and made everything a lot easier. Solves will show you everything you’ve typed and keep a running indication of the answer. No need to hit equals and then start over if you want to add or change something. Yep, don’t forget that, you can edit a number part way through your problem and solved will update the answer using the new number. The history? All laid out in front of you right above the number keys. No need to remember numbers or hope you’re getting it right when you type it back into the problem. You can A) copy directly from history, or B) just type what you see. Sometimes I need two calculators, I have the default calculator and solves right next to each other because I can’t download solves twice. Solves fixed everything that was a problem in the default calculator app. The part I appreciate most? They didn’t try to change the entire UI or look of the app, you can set it up to look just like default app.

I’ve been using a TI-30X IIS for over 10 years now and every time I tried to switch to a calculator app there was always something that I needed that the app couldn’t provide. After trying at least 10 different apps I finally found this one. It allows you to move your cursor to edit an entry anywhere in the line (a surprisingly rare feature) and it allows you to recall former calculations and use the answers to them in future calculations. That combined with a lack of ads and ease of use makes this a fantastic calculator app! My only complaint is that the app tends to give 3 digits in front of the decimal when it is giving you an answer in scientific notation. For most people that is probably fine, but for my work that is annoying. If it either defaulted to 1 digit or allowed you to select how many digits before the decimal in the settings then that would be good.