Tiny Windows Calculator and on-top functionality coming

Martin Brinkmann
Jul 31, 2019
Updated • Jul 31, 2019
Windows, Windows 10
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18

Windows Calculator is a popular application that is included as a native tool in all versions of the Windows operating system. Microsoft released Windows Calculator's source recently, and the program is now also available on the Web and the mobile operating systems Android and iOS.

Microsoft experimented a bit with Windows Calculator in the past; it released a huge version in the Windows 10 Creators Update feature update but there has not been much change otherwise. Most Windows users seem quite happy with the current state of the Calculator. That is not to say that there are not any alternatives available. There is the scientific calculator RedCrab, or the unit converter Calculatormatik. And if you want something crazy, there is even a mouse with calculator functionality.

Tip: Check out our guide on fixing the You'll need a new app to open this calculator error when launching Windows Calculator on Windows 10, and our guide on changing the size of Calculator.

One of the missing features of Windows Calculator that is highly requested according to Microsoft is an always on-top mode. That mode locks the Windows Calculator window in place so that it is always visible on the screen. If you move another program window on top of Windows Calculator currently, you won't be able to interact with it anymore until you activate it again to make it the foreground application.

When attempting to use Calculator with other application, such as a spreadsheet, Calculator will lose focus when you click on the other app (e.g. to scroll/copy). Users have requested the ability to pin Calculator on top of other windows to facilitate ongoing use with other apps.

Dave Grochoki, a Microsoft program manager for Notepad and Windows Calculator, revealed on July 30, 2019 that on-top mode functionality is coming to Windows Calculator.

windows calculator on top tiny

Grochoki did not reveal an exact date for the release of the new Windows Calculator version; it appears that Microsoft plans to push the update via the Microsoft Store to all Windows 10 devices that support it.

A click on the new on-top icon makes Windows Calculator sit on top of all other program windows; ideal for making calculations using it while working in other program windows.

The new version of Windows Calculator comes with another requested feature: tiny calculator. Tiny Calculator is a minimized version of the Calculator interface that takes up less space on the desktop.

Closing Words

The option to make Windows Calculator stay on top all the time is a much requested and useful feature. It takes a click to set the new state to use the calculator at anytime on the system. Tiny calculator adds to that as it takes up less space on the screen when enabled.

Now You: Do you use Windows Calculator or another app for calculations? (via Windows Latest)

Summary
Tiny Windows Calculator and on-top functionality coming
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Tiny Windows Calculator and on-top functionality coming
Description
Dave Grochoki, a Microsoft program manager for Notepad and Windows Calculator, revealed on July 30, 2019 that on-top mode functionality is coming to Windows Calculator.
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Ghacks Technology News
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Comments

  1. chesscanoe said on December 7, 2019 at 6:36 am
    Reply

    I run Windows Calculator 10.1910.0.0, apparently provided with Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.18363.476]. The scientific option correctly calculates
    569936821221962380720³ + (-569936821113563493509)³ + (-472715493453327032)³ = 3 and the final history shows the 3 intermediate steps with all the exact digits of of each step. I was surprised with this precise result of 3, since each intermediate result was expressed in imprecise scientific notation as explained at https://www.karenware.com/n/kptnl/2005/06/01/little-world-of-big-numbers_windows-approximator_karen-s-calculator . Thus, Windows Calculator now is smarter than ever! (2019-12-07)

  2. Jozsef said on August 1, 2019 at 3:26 pm
    Reply

    This is very helpful and rather inspiring, believe it or not, I learned a great deal of useful math decades ago and forgot all of the more complex and esoteric parts but after reading this along with some of the comments, I realize I could do a lot more by just relearning some of those concepts.

    Until now I’ve just been using whatever simple calculator was available and more recently, the iPhone one, when it happens to be handy. (It doesn’t live in my pocket because it’s a 6 Plus and continued flexing will eventually dislodge the graphic chip from the pcb)

  3. Anonymous said on August 1, 2019 at 2:01 pm
    Reply

    I use Stick-It! application (written in AutoHotkey) to set any windows as always on top: http://crzyinc.weebly.com/stick-it.html

  4. basicuser said on August 1, 2019 at 1:00 pm
    Reply

    @Paul(us)

    “Hoi Basicuser,
    Did you mean the landing page for the Dreamcalc calculator: https://dreamcalc.com/

    Yes, that’s the page.

  5. stefann said on August 1, 2019 at 9:55 am
    Reply

    Why not download the Microsoft Calculator Plus, the extended version of the classic calc that was used in f.ex XP ?

  6. USNSPARKS said on July 31, 2019 at 9:48 pm
    Reply

    I use the free Moffsoft Free Calc, http://www.moffsoft.com/freecalc.htm. Has an always on top option.

  7. Rick said on July 31, 2019 at 5:02 pm
    Reply

    The Windows 10 redesigned calculator has a major drawback for me: the scientific calculator doesn’t have a natural logarithm key, just a base 10 log key. (The WIn 7 calculator had a ln key; why did they remove it?) Anyway, try doing math or chemistry calculations without a natural log key. I’m hardly going to do a change of base step every time I need a natural log. The Win 7 calculator is still the best one I’ve found. So many ‘scientific calculators’ are missing often-used functions. If not natural log, then they might be missing exponential keys, such as x^y, exp or EE.

  8. John Fenderson said on July 31, 2019 at 4:58 pm
    Reply

    I frequently use calculators. On Windows, I use the Windows calulator. On Linux, I use the KDE calculator. If I need to do complex calculations or I’m not using a Windows or Linux machine, I use andanCalc on Android.

  9. kalmly said on July 31, 2019 at 2:42 pm
    Reply

    My program launcher allows for typing in simple calculations. I use that or Windows calculator, but for bookkeeping or anything I want to keep a record of, I use CalcTape. My monitors are fairly large, so staying on top is not really an issue.

  10. Microsofty said on July 31, 2019 at 1:49 pm
    Reply

    At this rate it will be good as Calc98 in year 2050. If your looking for the old calculator from Windows 8, check out Winaero download page.

  11. winseven said on July 31, 2019 at 1:49 pm
    Reply

    At this rate it will be good as Calc98 in year 2050. If your looking for the old calculator from Windows 8, check out Winaero download page.

  12. basicuser said on July 31, 2019 at 12:17 pm
    Reply

    I’ve used DreamCalc Scientific Graphing Edition (free) for several years with W7. It has a “stay on top” option, click and drag to change size which it remembers, and more features and functions than MS’s calculator to include Reverse Polish Notation.

    Thanks for the link to Calculatormatic.

    1. Paul(us) said on July 31, 2019 at 3:28 pm
      Reply

      Hoi Basicuser,
      Did you mean the landing page for the Dreamcalc calculator: https://dreamcalc.com/

      Personly I am a big fan from the also free open source project Hewelett Packard 42 its a re-implementation of the HP-42S scientific programmable calculator & HP-82240 Printer.
      http://thomasokken.com/free42/

  13. TelV said on July 31, 2019 at 11:04 am
    Reply

    I just find it easier to use the calculator app on my phone.

  14. Shiva said on July 31, 2019 at 9:22 am
    Reply

    Of course, it is only for Calculator… It is been years since I am expecting stay on top (or minimize to tray) functionalities every new version of windows. Since I switched to Win 7 x64 there is only one thing I really miss: PowerMenu (the only program that worked well with all software).
    Anyway, I use Kalkules and Converber fo math and unit conversions and I solved stay on top with a combination of scripts from AutoHotkey forum.

    1. Ed said on August 1, 2019 at 9:25 am
      Reply

      Shiva, check out 4t Tray Minimizer Free (http://www.4t-niagara.com/tray.html) – Stay on top for everything.

      1. Shiva said on August 1, 2019 at 7:09 pm
        Reply

        @Ed
        Thanks for the tip. 4t Tray Minimizer is listed at AlternativeTo.net, I am pretty sure that I already tested it in the past but I forgot why I didn’t choose it. After PowerMenu I used Actual Title Buttons until I discovered AutoHotkey. Anyway, It is really a pity that PowerMenu is discontinued; many sofware of this category usually fail with some programs like Firefox, Photoshop, Foobar, …

  15. Maxi said on July 31, 2019 at 9:02 am
    Reply

    “A click on the new on-top icon makes Windows Calculator sit on top of all other program windows”
    …truly worthly material for whole article

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