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I get the nostalgia factor but beyond that why in 2022 is a calculator app something people get so excited about?

sea-gold 4y ago
I always geek out showing others Numi: https://numi.app/ https://numi.app/ The ability to use variables in a calculator is exciting to me because it is so easy and because it helps decrease errors.
cstross 4y ago
Not so much "excited" as "interested": it's 30 years old, and just ask yourself how many OSs and CPU architectures and development environments it has been ported across while retaining some degree of continuity. I realize most folks on HN trend young and are always interested in the latest new hotness, but here's a tool I remember from when I first began using Macs (in the early 90s) and it's still with us and under active development, unlike the overwhelming majority of hobbyist software projects. There are lessons in here.
- vouaobrasil 4y ago
  Exactly! I respect software that lasts a long time, like LaTeX or XFCE (hardly changed in over a decade). It means you can learn it and not have to learn something new two years later.
macintux 4y ago
In addition to the sibling comments, I find it interesting to compare to a cross-platform Electron-based app. By building for Mac, the developer was able to target every Apple platform, sometimes with minimal effort, and leverage platform tools like AppleScript for integration. The Mac has a long history of high quality native apps, and it’s nice to see one survive, even thrive.
- no_wizard 4y ago
  They've even extended that motif with Shortcuts, which is surprisingly robust, I just don't know if it has the same level of integration possibilities that AppleScript does.
roperj 4y ago
Because other people exist with needs and priorities that differ from yours.
hackmiester 4y ago
Couldn't one say the same thing about... computers? Yet here we are...
acdha 4y ago
Even 30 years ago people took calculator apps for granted. This one is a very nicely polished one - the perfect example of what not taking things for granted looks like - and his story is also kind of a dream for a lot of programmers: finding an audience for something well done, and making a decent amount of money building something you like. His hobby lead him to meet and receive compliments from people he cared about, which beats working on ERP forms.
deleted 4y ago
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jmann99999 4y ago
The way I look at it is that 30 years ago this guy created an app. He's kept it updated and it has provided a living. Not bad and not something most of us have achieved over that extended timeframe. It's impressive.
ChrisMarshallNY 4y ago
I use PCalc regularly; on both my Mac, and my i-devices. I wouldn’t say I’m “excited” about it, but it’s an invaluable tool. I’ve probably been using it for most of its life. Same with BBEdit, which is of a similar vintage.

I always geek out showing others Numi: https://numi.app/ https://numi.app/ The ability to use variables in a calculator is exciting to me because it is so easy and because it helps decrease errors.

cstross 4y ago

Not so much "excited" as "interested": it's 30 years old, and just ask yourself how many OSs and CPU architectures and development environments it has been ported across while retaining some degree of continuity. I realize most folks on HN trend young and are always interested in the latest new hotness, but here's a tool I remember from when I first began using Macs (in the early 90s) and it's still with us and under active development, unlike the overwhelming majority of hobbyist software projects. There are lessons in here.

vouaobrasil 4y ago
Exactly! I respect software that lasts a long time, like LaTeX or XFCE (hardly changed in over a decade). It means you can learn it and not have to learn something new two years later.

macintux 4y ago

In addition to the sibling comments, I find it interesting to compare to a cross-platform Electron-based app. By building for Mac, the developer was able to target every Apple platform, sometimes with minimal effort, and leverage platform tools like AppleScript for integration. The Mac has a long history of high quality native apps, and it’s nice to see one survive, even thrive.

no_wizard 4y ago
They've even extended that motif with Shortcuts, which is surprisingly robust, I just don't know if it has the same level of integration possibilities that AppleScript does.

roperj 4y ago

Because other people exist with needs and priorities that differ from yours.

hackmiester 4y ago

Couldn't one say the same thing about... computers? Yet here we are...

acdha 4y ago

Even 30 years ago people took calculator apps for granted. This one is a very nicely polished one - the perfect example of what not taking things for granted looks like - and his story is also kind of a dream for a lot of programmers: finding an audience for something well done, and making a decent amount of money building something you like. His hobby lead him to meet and receive compliments from people he cared about, which beats working on ERP forms.

deleted 4y ago

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jmann99999 4y ago

The way I look at it is that 30 years ago this guy created an app. He's kept it updated and it has provided a living. Not bad and not something most of us have achieved over that extended timeframe. It's impressive.

ChrisMarshallNY 4y ago

I use PCalc regularly; on both my Mac, and my i-devices. I wouldn’t say I’m “excited” about it, but it’s an invaluable tool. I’ve probably been using it for most of its life. Same with BBEdit, which is of a similar vintage.