HOW TO Learn the basics in PCalc

Style it up

PCalc has a huge number of themes, colors and fonts that you can change to suit your needs. Click View, then pick options from the Theme, Tint, and Digits menus. Each has a preview to show you what you’re getting.

Find the right layout

You can change the layout based on the controls you need. Click View > Layout and pick an option. There are layouts designed for Mac, iPhone, and iPad. Click View > Display to change how calculation outputs are shown.

Switch modes

PCalc is well suited for whatever type of calculation you need to do. On the main app screen, click one of the dec, hex, oct or bin buttons to switch between decimal, hexadecimal, octal and binary modes as needed.

Show your work

Sometimes it’s useful to see your working out. You can enable this by clicking the tape button, or by clicking View > Show Tape. This opens a box showing your previous functions, conversions, calculations, and more.

Work out your tax

Enter your pre–tax figure, then click Functions > Financial > Calculate Tax. The result is what you pay. Add tax to a number by clicking Functions > Financial > Add Tax. Change the tax rate in Preferences > General.

Make a conversion

PCalc offers a huge range of conversions. Enter a number, then click Conversions in the menu bar and pick from currencies, lengths, energy, cooking, and more; or press Cmd+B. Ensure you’re in decimal mode first.

Constantly useful

Want to use mathematical constants? You’ll need the Constants menu. This contains values for things like the Golden Ratio, the mass of the sun, pi, and even the mass of The Rock (yes, the actor and former wrestler).

Advanced functions

The Functions menu contains advanced tools. Here you can perform trigonometric calculations and use complex numbers in your work. It’s also where you can run calculations using numbers stored in PCalc’s memory.

Learn the shortcuts

Acquaint yourself with the app’s preset shortcuts in PCalc > Preferences > Shortcuts. These can be tweaked and set to only apply in specific modes. You can export and import shortcuts, reset them, and add your own.