Get started with PCalc

Put away that scientific calculator – PCalc

If you want to run some calculations and conversions on your Mac, Apple’s Calculator app and even Spotlight are decent places to start. But neither of those options offers anywhere near the level of depth, customisation, and power you get with PCalc. If you find that they’re missing the mark, PCalc is what you need.

The long-lived app has been

is your Mac math master.

around since 1992 – nearly 30 years! – yet is still going strong and feels right at home in macOS Big Sur thanks to its dedicated developer. It comes with a range of useful tools for almost any calculating need: switchable modes between binary, hexadecimal, octal and others, quick access to mathematical constants for use in your calculations (or simply for reference), conversions between numerous formats, and much, much more besides.

Despite possibly looking a little daunting to math newcomers, it’s actually very easy to use and full of useful options. In this tutorial, we will cover the basics of using PCalc, helping you to get started and well on the way to mathematical mastery.

ALEX BLAKE

TICKER TAPE See your calculation history using the tape tool. You can add notes and output to a text file. MENU OPTIONS PCalc’s menu bar is full of options, from basic time-savers to complex scientific functions. CORE BUTTONS Key buttons are found on the left-hand side of the app. These are the main ones shown in the Basic GO DEEPER More advanced keys are on the right. You can alter what is shown here by changing the mode (see step 3).