Many people have asked questions about Calc98, how it came about, etc. Here are answers to some of the most common ones.
A: The software was developed in the early 90's as a component of a specialized integrated engineering software system. In 1995 we decided to make it available as a stand-alone software product, which was originally called Calc95.
Q2: Why have you released Calc98?
A: Because we thought computer users would find it useful. It also gains us a small amount of publicity, and an opportunity to experiment in software distribution methods.
A: Flow Simulation develops software under contract and provides consultancy services for the engineering and financial services industries. See our web site for more details.
Q4: Who uses Calc98?
A: Because of the way Calc98 is distributed it is difficult to obtain precise numbers of users. On a typical day, between 300 and 500 users download Calc98 from our web site. Calc98 can also be obtained from magazine cover disks, software archives, user's home pages and in software collection CD's sold separately or included with textbooks. In early 2000, about a quarter of a million users had downloaded Calc98 from one online software archive alone. We currently estimate that about 3 million users have downloaded Calc98. Many users report that they have distributed the software around their departments or organizations, which include major industrial corporations and government departments. A large proportion of users are located in North America, although there are registered users in most countries of the world. As well as scientific and engineering industries, Calc98 seems to be particular popular in education, financial services and health-care. For further background you can see a selection of user comments.
Q5: What are Flow Simulation's contact details?
A: Our postal address is: Flow Simulation Ltd., Sheffield Science Park, Arundel Street, SHEFFIELD, S1 2NS, England e-mail:info@flosim.com Web: http://www.flosim.com/
A: There is no date function in Calc98. We tested it using the rollover date and other key dates. It worked fine.
A: You can register online using our web form.
Q2: The Web form doesn't work/I don't have access to WWW - how do I register?
A: You can either e-mail us or use the form which comes with the Calc98 documentation and mail it to us at Flow Simulation Ltd., Sheffield Science Park, Arundel Street, SHEFFIELD, S1 2NS, England.
A: Our licence terms allow 90 days of use, after which you need to register to continue legally using the software.
Q4: What happens after 90 days?
A: Nothing. Calc98 does not contain any time-out mechanisms or nag screens. To a large extent we are relying on users' honesty and fairness, and we have tried to make registration as easy as possible.
Q5: What does registration cost?
A: Registration of Calc98 is completely free of charge.
Q6: Can I really download this program and use it for free for as long as I need it?
A: Yes. But please remember to register.
Q7: What are the terms for site licensing?
A: Calc98 registration is free, whether you install it on one computer or a thousand. Please indicate when you register if you are using it site-wide. By licensing in this way, you don't need to have every user register individually.
Q8: Why is Calc98 free of charge?
A: In 1995, when Calc98 was initially released as "shareware", we analysed the economics of distributing this type of product. We found that the effort expended by users in arranging payment and the corresponding effort of collection of payment didn't make sense. We therefore decided to make registration free. Although it was an unusual approach for a commercial organization to take at the time, subsequent developments in the software marketplace have now established this as a valid business model.
Q9: Isn't it a bit risky using free software?
A: We have found that the quality spectrum of free software is about the same as for conventionally marketed software. Users need to exercise the same level of critical evaluation as with any other goods. The advantage of free software is that it is less trouble to obtain in the first place, and if it is unsatisfactory you don't have bother of returning it and obtaining a refund. Surprisingly, when we did an audit on our own systems we found that the vast majority of the software we were using was either free or had come bundled with hardware.
Q10: What will happen to the details I supply when registering?
A: We keep user details for our records. We use this information to better understand the demographics of Calc98 users, and as an attempt to encourage feedback to enable us to improve the product. We do not make any information available to third parties. We only contact you to let you know of new releases of Calc98. We are registered under the UK Data Protection Registrar.
Q11: Are you going to contact me with product offers after I register?
A: No. We have only ever contacted users to alert them to the availability of a new version of Calc98.
Q12: Can I obtain the source code of Calc98?
A: Sorry, no. Calc98 is not an Open Source project. We have no plans to make Calc98 Open Source. Note that Calc98 is not "free" in the sense of the word used by organizations such as the Free Software Foundation. It is licensed software, and the terms of the licence require you to register it. But registration is free.
Q13: Is it okay to include a link to Calc98 on my personal home page?
A: Yes, please do. More information about how to do this can be found on the Linking to Calc98 page.
Q14: Is it okay to include a link to Calc98 from our organization's web site?
A: Yes, please do. More information about how to do this can be found on the Linking to Calc98 page.
Q15: I would like to redistribute Calc98. Is this okay?
A: Yes, please feel free to redistribute the Calc98 distribution file in its original form. However, you may not modify the files, separate or distribute them individually, or alter the copyright and legal notices.
Q16: I would like to unofficially "mirror" Calc98 on my home page. Is this okay?
A: "Mirroring" refers to the practice of keeping a copy of a file on your web site for visitors to download, instead of going directly to the original site. We have no objection in principle to web site owners doing this. In practice however, this can cause problems when we update the software, because we don't know who has out of date versions of the software on their site. We support a number of "official" mirrors, which simply means that we are aware that they are making the file available and direct users to them, and that they have agreed to post updates when we send them. An alternative to "unofficial" mirrors is for sites to link to our download page (as described on our Linking to Calc98 page). This helps us to keep downloads up-to-date.
Q17: Do you have a logo for Calc98 I could use as the link?
A: Yes. You can find one on our Linking to Calc98 page.
Q18: Can I distribute Calc98 along with my software product?
A: Yes, as long as it is made clear to users that Calc98 is a separate product which is credited to Flow Simulation. Please take care not include any wording that gives the impression that Flow Simulation endorses your product. You must not modify the files, separate or distribute them individually, or alter the copyright and legal notices.
Q19: Can we include a customized version of Calc98 as part of our software?
A: No, sorry. You may not disassemble or reverse engineer or incorporate into another work the software or its components.
Q20: I work for a magazine publisher. May we include Calc98 on our cover CD?
A: We would love to see Calc98 on your cover CD. Please do not separate the files, distribute them individually, or alter the copyright and legal notices. Please contact us if you need a written release.
Q21: How do I obtain technical support?
A: We are not able to provide technical support for the free distribution version of Calc98. However, please feel free to e-mail us if you have a problem or query, or suggestions as to how we could improve the product. We will do our best to deal with your request if we can. Alternatively, you can write to us at our address below.
Q1: How do I download and install Calc98?
A: Calc98 can be downloaded from the Calc98 download page. Select the site you wish to download from by clicking the appropriate link. Your browser will prompt you for a location to save the file. The downloaded file is a self-extracting zip archive. Run it to extract the files into the directory of your choice. For more detailed information, see the online documentation
Q2: Why doesn't Calc98 have a 'proper' Windows install program?
A: The size of the Calc98 executable is of the order of 300k and the compressed distribution file is not much larger. This makes Calc98 extremely quick to download and capable of distribution using low capacity media like diskettes. We have looked at professional install programs and determined that the resulting installation files would be considerably larger than the software itself. Until we can find an installation program with a very small footprint (or write one ourselves) we think most users would prefer to have the benefit of a smaller download file, and tolerate the inconvenience of having to drag a shortcut onto their desktop to complete the installation.
Q3: Will installing Calc98 unleash some bug that will crash my system?
A: We certainly hope not! Millions of people have installed Calc98 on their systems without problems.
A: The help files have their own directory, "CalcHelp". A single index file "index.htm" exists in the Calc98 directory and links to the other files.
Q5: How do I replace the Windows Calculator with Calc98?
A: This depends slightly on which version of Windows you have. Drag and drop a Calc98 shortcut to your Start Menu (right click on the "Start" button and select "Open" to open it, or right click on the task bar and select "Properties" and selecting the "Start Menu Programs" tab, or go directly to the directory "C:\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Accessories"). A shortcut to the Windows Calculator should be in the "C:\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Accessories" directory and can be deleted and replaced with the Calc98 shortcut. Alternatively, edit the Windows Calculator shortcut and change the target to the Calc98 executable.
Q6: Another program starts the Windows Calculator. How do I get it to run Calc98 instead?
A: The executable for the windows calculator is usually called "calc.exe" and can be found in the Windows directory (typically "C:\Windows"). To replace this with Calc98, first rename "Calc.exe" to e.g. "Calcexe.old" and then create a shortcut to Calc98 and rename it "Calc.exe". If for any reason you need to reverse this process, delete the shortcut and rename "Calcexe.old" back to "Calc.exe".
Q7: Why does my browser window fill with garbage when I try to download factory.prp?
A: In Internet Explorer, right mouse click on the link and select "Save Target As..." from the pop-up menu, and save to the Calc98 directory. In Netscape Navigator, right mouse click on the link and select "Save Link As..." from the pop-up menu, and save to the Calc98 directory.
Q8: Where does Calc98 store its files?
A: Calc98 stores its files in the directory from which it is run.
Q9: Why does Calc98 use the Windows Registry?
A: Using the Registry allows different users of the same computer to individually configure and customize Calc98.
Q10: What Windows Registry entries does Calc98 use?
A: Calc98 saves registry settings in "HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/FlowSimulation/Calc98". The registry entries are used to store the current calculator mode, display configuration and keypad layout.
Q11: Why are you using HTML Help?
A: We switched from Windows Help (WinHelp - the help system used exclusively on versions of Windows up to Windows95) to HTML Help because this was the direction Microsoft encouraged developers to go at the time. HTML Help offers many advantages over WinHelp, but unfortunately support in older versions of Windows was incomplete. In these cases Calc98 needs to find a browser to display the help files, which gives rise to other problems (see below).
Q12: Why does Calc98 try to use Internet Explorer?
A: On older versions of Windows which do not have built-in support for HTML Help, an HTML browser needs to be located. When you click on the Help button, Calc98 first tries to launch Windows HTML Help (which is a standard component of more recent versions of Windows). If this fails it starts looking for Internet Explorer, because most Windows systems have IE installed. If Windows fails to locate IE it looks for Netscape Navigator. If this fails, the user is given the opportunity to specify the location of the browser. You can also specifically tell Calc98 which browser executable to use within the Data tab of the Options dialog.
Q13: Why does a file called "default.dat"' keep appearing on my desktop?
A: Calc98 creates a file called "Default.dat" in the directory from which it is run to save values when you quit the calculator. You can delete the file, but you will get a new one the next time Calc98 is run. When you install Calc98 on Windows, one way of making it easily accessible is to drag a shortcut of the Calc98 executable onto the desktop. The problem occurs as a result of accidentally dragging the executable itself, or a copy, onto the desktop, instead of creating a shortcut. This means that Calc98 gets run from the directory corresponding to the desktop, and this is where it will store its data file. To create a shortcut, drag the object and hold down the ALT and SHIFT keys before releasing the mouse button. Or you can use the right mouse button as you drag to get a pop-up menu; then select "create shortcut here".
Q14: Why does a file called "default.dat"' keep appearing in my Start Menu?
A: Calc98 creates a file called "Default.dat" in the directory from which it is run to save values when you quit the calculator. You can delete the file, but you will get a new one the next time Calc98 is run. When you install Calc98 on Windows, one way of making it easily accessible is to drag a shortcut of the Calc98 executable onto the Start Menu, for example using the Taskbar Properties or adding it to the "C:\Windows\Start Menu\Programs" folder. The problem occurs as a result of accidentally dragging the executable itself, or a copy, onto the Start Menu, instead of creating a shortcut. This means that Calc98 gets run from the Start Menu folder itself, and this is where it will store its data file. To create a shortcut, drag the object and hold down the ALT and SHIFT keys before releasing the mouse button. Or you can use the right mouse button as you drag to get a pop-up menu; then select "create shortcut here".
Q15: I have just upgraded Calc98. Why does it look and behave like the old version?
A: You may have had Calc98 running when you ran the installation program. You need to make sure that Calc98 is not running, and then run the installation again. It is a good idea to make sure that you don't have any applications running when installing any software.
Q16: How do I un-install Calc98?
A: Simply delete the directory into which you installed Calc98 (which is usually called "Calc98"). There is a small entry in the Windows registry which can be deleted, although this is neither necessary nor recommended. If you really want to remove all trace of Calc98, you need to delete the registry key "HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/FlowSimulation/Calc98". If you created any shortcuts to Calc98 (e.g. on the desktop or Start Menu), you will need to remove these also.
Q1: How frequently is Calc98 updated?
A: It largely depends how busy we are. Our main business activities obviously take priority. The period between major releases is typically two years.
Q2: Which Windows operating systems does Calc98 run on?
A: Calc98 runs on Windows95, Windows98, WindowsME, WindowsNT, Windows2000, WindowsXP and WindowsCE.
Q3: Is there a version of Calc98 for Windows CE (Pocket PC)?
A: Yes. You can get it from the usual download page.
Q4: Is there a version of Calc98 for 16 bit Windows (e.g. Windows 3.1)?
A: There is a 16-bit version of Calc95. This version has not been developed further to keep up with Calc98, but can still be downloaded for use on 16-bit systems.
Q5: Is there a version of Calc98 for Linux?
A: No, but we have had reports of it running under Wine.
Q6: Is there a version of Calc98 for Unix, BSD etc.?
A: No, sorry.
Q7: Is there a version of Calc98 for Palm?
A: Sorry, no. However, we periodically review the possibility of developing a version of Calc98 for the Palm platform.
Q8: Is there a version of Calc98 for Psion (EPOC)?
A: Sorry, no.
Q9: Is there a version of Calc98 for Apple Macintosh?
A: Sorry, no.
Q10: Why does the revision history refer to Version 4.53, when I have Version 4.52?
A: Version 4.53 is really a version 4.52a which was released very shortly after 4.52. Because of the way some of the share-ware archives and links sites are updated it would have been very difficult to release a 4.53, so all the version 4.52 files are actually "4.52a". Unfortunately an error in the documentation confusingly refers to Version 4.53. In any case, this version is way out of date. Please download the current version.
Q11: What happened to the extra fonts in Calc95, e.g. Buttons, Sevenseg and Minitron?
A: We now support arbitrary font sizes and that means we need to use TrueType fonts. Buttons, Minitron and Sevenseg fonts supplied with Calc95 weren't TrueType so you could not re-size them. It seems that these fonts were quite popular and we plan to re-introduce them as TrueType fonts in a future version.
Q1: Can I get rid of the Flow Simulation splash screen when Calc98 starts?
A: Please do not attempt to remove the Flow Simulation splash screen. This brief advertisement is our only reward for the effort of developing Calc98.
Q2: Why can't I use the computer keyboard instead of clicking with the mouse on the buttons?
A: Use the keyboard shortcuts. The keyboard shortcut keys are listed in the documentation ordered by key and function.
Q3: Could you please provide a list of the keyboard shortcuts?
A: The keyboard shortcut keys are listed in the documentation ordered by key and function.
Q4: How do I make the button legends bigger?
A: Click on the "opt" button or Options menu to bring up the Mode dialog box. Select the "View" tab and click on either the "Main Keys" or "Function Keys" buttons to change the button size, spacing, font etc. For more information, see the documentation.
Q5: How do I make the display bigger?
A: Click on the "opt" button or Options menu to bring up the Options dialog box. Select the "Display" tab to change the font, size, background colour etc. For more information, see the documentation.
Q6: Where are Calc98's statistics functions?
A: Click on the "opt" button or Options menu and select statistics mode. See the online documentation.
Q7: Where are Calc98's financial functions?
A: Click on the "opt" button or Options menu and select financial mode. See the online documentation.
A: Use the shift button to get additional functions in normal operation. See the online documentation.
Q9: Where is the percent button?
A: Use the shift button to get additional functions in normal operation. See the online documentation.
Q10: How do you get mode selections to be the default mode?
A: Calc98 saves its settings in the Windows Registry automatically when it exits.
Q11: How do you get the button size to stay at what has been selected?
A: Calc98 saves its settings in the Windows Registry automatically when it exits.
Q12: How do I view the stack in RPN mode?
A: Click on the "shift" button, and then the "stack" button, or use the keyboard shortcut (Ctrl-^).
Q13: Where is the button to exchange X and Y in RPN mode?
A: Click on the "shift" button, and then the "x><y" button.
Q14: Where is the button to move the stack down in RPN mode?
A: Click on the "shift" button, and then the "R<" (stack rolldown) button.
A: You have the angle mode set to Radians, instead of degrees. Click on the "opt" button and select the "Mode" tab, and select "Deg" as the angle mode. The correct answer for the sine of 10 degrees is 0.1736481777.
A: You have the angle mode set to Gradients, instead of degrees. Click on the mode button and select the "Mode" tab, and select "Deg" as the angle mode. The correct answer for the sine of 10 degrees is 0.1736481777.
Q17: How do I clear the Memory?
A: To clear the memory, clear the calculator using the "AC" button (or just clear the display using the "C" button), then click on "Min"
Q18: Is there a way to get Calc98 to put the decimal point in automatically (like an adding machine)?
A: No. Whilst this can work well for an adding machine as used for book-keeping, it would be very confusing for a general purpose calculator. A simple solution is to simply work in pence, rather than dollars or pounds. The danger with this is that you forget to enter the zeroes for the pennies when entering a round number of pounds or dollars, especially if you do not use calculators exclusively in this way.
Q19: How do you change the decimal point symbol?
A: Click on the "opt" button and select the "Display" tab. You can then change the decimal symbol. When you install for the first time it should default to the regional setting on your computer.
Q20: How do you change the thousands separator?
A: Click on the "opt" button and select the "Display" tab. You can then change the digit group symbol, or disable it (by setting to "no").
Q21: Why, if I enter "1 + 2 x 3 =" do I get 7 and not 9?
A: The order in which arithmetic operations is carried out is called precedence. Calc98 defaults to algebraic precedence which is the way most scientific calculators work. This means that multiplication takes precedence over addition, which is equivalent to 1 + (2x3) = 7 because the multiplication is evaluated first, even though it was the second arithmetic operation entered . Some calculators (particularly very simple ones) do not use algebraic precedence and only the order of entry is significant, so (1 + 2) x 3 = 9. Calc98 can be configured to use either type of precedence by clicking the Mode button and selecting the Mode tab. There is a section on this tab page called "Precedence" which gives you three options: As Entered, Algebraic (the default) and a third option "RPN" (Reverse Polish Notation; a very elegant solution which allows you to enter complex expressions without using parentheses, and made popular by Hewlett Packard's calculators). If you switch to "As Entered" mode, the calculator will compute "1 + 2 x 3" as 9.
A: When you switch to financial mode, the display automatically switches to Finance mode (i.e. two decimal places). This means that if you calculate a monthly interest rate (which is likely to be some fraction of one percent) there is not sufficient accuracy unless you flip back to decimal mode. To change to monthly interest rate, use the buttons on the rates dialog which converts without losing accuracy.
Q23: Why does Calc98 minimize after a period of inactivity?
A: This is usually because the "auto power off" feature is enabled. See the online documentation.
Q24: Why do I get a message "Unable to open properties database" when I start Calc98?
A: For some reason Calc98 could not load the properties and constants data. These are stored in files in your installation directory with the extension .PRP. Calc looks for a file called DEFAULT.PRP in this directory, which is where you would store customized properties and constants data for automatic loading. If this file is not found, the file FACTORY.PRP is loaded from the same directory. If both files are missing or inaccessible for some reason, Calc98 fails to load the data and the properties and constants will not be available. Check if these files have been deleted or moved. If no properties files can be found, they can be replaced from your backup copies of the distribution files, or you can re-run the Calc98 setup.
Q1: How do I get units and conversion factors added to Calc98?
A: You can edit the values stored by your own copy of Calc98 as described in the online documentation. You can help us improve the range of units covered by submitting units for inclusion in the units/properties database. You can do this by e-mail or using the units/constants submit page.
Q2: How do I get physical constants or physical properties added to Calc98?
A: You can edit the values stored by your own copy of Calc98 as described in the online documentation. You can help us improve the range of constants included by submitting constants and properties for inclusion in the units/properties database. You can do this by e-mail or using the units/constants submit page.
Q3: How do I correct erroneous values for conversion factors or constants?
A: You can edit the values stored by your own copy of Calc98 as described in the online documentation. If you think that one of the values is in error, please help us by submitting an update. You can do this by e-mail or using the units/constants submit page.
Q4: How do I report a bug in Calc98?
A: See the bug report page. Alternatively, e-mail us.
Q5: How can I suggest an enhancement to Calc98?
A: If you have suggestions for future enhancements, please either mention these on your registration form, or e-mail us with your ideas. We are very keen to hear user's suggestions. Even if the idea is not new to us, it helps us to know which proposed features are of most importance to users. A large number of the improvements to the last version were as a result of user suggestions.
Q1: Why am I getting 743559489.4000000059 instead of 743559489.4?
A: This problem should be solved in the current release of Calc98 (version 5).
A: Although it is possible to set the accuracy to 16 digits, the floating point unit does not support this precision. In the current version of Calc98 the maximum precision is 15 digits, and most of the rounding problems have been resolved.
Q3: If I put in 19.4, it changes that to 19.3999999999999985. Why?
A: This can happen if you set precision to 16 decimals in fixed point mode. In the current version of Calc98 the maximum precision is 15 digits, and most of the rounding problems have been resolved.
Q4: Is Calc98 capable of doing fractions?
A: No, sorry, not at this time.
Q5: Why don't you have a scrolling tape?
A: This is the most requested enhancement for Calc98. We have so far hesitated to add this feature because it is difficult to reconcile, from a usability point of view, with a scientific calculator with matrix functions. We hope very much to find a solution to this and add this feature to Calc98 at some future date.
Q6: Can Calc98 calculate exchange rates?
A: If you know the current exchange rate you can of course do the conversion just like any other calculator. It is not so easy to simply add exchange rates to Calc98's data files, however, because obviously exchange rates are constantly fluctuating.