About

Longhand is a calculator for Mac OS X built from the ground up to facilitate calculation. Most other computer calculators try blindly to emulate the physical format of their predecessors. What works well in the real world, however, functions worst, and is often not desired, in its virtual sibling. By leveraging the capabilities provided by modern Macintosh technology, Longhand allows you to perform everything from the most basic to the most complex of calculations with great ease.

Longhand uses the same paradigm as a word processor. You simply type in equations instead of hunting and pecking virtual calculator buttons. As your equation is entered, Longhand dynamically calculates the answer. Made a mistake with your math? No problem. With a usual calculator you would have to retype your equation, but with Longhand you can simply correct it!

Longhand is exceptionally easy to use, but is also surprisingly powerful. It supports all the standard arithmetic functions, but in addition to that Longhand has superb handling of trigonometry, multiple bases (binary, hexadecimal, etc.), matrices, complex numbers, and much more. Longhand is also highly accurate with support for arbitrarily long numbers instead of limiting you to the built-in number size of OS X.

Download

Longhand can be downloaded for free. It has been tested on Mac OS X 10.5, but should also work on other versions of OS X. The current version is Longhand 2.5.0 and is compiled for Intel machines.

Longhand 2.5.0 (3.1 MB)

If you have a PowerPC computer download Longhand 2.4.0 Longhand 2.4.0 (3.1 MB)

Contact

Longhand was created by Scott Fortmann-Roe at Your Lingua. Questions about the application can be asked by sending an email to support@yourlingua.com. 

 Also check out our other application. It's called Simgua and is a scientific modeling and simulation program.

About Calc

Calc is literally the engine that powers Longhand. Developed by a far-flung network of beneficent developers this software has reached a level of maturity and power that makes it one of the jewels in free software's crown.

Calc is licensed under the Lesser General Public License (LGPL). Longhand includes a binary compilation of Calc. Source code for this compilation and information on the rights afforded to you and the restrictions placed upon you with regards to Calc by its license can be obtained here.

Calc's main website is http://www.isthe.com/chongo/tech/comp/calc/.