Calculon

If you’re not one for pen and paper and calculating operations yourself, using your computer to solve mathematical problems is usually the go-to way for increasingly more people. It's faster, returns accurate results, and frees the user from most of the mental hurdles of spending too much on an operation that should’ve really taken much less time.

The thing is, Windows already comes with a built-in calculator, but it’s fine to not be a fan of it. Alternatives exist, and Calculon comes forth with an interesting take on all of this: this basic, open-source calculator adopts a note-style design, which may be up your alley if you’re after something a little different.

The difference in approach is probably the first thing you’ll notice: this is a calculator, but there aren’t any number and symbol buttons on the interface. If you don’t much like those types of interfaces, or have gotten tired of them, then consider this note-style implementation.

To put it simply, users will have to type the numbers and symbols themselves, which may even be more convenient for some people. Additions, subtractions, divisions, multiplications, square roots, and other similar operations should be handled without a problem.

The neat thing about the note-style interface is that it lets you add various notes to your operations. It helps when trying to clarify something, or when you simply want to jot something down quickly.

While the tool is perfectly usable and should serve most users well, it nevertheless feels quite basic overall. However, it should still work well enough for the odd calculation.

A small gripe I had with the program is related to its installation. More specifically, the installation will automatically proceed upon clicking the .exe installer file, but there’s nothing to inform you it completed successfully, which made me think that it had failed. No shortcuts are created, but you’ll find the program’s executable in your Program Files directory.

Calculon is a simple calculator that adopts a design that some might be fond of. However, it’s quite basic, but that doesn’t make it any less worthwhile.