This free tool will help you work faster and smarter- and you already have it on your computer! With Stuart Stafford
Seemingly mundane applications often conceal a treasure chest of functionality that you may be unaware of. One unassuming yet powerful tool that fits this bill is... Windows Calculator.
Wait, don’t go! Keep reading – I promise you, it’s worth it! Just let go of any preconceived notions you have about its limited capabilities of straightforward calculations. Instead open your mind to the wide range of advanced conversions and specialised computations it can deliver!
It's built with you in mind...
I’ll start my pitch to convince you to try this tool by telling you how easy it is to use. There’s 3 reasons for this:
1. You can use it alongside other applications: Windows Calculator offers a user-friendly “Always on Top” button, allowing users to keep the calculator visible and easily accessible while using other applications or software.
2. It remembers everything for you: You can access options within the ‘history’ and ‘memory’ menus. By dragging the arrows that appear on the edge of the window when your mouse hovers over them, you will be presented with additional ‘history’ and ‘memory’ menus.
The ‘history’ feature displays a log of your past calculations, eliminating the need to manually keep note of or remember them. When handling multiple projects or transactions simultaneously, this feature proves invaluable, enabling you to revisit previous calculations, review pricing estimates, or replicate specific equations without the risk of error!
3. Keyboard shortcuts for efficiency: Navigating through the calculator’s features is simple with these keyboard shortcuts:
- Use Alt+1 to Alt+5 for quick access for the first five functions:
1. Standard
2. Scientific
3. Graphing,
4. Programmer
5. Date calculation - Click Alt+H (standing for hamburger menu) to highlight a list of all functions.
- Then click Alt + the first letter of the desired choice. For example, Alt + D for Data or Alt + C for Currency.
Functionality, functionality, functionality!
Now let’s delve into some of the clever features in the Windows Calculator:
Percentages Made Easy!
This one you may already know but it's worth noting anyway. The Windows Calculator empowers you to effortlessly calculate percentages, proving handy for tasks involving taxes, discounts, or tips.
Say, for example, you need to find the total cost of a £40 product including 25% tax.
You would input: 40 + 25 (% key)
This function also applies when taking off percentages.
For instance, there’s a 15% discount when you buy 3 of said £40 product.
You would simply type into the calculator:
40 x 3 – 15 (% key)
Date Calculations Simplified
Input two dates in the Date Calculation function, and you’ll be presented with the number of years, months, and days (along with total days) between them. This is invaluable for tasks that involve scheduling, project management, or for simply tracking elapsed time!
Proceed with caution if you want to calculate your exact age!...
The Currency Converter
This function does what it says on the tin...converts currency. With over 100 different currencies worldwide, Windows Calculator becomes a handy tool for any online or offline conversions you need to make. The Calculator uses real-time updates, so you can rely on live exchange rates.
To conversion infinity and beyond!
No internet? No problem! The Windows Calculator offers you internet-free access to all features, including conversions. Say goodbye to scrolling the internet frantically and hello to imminent answers! Any conversion you can think of is probably accessible via the Windows Calculator... you just haven’t realised it yet.
And it doesn’t end there...
The Weight Converter
This can prove handy with inventory management, collaboration with suppliers, customer service, and compliance with industry standards.
It also gives you a breakdown of what the entered weight equates to.
For example, 59kg is equal to:
While the daily necessity of knowing the weight of something in terms of ‘elephants’ may be rare; this function can be beneficial for educational purposes and can spark a little, dare I say it... fun.
This function applies to most conversions.
Like...
100cm is equal to:
But that’s not all! The Windows Calculator will also help you to convert volume across twenty different units - with litres, pints, and gallons, both UK and US, cubic inches, as well as culinary measurements such as teaspoons and tablespoons, also in UK and US versions.
Dig even deeper and you’ll find conversions for: Area, Energy, Speed, Data, Pressure, Angle, and more! But don’t just take my word for it! Find the calculator app by searching ‘Calculator’ in the search bar on your Windows PC and see for yourself... maybe you’ll discover something we haven’t!
I hope you stuck around to the end of this article, and found yourself an easy, free tool to help you with your day-to-day work.
Beyond being a mere arithmetic tool, Windows Calculator emerges as a versatile and comprehensive utility and is an asset for anyone seeking efficiency in their daily calculations. So, next time you fire up Windows Calculator, remember that its capabilities extend far beyond basic mathematics!
