Inside the iPadOS Calculator app

We discover an interesting limitation.

In partnership with

Steve Jobs hated the original Calculator app for iPad, and it’s a big reason the iPad hasn’t had a calculator for a decade.

He also famously shunned styluses for touchscreen devices, but he might have relented if he saw the new Calculator app in iPadOS 18.

Not only does it do the basics very well, but it now includes a super-clever Math Notes environment, where you can write out math problems with an Apple Pencil or other stylus.

It’s a great way to work on math problems and play around with concepts and ideas. But interestingly, it won’t just solve formulas if you simply write them out — that’s what algebra class is for.

Read our hands-on look at the new iPad Calculator app.

Also in today’s newsletter:

— Leander Kahney, EIC.

Only a couple days left to invest in this smart home startup.

The ball-park isn’t the only place to look for home runs. Best Buy has a proven record of placing early bets on home-tech products that go on to dominate the market.

  • Ring - acquired by Amazon for $1.2B

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Early investors in these companies are sitting on some serious returns - but for the rest of us, there's still a chance to get in on the action with RYSE.

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A message from the Cult of Mac Deals team

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One more thing ...

The organization is clean and simple to understand, and very accountable. Everything just got simpler. That's been one of my mantras -- focus and simplicity. Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it's worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains.

— Steve Jobs, 1998.

Today’s poll

Would Steve Jobs like the new iPad Calculator app?

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Results from yesterday’s poll: Do you use an Apple Pencil or other stylus?

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