[bobauckland]

Rgainsmi is an anagram of 'migrains'
Which is what you will get if you attempt to make him understand math.
You have been warned.

[mccs]

i couldn't resist...

[stranger99]

just use the calculator the way it works, don't be a moron

Uh, I think you mean MORAN.

[Majestic Lion]

PEBKAC , we meet again...

[papped]

Make a new calculator that works the way you want... if you're doing simple math it's not that hard.

[kennyliu]

Not another thread on percentages. The PB's calculator does everything correctly. If you think it should take the percentage of the last entered number, try calculating something like:

$50*8 + 10%
5^3 - 10%

Haha, got what you wanted?

[BerryClever]

You are all wrong, according to my calculations the answer is 173.1284 to the 10th power! I should know, I have taken the same university mathematics class multiple times!

Seriously though, math isn't everyone's strong suit, and when two calculators say different answers, understandably it causes a WTF moment. No need to belittle and name call, even if one gets frustrated explaining the subject. We are not children here. We are not fighting for the title of smartest man/woman on the internet.

[borceg]

100 + 10% = 110 <--- On windows 7 32bit calculator

[pinkert11]

"100 + 10% = 110 <--- On windows 7 32bit calculator ". The Windows calculator assumes that you mean 10% of 100. It is the programed assumption that gives you the answer of 110. Try it in excel where there is no programed assumptions. Enter 100 in cell A1, 10% in cell B1. In cell C1 enter =A1+B1 and look at what you get. You will get 100.10. Why, 10% is .10 where as 10% of 100 is 10. It is the programing of calculators and the reliance of people on them that are ruining and degrading the general populations basic math skills.

[FF22]

"100 + 10% = 110 <--- On windows 7 32bit calculator ". The Windows calculator assumes that you mean 10% of 100. It is the programed assumption that gives you the answer of 110. Try it in excel where there is no programed assumptions. Enter 100 in cell A1, 10% in cell B1. In cell C1 enter =A1+B1 and look at what you get. You will get 100.10. Why, 10% is .10 where as 10% of 100 is 10. It is the programing of calculators and the reliance of people on them that are ruining and degrading the general populations basic math skills.

I never did trust Excel - bring back Lotus 123 or better yet, Supercalc!

Just kidding. This argument will never be settled - that's an axiom or postulate or theorem of the WEB!

[f1mx]

Bi*** please,

I never learned to use the % key on any calculator. I'm surviving multiplying by 1.1 or 0.9

[collapsed]

Only if you don't understand what you're looking at. Let me give an example that might be more clear.



Order of operations. In grade-school it's taught using the acronym BEDMAS. Brackets, Exponents, Division/Multiplications, Addition/Subtraction. That's the order in which you process a written math task.



So if I ask you what's 3 + 1 * 2, the correct answer is 5. You do the 1 * 2 part first, getting 2. Then you do the 3 + 2 part, resulting in 5.



Most calculators take the order that you type things in, which would give you an answer of 8, which is wrong. Some calculators are designed to let you enter things as a string of instructions and they will then execute the equation in the proper sequence. For bonus fun, Google "Reverse Polish Notation".



Most cheap calculators assume the operator is a clueless schleb. The percent operator (key) does what you think it should do; take the current displayed number and manipulate it as a faction of the previous displayed number. X + Y% means "take X, and add Y% of X to X".



The correct mathematical or engineering function of the percent operator is to simply divide the displayed number by 100, turning a number expressed as a percentage into its correct definition. Understand 10% is .10 not any other value. Similarly 37% is .37, not any other value. "100 + 10%" is 100.10, not any other value.



The layman means to ask for "100 + 10% * 100" but has no clue how to express themselves. Because the vast majority of people can only dimly recall grade 4 math (because evidently anything more complicated than addition is "too hard" and "too useless") but remember which season of American Idol Clay Aitken came in 2nd place during, calculators made for the masses assume cluelessness.



End result: the Playbook's calculator assumes you know what you're doing. The other tested calculators, including the standard BB calculator assume you're about 8 years old, at least mentally.



This is only annoying because you're bumping into one of the many parts of reality that involve Knowing Something, where "Something" isn't which running-back had the most rushing pass-yard interception shots-on-goal batting-average 3-point mid-court slam-dunk penalty-minute mistresses (to include Golf).

I think you got "win" or "awesome" written all over you!




Sent from my BlackBerry 8520 using Tapatalk

[jhimmel]

Only if you don't understand what you're looking at. Let me give an example that might be more clear.

Order of operations. In grade-school it's taught using the acronym BEDMAS. Brackets, Exponents, Division/Multiplications, Addition/Subtraction. That's the order in which you process a written math task.

So if I ask you what's 3 + 1 * 2, the correct answer is 5. You do the 1 * 2 part first, getting 2. Then you do the 3 + 2 part, resulting in 5.

Most calculators take the order that you type things in, which would give you an answer of 8, which is wrong. Some calculators are designed to let you enter things as a string of instructions and they will then execute the equation in the proper sequence. For bonus fun, Google "Reverse Polish Notation".

Most cheap calculators assume the operator is a clueless schleb. The percent operator (key) does what you think it should do; take the current displayed number and manipulate it as a faction of the previous displayed number. X + Y% means "take X, and add Y% of X to X".

The correct mathematical or engineering function of the percent operator is to simply divide the displayed number by 100, turning a number expressed as a percentage into its correct definition. Understand 10% is .10 not any other value. Similarly 37% is .37, not any other value. "100 + 10%" is 100.10, not any other value.

The layman means to ask for "100 + 10% * 100" but has no clue how to express themselves. Because the vast majority of people can only dimly recall grade 4 math (because evidently anything more complicated than addition is "too hard" and "too useless") but remember which season of American Idol Clay Aitken came in 2nd place during, calculators made for the masses assume cluelessness.

End result: the Playbook's calculator assumes you know what you're doing. The other tested calculators, including the standard BB calculator assume you're about 8 years old, at least mentally.

This is only annoying because you're bumping into one of the many parts of reality that involve Knowing Something, where "Something" isn't which running-back had the most rushing pass-yard interception shots-on-goal batting-average 3-point mid-court slam-dunk penalty-minute mistresses (to include Golf).

I understand the 100 + 10% problem, and I can see that the playbook is giving the correct answer. "10%" in that equation is not defined as anything other than its face value, and if you want the right answer, you should formulate the question correctly. But I don't see why the Playbook calculator should come up with something other than 0 for the question THIS thread started with, or even worse, why it is not CONSISTENT in its handling of such numbers.

[Morten]

I understand the 100 + 10% problem, and I can see that the playbook is giving the correct answer. "10%" in that equation is not defined as anything other than its face value, and if you want the right answer, you should formulate the question correctly. But I don't see why the Playbook calculator should come up with something other than 0 for the question THIS thread started with, or even worse, why it is not CONSISTENT in its handling of such numbers.

The real problem, and not only for this calculation issue, is that the developers are techno people, with NO specialized training - and some developers or companies do NOT have a proper q/a for their apps. IF Mathematicians were involved in mathematical programs - they would all be correct....

[RohrohrohURboat]

Well Blackberry have sorted this out. The percentage function has been removed. I'm pretty sure it happened in the 2.1 update.

[cavemen]

Where's the % symbol in the Os 2.1 calculator? Can't seem to find it

[adi_vastava]

After reading this thread I thought to put my scientific calc to test. (casio fx-82MS)

100+10% = 1100
100+50% = 300
500+50% = 1100
500+10% = 5100

now beat it

[BBMak]

lol that's a funny thread...

I'm amaized some people don't know what % really means.

ok, now try this on your calculator:
4 (Sqr root)
most calculator will give you the answer 2, which in reality means Square Root of 4, not 4 Square roots....But Mathematically, 4* (Square Root) Doesnt make any sense.

[BBMak]

After reading this thread I thought to put my scientific calc to test. (casio fx-82MS)

100+10% = 1100
100+50% = 300
500+50% = 1100
500+10% = 5100

lol what the is that?

[Ishaq786]

It's ******** that they removed the percentage function altogether. It was correct all along.

[djenkins6]

Switch to the tip calculator mode to see percentage.

[cjterminator]

Well if 100 + 10% is expected to be 110 here then all please try 10% + 100.
As per your Maths, it should be also 110 but the answer in this case will be 100.1
So I guess PB calculator is consistent

[Bakamushi]

It's all a question of conventions in the notation. Which convention is better then ?

I tend to think that, if I write x + y%, specifically choosing the sign % instead of /, then I don't mean a division but a percentage % of x.

If there are scientific calculators that don't accept this notation, it is not the business of the general public; or at least it should be a separate option for the user. Most users when writing % mean (percentage of) and not (divided by 100). The right or wrong is not in the result but in the common sense in a calculator for the average user.

[skibum_nj#CB]

% was just a lazy way of saying xx/100. To use it in an equation is nonsensical...

Bingo...winner!

[BerryClever]

I like the idea of having a separate option for the user. Those of us who are supposedly dumb and have the mental capacity of an 8 year old can use the regular calculator and those who are supposedly superior can use the scientific calculator (if even needed). Another way to word it, a standard calculator for quick calculations and general use, and a scientific calculator for exact calculations within specific fields of study or work. Win/win? I think that is a better option than removing the button all together.