SheetCalc reinvents the calculator app into something you might actually use

Around the world, only 12.5 percent of the population has higher than average math skills. Despite this, the calculator app remains an almost entirely overlooked subset of the app market. Look at the the top recommendations (even more here) and a pattern quickly emerges. Apps are either very simple or targeted for physics majors. SheetCalc, an iOS app by developer Minoru Kimoto, has a patented, unique interface that services the largely untouched middle ground.

True to its name, SheetCalc looks similar to an Excel spreadsheet. Thankfully, it is significantly easier to navigate than Microsoft’s notoriously difficult-to-master software.
The user can start calculating anywhere on the sheet. Large rectangles are where you input the basic numbers. Slim rectangles are where you input the functions you wish to perform.

Basic actions like adding and subtracting, as well as more complex functions like excluding sales tax or converting currency are available. The sales tax rate can be adjusted depending on your country of residence and the foreign exchange rates are updated daily. Your calculations can be saved locally, sent via email, or uploaded to Evernote. The extra functions do not sacrifice ease of calculation either. With Excel, functions have to be typed manually, but in SheetCalc one touch is all that is needed.

The user interface is fairly intuitive. A couple of wrong turns in the beginning are to be expected but the app can be mastered within two minutes. Being able to visualize calculations is surprisingly useful. Other apps of middling complexity like Digits or Fusion Calculator are useful but they are missing that visualization element.