Seeking a Simple Programmer's Calculator?

jbum asks: "One day I'm going to lose my trusty mid-80s calculator, so help me find a new one that doesn't suck! I've been using the same calculator since the mid 80s. It's a Casio CM-100 'Computer Math Calc,' and if you lookup the name on Usenet/Goggle News or even here on Slashdot, you'll find a small number of lucky (but older) programmers singing its praises. Sadly, it hasn't been manufactured in years. Here's a picture. Has anyone found a calculator that is currently being manufactured which is remotely appropriate for programmers rather than scientists/engineers?"

"The CM-100 was solar powered, it was cheap at the time - maybe 20 bucks, and most importantly, it's simple. It does what I want (mostly hex/bin/oct/dec conversions and the occasional shift or rotate) it doesn't do what I don't want (scientific calculations and trig). It makes good assumptions about operator precedence - it does the right thing if you type 1+2*3, but you can also use parens if you choose. It doesn't try to be clever with the display (such as displaying the input in a tiny font on a different line) or pack in a whole lot of extra functionality I don't need.

Every calculator I have bought since the early 90s has been much, much worse, primarily because they are trying to be too general purpose. They pack too much functionality in, they have sucky interfaces, they add the hex conversion as an afterthought and make me use a shift key to get to it. They don't put A,B,C,D,E,F on separate buttons as they should be and so on.

Last month on a business-trip I had my briefcase stolen. It contained my passport and some other important documents. But I went crazy thinking that I had lost my calculator. When I returned from the trip, I found I had absent-mindedly left it buried on my desk and was hugely relieved. The passport is replaceable, but the calculator may not be. If I had lost the calculator, I probably would have been prepared to pay $400 to replace it, but probably wouldn't have been able to find one. According to e-Bay, no one has ever sold one there.

Nonetheless, the time will come when I will lose my trusty little calculator for good. Then I'll have to replace it. Plus, I'd like another calculator to keep at home."

Comments

bc

[tachyonflow]

I find the 'bc' program to be pretty handy. It will do arithmetic, binary/hex/decimal base calculations, etc. (For those who like reverse polish notation, maybe 'dc' would work better.)

example doing a base conversion:

$ bc
bc 1.05
Copyright 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1997, 1998 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
This is free software with ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY.
For details type `warranty'.
obase=16
ibase=2
10101010
AA

Palm OS

[ResHippie]

I have an older Handspring Visor, the advanced version of the built in calculator seems like it would do what you want it to. Under the "Logic" setting you can do all sorts of base conversions, as well as Logical Right and Left shifts.

Granted getting a Palm just for use as a calculator is a bit much, but I figure most geeks have one anyway.

Re:He said KISS

[Webmoth]

Just went to Casio's website. They've got a couple that will do computer math, but they also do a lot more. Not that you need more, but at least they aren't a big, honking graphing calc that you can't fit in your shirt pocket, and they aren't clunky software that you gotta lug a laptop around to use.

A specialized calc may be hard to come by, especially from the big boys (Sharp, TI, Casio).

Palm Pilot

[Monkelectric]

There are alot of great apps for the palm pilot for programming conversions

http://palmgear.com/software/showsoftware.cfm? sid=69996520020904223550&prodID=41610

thats my favorite, but there are plenty of others. If you dont like any of them, write one of your own. Numerical Methods is a good topic for programmers to understand. Would prolly take you a week or so to write and would be a good excercise.

For $400 ...

[Paul Lamere]

I'll sell you this one:

Picture of my CM-100

works great.