Calc Zero iPhone Utility Review
Posted on 31. Aug, 2009 by iPhone App Reviewer in $5, 6 Star Ratings, iPhone Utilities App Reviews
Calc Zero: A unit converting app with a fun, quick interface.
| Our Rating: 6.2/10 |  |
[Screenshots] |
Version Reviewed: 1.5.4
Developer: Uplake Media LLC [iTunes Link]
Price as of Review: $4.99
Current iTunes Rating: 3.5/5
Size: 1.0MB
Calc Zero is a unit conversion calculator with a highly customizable user interface. Calc Zero has a lot of competition with apps such as Units [iTunes Link] and Convert [iTunes Link] and unfortunately it’s price and interface just can’t compete. However it does convert quite a few more units then other apps, like programming modes with hex, decimal and binary (as a programmer I loved these). For reliability, I, or the users I’ve shown the app to haven’t found any errors in the calculations/conversions this app produces.
There’s a few things I’m not so keen about in Calc Zero, first of all how much they’ve tried to integrate a regular calculator with a conversion tool, the mix just doesn’t work well. Next is how they convert, rather than a Category:From->To system, you must figure out how to navigate through the interface. Rather then having an easily accessible clear button, you have to backspace your work and then clear all units and metrics added. One benefit of the system however is you can easily make cross-unit calculations, i.e. 12mS multiplied by 13 seconds. I think they need to separate the app into a couple different kinds of interface modes.
As for just the user interface – what it is right now, it has some cool effects, each category of metrics are displayed with a tab. It uses the iPhone SDK’s default tab interface element which 
means you’re limited to four different tabs at the same time and then the “More…” tab which allows you to view the rest. You can press edit and drag around categories nonetheless. This allows you to put your most used metrics into the front tabs, easy access for whenever you want to make a quick conversion (there should be a button for “Most Used”
.
Some little effects are added such as the buttons vibrating when you press them, with the iPhone and it’s tiny keys, this is nice to know that you actually pressed the right button (considering how many are on a calculator). Calc Zero has a huge manual which is sort of tucked away in the More category right at the bottom. There’s some delay in navigating between pages, accessing the settings seems to delay quite a bit. Removing some of these effects would most likely improve response time. The settings allow you to change readability and all sorts of those “little,” making Calc Zero ideal for the tinkerers out there.
Overall Calc Zero is an interesting unit converter which at $4.99 doesn’t quite make the cut compared to the competitors who offer a lot of bang for a single buck.
Final Ratings:
Usefulness: 7/10 – Not something I’d use on a daily basis but definitely a concept I like having on hand.
User Interface: 7/10 – Awesome but really unresponsive.
Price: 4/10 – Competitors such as Units and Convert are offering an app just as good, if not better for a fifth of the price.
Technology: 5/10 – Not many glitches but very poor stability. High customization but no landscape mode.
Execution of Concept: 7.9/10 – Lots of different units and metrics – gets the job done.
Overall Rating: 6.2/10
More screenshots of Calc Zero on iPhone App Reviewer’s Flickr Page.
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