16th December 2014

PCalc is currently on sale at ~30% off for both Mac and iOS as part of the annual indie AppSanta promotion, along with a bunch of other great apps from top developers. Limited time offer, act now!

You can grab the Mac version directly here and the iOS version here. But consider having a look at the main AppSanta page - you might find a nice gift for friends and family, or indeed, yourself :)

Happy holidays, folks - it's been a long but rewarding year here, and I'm going to have a rest!

15th October 2014

PCalc 4.1 for the Mac is available here.

This update adds full support for OS X Yosemite, including a Notification Center widget, and support for Handoff of calculations between iOS devices and the Mac. It also brings the core code in line with PCalc 3.3.2 on iOS so you get all the improvements from that release too.

Version 4.1 can import any custom layouts from iOS and sync changes via iCloud, but full editing on the Mac will come in the update after this one.

Let me know what you think, thanks!

7th October 2014

PCalc 3.3.2 is available here.

This is just a quick update to fix a problem with the Notification Center widget on a landscape iPhone 6 Plus, but also to bring PCalc Lite up-to-date with all the changes from 3.3.1.

2nd October 2014

There's a little PCalc 3.3.1 update here.

There are a number of enhancements to the Notification Center widget, including enhanced support for the iPhone 6 Plus, as well as some small improvements to the layout editing.

The list of changes is here. The update to PCalc Lite is still awaiting approval from Apple, but should follow along shortly.

I hope you like this release - please let me know what you think. And if you could add or update a review to the store, that would be most appreciated!

16th September 2014

A huge PCalc 3.3 update is waiting for you here.

https://s3.amazonaws.com/pcalc/iphone/images/PCalc-331-Small.png

Close to the Edit

This release adds a lot of cool stuff, but the two big headline items are:

• A powerful editor that lets you create your own custom button layouts - just tap and hold on any key to start editing. You can even create dedicated keys that perform unit conversions, run functions, and enter scientific constants. Changes will automatically sync to all your devices via iCloud, and you can export layouts to share with other people.
• Full support for iOS 8 and the iPhone 6. That includes a brand-new Notification Center widget for quick calculations, Handoff for sending an in-progress calculation to another device, and support for the larger display of the iPhone 6 and the Retina HD display of the iPhone 6 Plus.

The full list of changes is here.

Despite taking me the past four months to write, this remains a free upgrade for existing users of PCalc. If you like it, please consider adding or updating a review to the App Store, and telling your friends. Good word of mouth makes a huge difference to sales, so anything you can do to get the word out is most appreciated.

PCalc 3.3 now requires iOS 7 or later An update for OS X Yosemite is also currently in the works, and should be released at the same time as the final OS.

I hope you like this release - please let me know what you think. And if you have any good layouts, send them to me at the usual address, and I'll collect the best of them here.

5th June 2014

There's a small PCalc 3.2.1 update available here.

Normally, I wouldn't fix bugs that only appear on a beta version of an OS, but it turns out there was a pretty nasty one - my fault entirely - which meant that PCalc wouldn't respond to any touches the first time it was run on the new iOS 8 beta.

Since, I know a lot of developers rely on PCalc, myself included, and this basically made it look like it was completely broken, I wanted to get a fix out sooner rather than later. In the past developers have got in trouble for mentioning future OS releases in their release notes, so shhhhhhhh....

If you want to thank me, please add or update your review on the App Store - that would be a great help, since every time I release a new version, it resets all the reviews that people see. And reviews are one of the main things that influence people's purchasing decisions, so it really does make a difference, thank you!

27th May 2014

The Power of the Dark Side

PCalc 3.2 is out! You can get it from the App Store here.

PCalc on iOS now shares identical core code with the latest PCalc 4 version on the Mac, so it gains all the new features from that release, and a lot more besides.

Highlights include:

• The ability to intelligently search the functions, conversions and constants, including searching by unit abbreviation.
• Enhanced user functions and conversions with RPN support and bitwise operators, along with separate user functions and constants for the non-decimal modes.
• Trend arrows on the currency conversions, to show how the rates have changed recently.
• An improved automatic night theme mode that can use the current screen brightness to switch theme, and lets you specify the day and night themes used.
• A cool new dark theme called "Backlight" complete with glowing keys.

The full list of changes is here.

Hope you like this update - please let me know what you think. And if, you could add or update your review on the App Store, that would be most appreciated, thanks!

15th May 2014

A new version of PCalc for iOS that matches the latest Mac version is coming very soon, I'm just putting the finishing touches to it now. It will have all the new features from PCalc 4 for the Mac, including the new user function commands I added in 4.0.2.

8th April 2014

  I've just released a brand new version of PCalc for the Mac, PCalc 4. It's based on the iOS version, and has all of the features from it including the multiple-line display, editable user functions and conversions, and the iPhone and iPad layouts.

It's available now from the Mac App Store.

1st January 2014

Happy New Year to all PCalc users, past, present, and future! :)

20th November 2013

I've released a small PCalc 3.1.1 update - you can get it here. This release changes the automatic night theme option so it never accesses your location when the app isn't frontmost.

I had a few complaints that this feature was causing battery drain in 3.1, even though it was using a low power mode called the Significant Change Location Service which shouldn't access the GPS at all. However, it still displayed the location indicator in the status bar permanently, which I think people have come to associate with Bad Things Happening as there's no distinction made between using the GPS at full accuracy, or the minimal checking I was doing. So, to assuage any fears, I've changed PCalc to switch off the location code completely when you switch out of it - it will usually take about five seconds for the location indicator to go away, but it won't be on all the time any more.

8th November 2013

PCalc 3.1 is out now! You can download it here.

The Dark Night

Aside from 64-bit support for the iPhone 5S and new iPads, this release also introduces a night mode, that determines when it's dark outside at your current location and automatically switches from the default "Samurai" iOS 7 theme, to an eye-saving "Samurai Night" dark theme. In addition, on the iPhone, PCalc also changes all the menus to match the current theme.

There's also a new "Accounting" mode that automatically enters a decimal point and rounds the display to two decimal places, and a variety of accessibility improvements including an option to display bold text on buttons, and fixes for the Voiceover support.

The full list of changes is here.

Hope you like the update. As always, comments, suggestions, and App Store reviews are all appreciated!

13th September 2013

I'm pleased to announce the immediate release of PCalc 3.0! You can download it here.

Skeuomorphallaxis

PCalc has been redesigned for iOS 7, and has a sleek new look and feel that fits in perfectly with the new OS, but that's just the start.

New features include:

• A smarter display on the iPhone that scales up the numbers when there's less information to show. It also uses a much easier to read font by default. No more fake LCDs!
• Edge-to-edge layouts to maximise key size for quick and accurate entry.
• The virtual paper tape now shows all operations including functions, conversions, and constants.
• New layouts on iPhone that show the tape permanently onscreen.
• Full speech support - PCalc can speak all your actions and immediately read the results back to you on iOS 7.
• The ability to hide the status bar if you need just a bit more screen real estate.
• An option to greatly increase the size of the text on all buttons for accessibility. You can also switch off all animations which can be a big help to people sensitive to motion.
• Added an option for constant functions in algebraic mode - just press equals to repeat the last calculation.
• By default, PCalc uses a blue tint throughout to match its new icon on iOS 7, PCalc Lite similarly uses an orange tint. But you can choose any of the standard iOS 7 colours to complement your new iPhone.

The full list of changes is here.

And for those not yet sold on Apple's new-found minimalism, PCalc 3.0 still supports iOS 6, and has all the old themes included, so you do have a choice! The new look will activate when you update to iOS 7, but you can always switch back.

This release is the result of over three months of hard work, and yet it remains a free update from PCalc 2.x. In the absence of any upgrade pricing options from Apple, I personally think it's better to not ask people to pay again from scratch, because of the good word of mouth that happy customers generate. If you feel bad that you can't pay me an upgrade fee, please consider writing a suitably glowing review on the App Store, or just show the app to your friends and tell them why you love it!

PCalc Lite also remains free, with no advertising, and optional in-app purchasing to add any, or all, features from the full version. Both are universal apps for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch.

I really hope you like this update, let me know what you think!

4th June 2013

PCalc for the Mac has just had an update to 3.9, which adds support for the user created functions, conversions, and constants from the iOS version. It will even automatically sync changes across all your devices - iOS and Mac - via iCloud.

You can find out more details here, hope you like it!

1st May 2013

PCalc 2.8 is now available - you can download it here. I think this is the biggest update to PCalc on IOS yet!

 

With great power...

The big new feature of 2.8 is the ability to create your own custom functions and conversions with a powerful built-in editor. They are automatically synced across all your devices with iCloud, and can be exported and easily shared with other people.

Miffed that I don't yet include your favourite conversion from the "Smoot" to the "Sheppey"? Then, feel free to add it yourself!

I look forward to seeing what people can make with this, and I certainly welcome any user submissions - send them to me at the following address, and I'll put the best of them up here for other people to download.

Thanks to Joe Gering who put together a file for all the CODATA 2010 fundamental constants - tap this link on your iOS device, and PCalc should download and offer to import it. The list is very long, over three hundred and fifty entries, so one top tip is that you can tap and hold on any constant to copy it, and then paste it into another category when you are in Edit mode.

Thanks also to Dr. Drang who wrote up this very in-depth look at the user functions.

The full list of changes in 2.8 is here. Hope you like it!

20th December 2012

PCalc is twenty years old this Sunday! I'll let that sink it a bit...

Yes, the first version of PCalc 1.0 was released for the Mac on the 23rd of December 1992. I'm willing to bet it's older than some of the people using it now... I went back and installed a (virtual) Mac with a fresh copy of System 7 and tried to find the very first version online to install. The closest I could come was 1.0.2 from March 1993, but that's good enough to take some screenshots at least :)

I've written up a brief history of the app here - I hope you enjoy the trip down memory lane.

The Mac version is here, and the iOS version is here.

10th December 2012

PCalc 2.7 is ready to download here. And PCalc Lite 2.7.1, but that's a long story.

Ticker-tape Parade

This release adds an optional ticker-tape to show recent calculations underneath the main display, a slew of new unit conversions, and improves the keyboard with multi-touch input for better accuracy and responsiveness. There's also a new basic horizontal layout, seen above, optimised for quick thumb typing.

The full list of changes is here. Let me know what you think!

2nd October 2012

PCalc 2.6.1 is out now, here.

Don't let the small version number change fool you, this is a big update. It adds support for the tall 4" screens on the iPhone 5 and the new iPod touch, as well as general support for iOS 6. "Ready on day one" is our motto!

The Tall Guy

There's also a proper Retina update on the "Rough Draft" theme, and I finally fixed things so the background grid always lines up properly - that one was really bugging me!

One downside - the new version requires iOS 4.3 or later. I wish I didn't have to, but Apple's latest developer tools dropped support for all earlier systems, so there wasn't really a choice if I wanted to support iOS 6 and the new devices. Sorry about that folks.

Anyway, I really hope you like this update, and enjoy your new phone if you're getting one!

3rd July 2012

PCalc 2.6 is out now, here.

This is a pretty big update. As well as adding the number one request of user constants - they automatically sync across all your devices using iCloud, and can be exported via email - I've also added all the functions from the Mac version, including the complex numbers and financial categories.

Some very useful user constants, and the categories for the new function section.

Eight-line display

The list of changes is here.

If you come up with any useful sets of constants, and want to share them, please send them over via the "Export" command and I'll include them with a future version. Thanks!

9th April 2012

PCalc 2.5.1 is out, you can get it here.

This is a small update to improve support for the new iPad, but the speed improvements should benefit everybody. I changed the way the display is drawn, and it should make number entry much more responsive, especially on an iPad with multiple lines showing. And it's fast enough now that I could bring back the glow effect for the "Flynn" theme which was missing on the new iPad!

There's also now a useful indicator on the display (when there's space) to show if you are in Scientific or Engineering mode. Tap the indicator to switch mode.

The full list of changes is here.

16th March 2012

PCalc 2.5 is out, you can get it here.

The most obvious feature is support for the Retina screen on the new iPad - just made it to the store on day one!

Brains and...

You can see a full-sized screenshot of the new "Brawn" theme running on a new iPad by clicking the above image. It's pretty big.

The full list of other changes is here.

Hope you like this update!

28th October 2011

Somewhat unexpectedly, PCalc 2.4.3 is out today - you can download it here.

PCalc 2.4.2 had a number of UI problems on older devices such as the iPhone 3G and iPod touch 2G - most notably a bar across the display in landscape mode, and the settings not displaying correctly. These should all now be fixed.

Apologies to those who were affected!

For those curious about the technical reasons why it happened, the problem was caused by the latest 4.2 version of Apple's Xcode developer tools. The included llvm 3.0 compiler for these older armv6-based devices has an optimisation bug which can lead to code accessing the wrong fields of CGRect and CGSize variables. The workaround for now is to specify -mno-thumb in the C flags when building. If you are a developer, and you have built your app for armv6 with 4.2, you really should test your app on an old device asap.

21st October 2011

PCalc 2.4.2 is available here.

This is just a bug fix release for a few problems on iOS 5 - the most notable being a horizontal line that appeared across the iPad screen if you had the split keyboard mode enabled in other apps. Enjoy!

5th August 2011

PCalc 2.4.1 is out now - you can get it here.

This is a small update, but adds the number one requested feature - support for external hardware keyboards! This requires iOS 3.2 or later but should work with most bluetooth or other keyboards you can connect to your device.

The keyboard shortcuts are pretty much identical to those of PCalc for Mac OS. There is a list of all the supported shortcuts in the Help section of the Settings under (i). If there are some others you would like to see added, let me know. And if there is enough demand, I'll add an editor.

If you like this release, please add a review to the App Store. Thanks!

13th May 2011

Well, this has been a very interesting day so far. However, PCalc 2.4 is out now - you can get it here.

This release add quick fraction entry, new unit conversions including a lighting section, and a variety of improvements all across the app. I hope you enjoy it!

I'm somewhat busy today, so I apologise for the lack of in-depth release notes!

28th January 2011

PCalc 2.3.3 has been released - you can find it here.

This is just a small update to fix a bug which may have caused exponents to stop working in a future iOS release. Better safe than sorry!

6th January 2011

Happy New Year! A new version of PCalc for the Mac is now available as part of the Mac App Store.

We've nearly halved the price down to $9.99, the same as the iOS version, and the Dashboard Widget is now distributed separately and for free. You can find out more here.

If you like PCalc for iOS and you have a Mac, check it out!

27th November 2010

PCalc 2.3.2 is out now - get it here in both flavours.

Mainly bug fixes, but there's a new option for a fixed four line stack for the RPN mode, with X, Y, Z, T registers. It should be familiar to some I hope!

One thing I should say, I had to remove the coupon that gives a discount on the Mac version. Mainly because I've submitted PCalc to the new Mac App Store, which is launching soon, and Apple doesn't let us use coupon codes there. I have some ideas though, so watch this space.

23rd October 2010

Shipped a quick PCalc Lite 2.3.1 update to fix a problem with the thousands separator and multiple memory options not appearing after the appropriate in-app purchase. No bug in the full version, so no need for an update there.

You can get it here.

15th October 2010

PCalc 2.3 is finally out. You can get it here.

May I request a sidebar?

The biggest change is the addition of a sidebar in the iPad version where you can permanently show the tape or RPN stack. These sections are also now easier to read across all devices, appropriately themed, and quicker to email.

The complete list of what's new is here.

Hope you enjoy this release. Adding or updating a review in iTunes would be a great way of showing support. Well, also buying a copy in the first place of course!

NOTE: Two of the features in the in-app purchase packs inadvertently got switched in PCalc Lite 2.3. The thousands separator option now appears with the Multiple Line Pack, and the multiple memories option appears with the Power User Pack. This doesn't affect the full version, or if you have bought both packs or the full upgrade in Lite.

We'll switch this back in a 2.3.1 shortly, apologies!

11th August 2010

PCalc 2.2.1 is out, in both flavours. You can get them here.

This is just a small bug fix update, mainly to fix a problem in 2.2 with the key click sounds pausing background music, and also to fix an occasional crash in the conversions and constants.

2nd August 2010

Slightly later than anticipated, but PCalc Lite 2.2 was just approved by Apple and should be up on the store shortly. You can download it here.

Enjoy!

30th July 2010

PCalc 2.2 is out now - it's available here. There's also a corresponding PCalc 3.6 for the Mac out today, grab it here.

PCalc Lite 2.2 should be out very shortly - it's still in the hands of Apple's reviewers, but I expect it will appear on the store in the next 24 hours.

Greetings, apps!

Aside from the awesome new glowing theme you can see above - ideal for low light situations and pretending to be Jeff Bridges - there are a number of new features, including lots of improvements to the unit conversions, a volume control for the key click sounds, and a wide variety of power user options.

The full list of new features is here.

Hope you enjoy this release, and please add an appropriately glowing review on iTunes if you do!

1st July 2010

PCalc and PCalc Lite 2.1 have been released, you can get them both here.

Retina Scan

The main changes are support for iOS 4 including fast app switching, and also support for the high resolution Retina display on the iPhone 4. You can see the difference, just in the icons above.

And here is a screenshot showing how the "Flux" theme looks on a Retina display versus a regular display.

I think you can see there's quite a difference!

I'm currently investigating some reports of the PCalc splashscreen appearing occasionally when using fast app switching - I think I know what's happening, and I'm working on a fix. Basically, if you switch apps really fast (like in and out of an app in a few seconds), the OS doesn't have time to save a snapshot of the application's appearance on quit, and so it displays the default image while switching the app in again.

In PCalc's case, that's the splashscreen image, which isn't ideal. It's just cosmetic, as the switching takes exactly the same time, but it does look a bit like the app is being relaunched. I think in normal usage, it won't happen much, but I have some ideas to minimise it further.

Anyway, hope you like PCalc 2.1. If you do, please write a review in iTunes - it's most appreciated! Thanks.

11th June 2010

PCalc and PCalc Lite 2.0.1 are out today, with a few fixes for the forthcoming iOS 4.0. Specifically it fixes a crash in the contants and unit conversions, and addresses a number of cosmetic problems.

You can get them both here!

I am also working on a version that will take full advantage of iOS 4.0, which will hopefully be released nearer the iPhone 4, but it's still a work in progress so I wanted to get this out now.

1st April 2010

PCalc and PCalc Lite 2.0 are out a little earlier than expected, you can get them both here.

PCalc HD

What's new? Well, the short answer is native iPad support! The long answer will take a bit more time, as I haven't had a great deal of sleep this week :)

But basically, PCalc 2.0 is a universal app, with support for iPad and iPhone in one. What that also means is that if you've bought PCalc for iPhone, or any of the in-app purchases in PCalc Lite, they will transfer over to the iPad for free.

Additionally, since the iPad doesn't ship with a calculator, if you are looking for one on Saturday please give PCalc Lite a try and tell your friends...

More shortly!

24th March 2010

PCalc Lite 1.9.2 is finally up, get it here.

It's actually PCalc Lite 1.9.3 when you get it downloaded, with the same fix to the currency conversions as the full version, but iTunes is a little confused!

On the iPad front, I have a PCalc 2.0 all ready to go, and I hope to submit it as a free update to the app store soon, once the path through the bureaucracy is a little clearer...

24th March 2010

PCalc Lite 1.9.2 is finally up, get it here.

It's actually PCalc Lite 1.9.3 when you get it downloaded, with the same fix to the currency conversions as the full version, but iTunes is a little confused!

On the iPad front, I have a PCalc 2.0 all ready to go, and I hope to submit it as a free update to the app store soon, once the path through the bureaucracy is a little clearer...

20th March 2010

A quick PCalc 1.9.3 update has just hit the store, get it here.

It fixes a bug with the currency conversions in some regions - specifically those which use a comma as the decimal separator. Reload the rates if you still see any problems.

PCalc Lite 1.9.2 is still in review limbo with Apple, but I hope it will show up soon! It has the fix from the full 1.9.3 already. Meanwhile, I am still working on the iPad version, and I hope to have more news on that front soon...

18th March 2010

PCalc 1.9.2 has just been approved! You can download it here. PCalc Lite should follow along in the next few days, once Apple gives it the ok.

"I look at a hundred deals a day. I pick one."

The main new feature is the long awaited addition of currency to the conversions section. The full list of new features is here.

These are not the iPad compatible versions that I've also been working on - actually they are, but with one line changed to disabled the work-in-progress iPad code! I'm working out my plans in that regard just now - the iPad doesn't officially launch in the UK until the end of April, so I'm not sure when I'm going to be able to get mine. Naturally, I don't want to release anything until I've tried it out on a real device!

Certainly, I'm planning to make a universal iPhone / iPad build of PCalc available as a free update. I'll let you know when I can tell you more...

27th January 2010

Clearly, nobody will hear me today, but PCalc Lite 1.9.1 was just approved! You can get it here.

To answer the obvious iPad questions in the meantime...

• I will definitely make updated versions of PCalc/PCalc Lite for the iPad.
• The existing 1.9.x versions should work fine on the iPad (with black borders or pixel-doubled).
• I would hope that I can make a PCalc 2.0 release which supports both the iPad and iPhone with a single binary.
• If so, I would also hope that I can make it a free upgrade.

These are currently just hopes - I'm downloading the iPad SDK as I type this, so I don't know the answers to my questions yet, and the SDK is going to be under NDA for a while so I can't discuss all of them here.

I'll say what I can though - watch this space!

26th January 2010

A number of small updates today - there's a 3.5.2 update to the Mac version, and an equivalent 1.9.1 update to the iPhone version. Get it here.

I think PCalc Lite is likely to follow along in a couple of days - it seems to take slightly longer now to get approval from Apple due to the in-app purchase feature.

Both fix some small bugs in the core code, and add a couple of minor features including the ability to avoid clearing the tape when you hit "AC", and full support for the standard system "shake to undo" gesture.

Oh, and needless to say, if there's an Apple tablet announced tomorrow, I'll make sure there's a version of PCalc available for it soon!

15th December 2009

A bit quicker than expected, PCalc Lite 1.9 is up on the App Store now! You can download it here.

"On Wednesdays I go shopping..."

Now, the secret feature of PCalc Lite 1.9 can be revealed... The PCalc Store! You can now purchase all the extra features from the full version of PCalc directly inside PCalc Lite.

Buy them individually, or buy everything.

There's now a "PCalc Store" item inside the Settings - tap on it, and you'll be taken to the screen above. Select what you'd like to buy, and - by the magic of in-app purchase - the new features will be instantly unlocked.

I've divided the features up into six separate packs:

• Theme Pack - adds seven new calculator themes, as well as additional digit styles and click sounds. PCalc has never looked better!
• Conversion Pack - add dozens of extra unit conversions with this pack. Includes a bonus set of scientific constants too.
• Engineer Pack - a collection of powerful calculator layouts designed for engineers and students. Also adds a virtual paper tape.
• Programmer Pack - a set of advanced layouts with support for hex, octal, and binary calculations, and a variety of bitwise operators.
• Multiple Line Pack - adds comprehensive multi-line support for the display, along with the bonus feature of multiple memories.
• Power User Pack - get detailed control over all aspects of PCalc with this pack. Advanced settings for display, RPN mode, and much more.

There's also the Complete Pack which lets you buy all the extra features for PCalc in one step. The cost, and functionality, is exactly the same as the regular app.

There's nothing new here if you've already bought the full version - the idea is that people who haven't now have more choice. The regular version will continue to get updates exactly as this version does - they both share 99.9% of the same code now except for which features are unlocked at the beginning. I'm not planning to make anybody pay twice for anything.

Really, this is an investigation to see how people would like to buy iPhone software. Do you want a great free app with in-app purchase of extra functionality, or do you want to buy the whole thing outright from the beginning?

I don't know the answer to that yet, but it will be very interesting to find out... Let me know what you think.

12th December 2009

PCalc 1.9 is up on the App Store now! You can download it here.

141.622272 km/h

Well, kind of.

Apple's servers are having some problems today and some people are getting 1.8.1 again when they download the update, and some people who manage to get 1.9 are being told to download it again repeatedly. I'm hoping the problems sort themselves out over the next 24 hours, but apologies if it's not working for you at the moment. Right now, all I can do is report the problems to Apple unfortunately.

Also, PCalc Lite 1.9 has been held up too, I suspect because I've added a big new feature to it (which will be unveiled soon). Apple approved the full app in record time, but I think it will be a week or two more for the lite one to show. Hopefully just in time for Christmas!

Anyway, when you do get it, what can you expect? The main changes are:

• I've added a new calculator theme "Flux" which you can see above.
• You can now customize the decimal and thousands separators in the advanced settings.
• I've added options to automatically copy and paste when PCalc is closed and reopened.
• When using multiple memories, the memory keys now highlight to show which memories have values stored in them.

The full list is here. Most of the code that's changed in 1.9 is actually for low level changes in PCalc Lite 1.9. But more about that (hopefully) soon... The hint is that there are only seven lines of code which are different between the two apps now.

PCalc now requires iPhone OS 3.0 or later - it was getting difficult to support the older systems while continuing to add new features. Let me know if that causes anybody problems.

Enjoy!

19th October 2009

PCalc and PCalc Lite 1.8.1 are up on the App Store now. You can download them both here.

This is a small update to fix a particular bug in 1.8 with calculator buttons not always taking presses. It should be more responsive again now.

30th September 2009

PCalc and PCalc Lite 1.8 are up on the App Store now. You can download them both here.

It also improves on the multi-line support - you can set the number of lines displayed independantly for the horizontal and vertical modes, and can swipe vertically on the LCD screen to add or remove lines. I've also added a mod function to some of the layouts, and undo/redo now persists across closing and opening PCalc.

PCalc Lite just gets some minor improvements and bug fixes.

The full list of changes is here. I hope you like them!

13th August 2009

There's a new version 3.5 of PCalc for the Mac available here. I've moved many the recent features from the iPhone version back to the Mac, including:

• A "2nd" key to show additional functions.
• New functions like hyperbolic trig, hypotenuse, gamma, delta percentage, memory / stack clear, and last x.
• Multiple-memory support.
• Optional HP48-style RPN behaviour.
• Key click sounds.
• Support for regions that use a quote as the thousands separator.

Basically, if you like PCalc on the iPhone, the Mac version should now feel a bit more like home!

18th July 2009

If you can see this message, you don't have a 3GS.

Both PCalc and PCalc Lite 1.7 for the iPhone are now available. You can download them here.

This is a big update with lots of features I've been working on since before the 3.0 iPhone OS release. I think many people will be happy. Changes to the full version include:

• Faster startup! The number one most-requested feature. You'll notice it most on the second launch of 1.7, as I now cache things on quit for the next startup. On a 3GS or iPod touch 2G, it's practically instant - so much so that I sadly don't have time to display the little loading messages like the one above.
• Three and four-line display modes, including complete control over what appears on each line.
• Multiple-memory support.
• Optional HP48-style RPN behaviour.
• Much nicer number display with the "Easier To Read" digits option. It's now actually easier to read!

The free PCalc Lite just gets the speed increases and the digit improvements. Full details of all the changes are here. Enjoy!

15th June 2009

PCalc and PCalc Lite 1.6 for the iPhone are now available on the App Store. You can download them here.

They both support the forthcoming iPhone OS 3.0 release, and feature copy and paste support when running on iPhones and iPod touches with the new OS installed. These releases still run on the older 2.2.x OS of course, you just don't get to play with the 3.0 stuff yet.

In addition to 3.0 support, I've also added two new full-featured vertical layouts, one geared towards engineering and one to programming. Now you don't need to rotate the calculator to get at all the advanced functions!

Full details of all the changes here.

I was just about to post some screenshots showing off copy and paste, but technically I'm not allowed to post any pictures of iPhone OS 3.0 in action until it is officially released on the 19th. So I'll be waiting a little while longer just so Apple doesn't get annoyed! But when you do get the new OS, or even a new 3GS phone, you'll see how it all works.

The NDA is now lifted, so have a picture :)

Hope you like them!

11th May 2009

I'm currently working away on a new version of PCalc for the upcoming iPhone 3.0 OS with support for copy and paste amongst other things.

In the meantime, since that's keeping me really busy, we're doing a special half-price sale on PCalc, starting today. It's available now on the App Store for $4.99. The new release of PCalc I'm working on will be a free upgrade too, so now would be a really good time to grab it before the price goes back up!

Have you read my developer blog? If you want to see some of the behind-the-scenes here, it's worth a look. You can also Follow me as @jamesthomson on Mastodon, @jamesthomson on Twitter,.

25th March 2009

New Model, Original Parts

Two new releases to celebrate today. Firstly, PCalc and PCalc Lite 1.5 for the iPhone are both now available on the App Store. You can download them here.

PCalc gets a new optional engineering layout, as shown above, with hyperbolic trig functions, hypotenuse and leg, gamma, delta percent and more. You can also see a classic theme taken from PCalc on OS X. What you can't hear are the six new key click sounds you can choose from too.

PCalc Lite gets two of the click sounds, and some other small improvements. PCalc Lite is completely free. If you want to get a feel for how the full PCalc works, just try it.

Full details of all the changes here.

Secondly, a new version of PCalc for OS X can also be found here. Hope you like them both!

Have you read my developer blog? If you want to see some of the behind-the-scenes here, it's worth a look. You can also Follow me as @jamesthomson on Mastodon, @jamesthomson on Twitter,.

22nd January 2009

Saving Your Fingers, One Tap At A Time

PCalc and PCalc Lite 1.4 are now available on the App Store. You can download them both here.

The main new feature for 1.4 is a reworked conversions section. As well as adding lots of new conversions, it now lists your most recent selections - overall, and in each category - for quicker access. Same goes for the constants in fact.

There's also a new set of digit styles you can choose from, it has a much nicer startup without any visible theme switching, and there's some general performance improvements too. Full details here.

PCalc Lite also gets the recent conversion support and an option to turn off the key clicks. As always, PCalc Lite is completely free. If you want to get a feel for how PCalc works, just go ahead and check it out.

Enjoy!

20th December 2008

Surprise! Well, it's a surprise to me anyway... The full PCalc 1.3 release is also now available today on the App Store. You can get it here.

This update has the new "Twilight" theme from yesterday's free PCalc Lite as well as performance improvements and some other small changes. Enjoy them both.

19th December 2008

Fewer Calories, Same Great Taste

Available for a limited time only, PCalc Lite is a fully functional and free taste of our popular scientific calculator for the iPhone and iPod touch. You can download it from the App Store here.

It includes an optional RPN mode, multiple undo and redo, unit conversions and constants, as well as two stylish themes and our highly praised design.

If you like what you see, the full version has many more settings and themes, a paper tape, engineering and scientific notation, and full support for hexadecimal, octal and binary calculations.

In the continuing absence of demos or trial periods in the App Store, the idea behind PCalc Lite is to provide something useful and free that's better than the Apple calculator, but which will also drive interest in our full version. PCalc Lite is a great calculator, but PCalc is even better!

I hope you like it.

16th December 2008

Hmm... What is this? It's like the regular PCalc icon, but lighter...

Actually, what it is isn't a big secret if you've been reading my blog or Twitter feed. But I'll maintain the illusion of surprise for now. I've also just submitted PCalc 1.3 to the App Store, so it should hopefully show up sometime before the 25th!

More soon...

17th November 2008

PCalc 1.2 is finally available from the App Store! Click here to download it.

No. There Is Another.

Changes include an optional two-line display for use with RPN mode, and the two stylish calculator themes seen below. The full list is here.

As usual, this is a free update if you've already bought the iPhone version. I hope you like it!

If you haven't seen it already, check out my new developer blog. You can also follow me on Twitter.

11th November 2008

A quick tease for PCalc 1.2, which is in the hands on my beta testers now. You can see the optional two-line display for RPN folk, and one of the two new themes. It should be submitted to the App Store in the next few days, and will probably show up on the store week after. More soon!

14th October 2008

PCalc 1.1 is now available from the App Store. This is a big update!

This One Goes To Eleven

The two main new features are multiple layouts and themes. Above, you can see the new "Retro Scientific" horizontal layout, coupled with the "High Power" theme. Below, you can see the new "Retro" vertical layout in a variety of themes - click any of them for a bigger view.

The theme engine is actually the same powerful theme code from DragThing on OS X, running pretty much unmodified on the iPhone. So, anything I can do with themes there, I can now do in PCalc. Which I personally think is pretty cool! You can look forward to some new themes soon anyway...

The full list of changes in this release is here - of course, this is a free update. Do let me know what you think, and if you have any ideas for new layouts or themes you'd like to see in the next version.

Enjoy!

8th October 2008

PCalc 1.1 has been submitted to the App Store - it should be available there in about a week, if everything goes to plan.

4th September 2008

A new version of PCalc for OS X is now available - you can download version 3.3 here.

It has a lot of the improvements from PCalc for the iPhone, especially in the RPN department. It should now feel the same as the iPhone version to use. Hope you like it!

27th August 2008

PCalc 1.0.2 is now available from the App Store.

Marty McFly

The main changes are:

• Added multiple undo and redo. Just flick the LCD to the right and left to reveal the past and future.
• You can now change the colors of the LCD display and digits.
• Made the operator buttons more readable.
• Reversed the order of the operator buttons to match other calculators.
• More improvements to the RPN mode.
• Fixed a problem displaying large hex numbers on the tape.

The undo support is pretty cool, you just flick the LCD in the direction you want to go and it animates in the old value. Very "iPhone" even if I say so myself!

Hope you like it! Oh, and check out the PCalc fan page if you are on Facebook - become a fan to tell your friends!

20th August 2008

PCalc 1.0.2 has now been submitted to the App Store - it will probably take around a week to show up, assuming everything goes smoothly with Apple's vetting.

I'll let you know when it's available for download.

17th August 2008

I'm currently putting the finishing touches to PCalc 1.0.2 - it's got a number of cool new features, most notably the multiple undo and redo support. I won't spoil exactly how it works yet, but I think it came together really well.

I expect the new version will get submitted early next week when my beta testers are happy with it, and hopefully it will turn up on the store soon. I'll let you know.

In the meantime, if you really like PCalc, why not become a fan? I've set up a fan page on Facebook which you can get to here. Click the "Become a Fan" link at the top right of the page to help spread the word.

Thanks!

30th July 2008

PCalc 1.0.1 is now live on the iPhone App Store here. Enjoy!

24th July 2008

PCalc 1.0.1 has been submitted to the iPhone App Store!

I've heard that updates are taking a while to show up, indeed some developers haven't seen any of their new versions appear yet since the store opened. But hopefully it will turn up soon.

The changes are in this release are:

• You can now email the contents of the tape and the display.
• Changed the RPN Drop behaviour to match HP calculators.
• Rearranged layout slightly to show "Del" button in RPN mode.
• Added some fuel efficiency conversions.
• Added display of ASCII / UTF-8 / UTF-16 values.
• Added a Help section to the Settings.
• Now correctly disable the "8" button in octal mode.
• Fixed the RPN "Roll" button in horizontal mode.
• Fixed a couple of memory leaks.

I'll post again when it shows up on the store.

10th July 2008

A Touch of Class

PCalc is now available to buy for the iPhone and iPod touch on the iPhone App Store! You can find out more details here. Let me know what you think at the usual address!

2nd July 2008

PCalc In Your Pocket

So I can finally talk a bit about what I've been working on for the last six months!

PCalc for the iPhone (and iPod touch) is now ready for release, and has been submitted to the iPhone App Store this afternoon. All being well, it should be available immediately when the store opens for business.

Apple has asked us not to show any screenshots from iPhone apps until after the store goes live, so I will respect their wishes (and mighty legal teams) and not put anything up here yet.

But I can still tell you some details.

LIke the desktop app, PCalc for the iPhone includes an extensive set of unit conversions, constants, a paper tape, an RPN mode, engineering and scientific notation, as well as support for hexadecimal, octal and binary calculations. It has been redesigned from the ground up with the handheld experience in mind. It looks great too!

It's going to cost $9.99 in the US - pricing will vary in other countries, but in that range.

More details to follow soon. I hope you like it!

3rd April 2008

PCalc At Your Fingertips

A very small tease for now :)

7th March 2008

The short answer is yes, I am working on a version of PCalc for the iPhone / iPod touch!

I expect to have it ready for the introduction of Apple's new application store in June, but at this point I'm still digesting all the details of the SDK announcement. More to follow!