The (square) root of the problem with Microsoft’s calculator
Microsoft’s built-in calculator is fairly useful in it’s own simplistic way (don’t get me started on Google’s awesome calculator, which will even tell you how often once in a blue moon is). However, in scientific mode, the SQRT (square root) button disappears.
Thankfully, Microsoft have a knowledge-base article to tell you how to get around it (raise your number to the power of a half). A more elegant solution is to check ‘Inv’ and click ‘X^2′, but I digress…
I draw your attention to exhibit A, the ‘Applies to’ section: Top of the list is Microsoft Windows 3.0 Standard Edition.
Talk about apathy.
on March 21st, 2007 at 1:31 pm
ouch - somehow me thinks that some of that documentation is either very out of date, or that so few people around the world actually use the calculator in scientific mode that it’s long been forgotten to the plethora of other silly microsoft problems…
on March 21st, 2007 at 2:08 pm
Well, according to the KB, it was last reviewed in 2005.
on March 23rd, 2007 at 12:23 pm
Hmm, I never saw that as a problem really. Always just used inv-x2…
on March 25th, 2007 at 12:02 am
i normally just use my trusty old
keystrokes: SQRT
for those who care, check out this fairly interesting analysis on a neato inverse square root C routine
http://www.math.purdue.edu/~clomont/Math/Papers/2003/InvSqrt.pdf
on March 25th, 2007 at 12:04 am
man, this damn comment system always screws up my comments!!! hoky you need a preview button!!!
what i meant to say in my stupid last post is i normally use my god old HP calculator, enter the number and press square root… good stuff