It probably wasn't the most consequential update of the day, but we did get one big question answered from the iPhone SDK event in February: why
the iPhone's calculator icon got changed from round buttons to square ones. Apple apparently had a lot of requests for a scientific version of the calculator, and so in iPhone 2.0, you'll be able to rotate the calc
to landscape mode for a sci calc, including squares and square roots,
sin, cos, and
tan, factorials, and everything else you use to
use the old TI-85 for back in the lab.
As we noted, probably not a huge sales point for people planning to pick up a new iPhone (which, at $199 for the 8gb, is pretty much everybody), but the added functionality will be a nice bonus for those of us require a calculator for every little bit of math that needs doing.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Paul said 7:36PM on 6-09-2008
This could have been easily solved by a 3rd party app. How about adding landscape SMS and Mail? Noooo, landscape calculator with Scientific mode is way more important.
Reply
tukan said 7:38PM on 6-09-2008
I'm a science student and this is such a feature to me it's unbelievable - now if only someone could make a proper maths package for the App Store I'd buy it in an instant - my TI-83 is waaay to clunky
Reply
ballistik said 7:44PM on 6-09-2008
Nope. Still not worth $199 when you consider you have to "sign your life away" on a $70 a month plan for 2 years. No more gophone accounts. SO yeah, I won't be getting one. Sorry, Apple!
Reply
Tanner said 7:46PM on 6-09-2008
Uh, this was definitely announced when news of the 2.0 software was at the "Roadmap" event
Reply
metz123 said 7:47PM on 6-09-2008
I'd really like to see someone write a good graphing calculator for the phone/touch. I currently pay over $100 for each of my kids when they hit 7th grade for one and I'd rather spend $10 on software for a device they already own instead of buying yet another dedicated piece of hardware.
Reply
tevetorbes said 8:58PM on 6-09-2008
Maybe I misread, but your 7th grade kids all have iPhones?
What. The. Hell?
Matt said 4:23AM on 6-10-2008
Or iPod touches...
metz123 said 1:28PM on 6-10-2008
Nope, they all have ipods and they all have graphing calculators and they all have phones. One of them is going to get a 1st generation phone after I upgrade :-) It would be nice to have the phone also be a graphing calculator so I can hand one calculator down the chain instead of ponying up another $100 when the next in line hits 7th grade (4 kids).
Shade said 7:49PM on 6-09-2008
This was announced a looooong time a go... Calc 2.0 is looonngggg! =]
Reply
Drew said 7:54PM on 6-09-2008
This is a huge factor for me. I love the iPhone, this is just adding a cherry on top of it.
Reply
Drew said 7:54PM on 6-09-2008
This is a huge factor for me. I love the iPhone, this is just adding a cherry on top of it.
Reply
Drew said 7:58PM on 6-09-2008
Ugh. Sorry for the double post
Aelver said 7:58PM on 6-09-2008
Couldn't they have put the 'Clear' key in a more obvious / handy position?
How about graphing? Too hard also?
Reply
ted johnson said 8:12PM on 6-09-2008
Where haas everyone been the HP 15C runs circles around this and its been available since the first Installer App . Works great !
Reply
carl said 8:13PM on 6-09-2008
Come on Apple, gimme RPN! Yes I'm a nerd so I guess I could write one myself now instead.
Reply
Steven Sande said 8:52PM on 6-09-2008
WTF?! No HP-41CV emulation? I want my money back! (wait, I didn't pay for this upgrade anyway...)
TUAW Steve
tevetorbes said 8:59PM on 6-09-2008
My PI would also appreciate RPN.
I think it's so that nobody else can use his calculator as its like freaking Greek to me, but he swears that its easier to use than a 'regular polish' calculator.
Brett said 9:42AM on 6-10-2008
Another vote for RPN! It always annoys me when I have to do lengthy calculations on a regular calculator.
MIKE said 10:58AM on 7-08-2008
GIVE US RPN!!!!!!!!!!!!!
dagamer34 said 8:18PM on 6-09-2008
Last I checked the TI-85 was a GRAPHING calculator. Calc 2.0 doesn't do graphing.
Reply