[openbeos] Re: Calculator still needed?

 > -----Original Message-----
> From: openbeos-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
> [mailto:openbeos-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Stephan Assmus
> Sent: 07 October 2006 14:38
> To: openbeos@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [openbeos] Re: Calculator still needed?
> 
> You need to learn some things in the beginning, and as a 
> programmer, you have to assume this basic knowledge is there. 
> And then my assertion is that if someone was "smart enough" 
> to launch the Calculator app in the firstplace, then (s)he 
> should recognize the textcontrol within a second as where to 
> input the numbers, and that one is _obviously_ expected to 
> use the keyboard for that.

I would agree with you on that point but only for basic calculations.
When it comes to something slightly more complex, like, for example,
raising to a power, is it obvious that the caret symbol (^) is used for
this?  Maybe to C/C++ programmers but not necessarily to a general user.
Similarly, is it obvious how to use logarithms?  What about entering the
value of pi?

I wouldn't expect to install a dedicated mathematics program to handle
these cases - my desktop calculator should do it, and it should be
simple.

The scientific mode of the Windows calculator presents these options as
buttons, so they're hard to miss (although I'm playing devil's advocate
here - I'm not a big fan of the Windows calculator!)

Regards,

Tony

Other related posts: