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A comment on Why is there not a Square Root button in calc.exe?. Parent comment

Re:Why is there not a Square Root button in calc.exe? by jacquesm on Saturday August 21, 2010 @07:06PM (#1623830)
That doesn't make them less broken!

And if the software has the capability to do it right why bother building in a 'broken' mode.

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Re:Why is there not a Square Root button in calc.exe? by evilduck on Saturday August 21, 2010 @08:16PM (#1623927)
It reflects the old paper tape usage model, where you typed it in in the order you wanted to perform the operations.

Apple's Calculator.app works similarly, although their default state is better. If you open up the "Shown Paper Tape" window, and type "1 + 2 * 3 [enter]", it replies "1 + 2 * 3 = 7" If you then type "1 + 2 [enter]", it replies "1 + 2 = 3", then if you hit " * 3 [enter]" it replies "1 + 2 * 3 = 9".

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Re:Why is there not a Square Root button in calc.exe? by jacquesm on Saturday August 21, 2010 @08:39PM (#1623958)
Yes, I can see how the 'enter' would force the precedence.

The '=' key will do the same.

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Re:Why is there not a Square Root button in calc.exe? by user24 on Saturday August 21, 2010 @07:20PM (#1623850)
I think it's because non-mathematical people tend to use calculators in the 'broken' way. Their thought process is "ok, 1+2" (implicit equals) "times 3".
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