A Very Calculating Treo
I learn new things about my Treo every day and the latest addition to my knowledge follows the discovery that we have nine advanced calculators - including four conversion calculators - built-in as standard.
Simply going to Applications and pressing Calc should bring up what I now learned is just a 'basic' calculator. However, if you press your 5Way Right you'll suddently see this change to an 'advanced' calculator (see below) and subsequent right presses will navigate through all nine advanced options. Pressing your 5Way to the left will take you back to the 'basic' calculator at any time.
Below are screenshots (only top portion as all other buttons remain the same) and definitions of all nine advanced calculators presented in sets of three:
- Math: Advanced mathematical functions such as exponents, roots and logarithms.
- Trig: Trigonometric functions such as sine, cosine, tangent and variants.
- Finance: Financial calculator function such as APR and amortization.
- Logic: Hexadecimal characters in keypad, plus logic functions such as AND, NOT, OR and XOR. In place of Float/Degrees this view includes options for class (bin, oct, SDec, UDec, hex) and bits (8, 16, 32).
- Statistics: Statistical functions such as Sum, Factorial and Random Number generator.
- Weight/Temp: the first of four conversion calculators this one provides weight and temperature conversions for English and metric values.
Using the conversion calculators:
For example, to perform a conversion from 32 degrees centigrade to Farenheit simply type the number 3 and 2 in the calculator pad, then press degreeC then degreeF and up pops the answer. The same process applies for all other conversions.
- Length: Length conversion for metric and English values.
- Area: Area conversions for metric, traditional and English values.
- Volume: Volume conversion for metric and English values.
I know of more than one occasion where these could have come in handy had I known about them before... That will teach me to read manuals...
[Discovery via PalmAddicts]
Treonauts learn something new every day... 
Comments
hmm.. You have a 650, don't you? On my Treo 600, I have to be in advanced mode for the 5-way to do anything, but then it cycles through the various functions.
Alexander,
You're absolutely right, I hadn't even seen it on my Treo 600 (I use an unlocked Treo 650 now).
On the 600 you can cycle using up/down 5Way while on the 650 you cycle using right 5Way and go back to basic using left 5Way.
I can tell you that the increased screen resolution on the Treo 650 makes a _huge_ difference.
Cheers, A.
Something I dislike about the calculator in the 650, as compared to the one I had in my old 270 is changing bases in "Logic" mode. It used to be that you can click on the Hex/Bin/SDec/UDec/etc. and bring up a pop-up allowing you to quickly change the base. Now, you have to bring up the menu bar (using the keyboard because there is no tab to click on at the top of the screen), tap on Pref, then select the base. The whole operation is a lot more awkward than it really should be.
Quote "I know of more than one occasion where these could have come in handy had I known about them before... That will teach me to read manuals..."
Manual? You mean the 'getting started' guide? There are none of these advanced features in the getting started guide. And there is no manual for power users.
I basically need the calculator for simple functions, but this one can not even add percentages. Key in 400 + 25% and you'll see what I mean. It answers 4.25 instead of 500. Or key in 500 - 50% and you'll get 4.5. NOT 250! This type of error is on one of the most common types of equations most users will typically need - If you want to determine sales tax on a purchase. Yes, I can multiply to get the percentage, but simple calculators should allow you to add/subtract a percentage.
The Treo calculator can't add percentages? I learned at elementary school that to add 25% to a number, multiply by 1.25. And to subtract 20% from a number, multiply by 0.8. The Treo calculator can do this, as can any calculator.
When typing a memo or journal entry, how can I indent without calling up the keyboard? Is there a tab button (e.g., alt) on the keyboard?
Hi, can anyone please teach me how to use the financial calculator on the Treo600? I'm used to using the HP financial calculator and just purely baffled by Treo's one. All I want to do is, say to calculate the monthly payment for a 25 yr mortgage for $200,000 with 8.9% interest rate. can anyone please help me? like Brian said, there is no such thing as a manual for the calculator!
As far as I noticed, the built-in calculator is based on Parens software, besides it lacks some few features (there's no parentheses keys, nor dates calculation... ) And it has the same problem: it's not a RPN finance calculator (but I can live with that..); and worse, the absence of a complete user guide that explains how to use its advanced features.
Recently I found out how to solve TMV calculations with Parens -- tapping punctuation up-down slash before tap the key of desired factor (APR, FV, etc.) But, how to do it on Treo without Graffiti writing? I couldn't find yet which f....ng! key I must use; and, frankly speaking, that 'Edit' function seems a little silly
I hope somone could give us, poor users, some enlightment on this issue; I think it's no sense to install another finance calculator in my Treo just because I don't know how to use the features its default calculator brings!
On the surface the caluculator functions seem to be great on the 650. The financial calculator has a flaw. When you try to solve for a Pmt it simply does not work. The only way to solve for this function is to go into the "edit" mode and clear the register for this function and then solve. If I simply do not understand how to use the calculator pleas advise???? I always assume the architect is correct, however, in this particular case I wonder???? Things that make you go Hummmmm???
After fiddling with the edit key I was able to do a PV calculation. My values below
Payment mode: begin
payments/yr:12
PV:[blank]
FV:0
Pmt:500
APR:8
N:240
(N aove is for 20 yrs payments)
This gave -59,777...
That matched up with the result from an example in MS excel
=PV(A3/12, 12*A4, A2, , 0)
Can anyone tell me where I can find a "users" manual for the financial Calculator mode of the treo 650? It doesn't seem to follow the same data input sequence as, say, an HP finance calc.
Palm Web site says [edited for brevity]:
Advanced Calculator is essentially identical to the Parens Calculator version 1.3, with the following differences:
* Some minor keypad layout changes.
* When you export to Memo Pad, Advanced Calculator labels the note Calculator instead of Parens.
* The inverse-proportional option does not apply to the Advanced Calculator.
You can use the Parens calculator in addition to the Treo advanced calculator with no ill effect; but, plug-in files for Parens Calculator v1.4 will not work with Treo Advanced Calculator.
You can get detailed information about the of the Parens Calculator (and Treo Advanced Calculator) from the Parens download (the User Guide is included in the download package,filename "ParenDoc.html").
Link takes you to http://www.palmblvd.com/software/pc/Parens-1999-08-27-palm-pc.html#download
It was great to finally be able to find out how to use the conversion portion of the calculator on the Treo 650. But, it almost made it that much more frustrating that you would mention the other advanced functions (i.e. financial) and not give any instructions. And you didn't give any direction as to where to go to get specific information on Treo usage of the calculators. It is hard to believe that this software is being put onto all these devices and no one can tell the people who are buying them how to work what they just purchased. And when you try to contact support you still can't get any answers. Is it just me, or does that seem to be completely crazy to anyone else?
Most of the support people I've asked about the financial calculator on the 650 don't even know that there is a financial calculator on it. Where do we go for help?
Most of the support people I've asked about the financial calculator on the 650 don't even know that there is a financial calculator on it. Where do we go for help?
I've been reading over the Parens manual, it says that to solve for the variabl
e you don't have (ie., payment amount) you "tap the Graffiti area once to put the PalmPilot into Punctuation Shift mode (a big dot will appear in the upper left part of the display) and then tap the variable key to solve."
I tried the blue dot on my 650, but it didn't seem to do the trick. This really is a bizzarre situation.
Glory be! I've figured out a way to solve things! The Edit button on the left side (while in financial mode) brings up a table showing the values of all the registers. You can enter values before you go into edit or afterwards, but once you press edit, you simply clear the value you want to solve for and tap the solve button at the bottom of the screen. Not the easiest method, but it does work! :)
So do have we figured out how to solve 30 year mortgage payments on the 650 or 700p on the provided financial calculator? Can anyone share their knowledge. I tried manipulating the edit key, to no avail. Any suggestions?
30 year fixed mortgage payments on the Treo 700p! Financial calculator deciphered!
Hit the edit key. To compute the payment required for a loan of $100000 dollars at 7% annual interest paid in 12 monthly payments, amortized over 30 years: enter 100000[PV] 0[FV] 7[APR] 360[N] 12[P/Yr], Keep [Pmt] blank. Hit solve.
The [Pmt] result is -665.3. Negative numbers indicate payments you make.
Boo ya!
I recently moved up from a Treo 600 to a Treo 650. And the one thing I found disappointing on the Treo 650 was the Calc program, that is, until I read your article. I had no idea that the 5 way button would do this. Now I wonder what else I don't know about my treo 650?
I absolutely love this Calc program. I am constantly fnding reasons to use it. Everything from converting liters to gallons, centimeters to inches, and kM to miles.
I actually found your article by looking for a Treo 600 Calc program to download. I really missed not having it. Thing is, I did not know I actually had it until I read your article.
Thanks for posting this! Gene
Has anyone figured out how to figure the future value of (1) a lump sum investment; and (2) periodic (i.e., monthly) investments over time, on the 650? Geez, what a pain!!
Hi,
I created a quick Tutorial on my website for those who want to practice on different Real Estate Calculations with their Treo.
Can someone tell me how to solve for the present value of a future lump sum. For example, I will receive $25,000 in 20 years. At 5% interest, what must I invest on day one to have $25,000 20 years later if I am making no further payments. It seems that the Financial calculator requires a certain number of payments per year and does not allow one to make one payment in the first year only (i.e. the present value).
I tried using the advanced finance function and couldn't figure out how to calculate a payment - I assume I'm pressing the keys in the wrong order, it doesn't seem to be registering the info I put in and won't calculate the payment. Any ideas on who supports this function and could answer my questions? Or where I could get written instructions? Thanks!
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