ActiCalc FAQs updated 9/21/2002

A: We believe that the revolutionary ActiCalc interface is simple enough to use as a replacement for any desktop calculator. We encourage people who are infrequent users of a desktop calculator to replace their calculator with ActiCalc. We offer this mode of operation free of charge. We expect that a certain percentage of users will become "power users" sooner or later. When that happens, the premium features are available for a small registration fee. In effect, the ActiCalc power users are funding the improvement of the program for the masses. We estimate that, less than one year after the first release, there are now over 5,000 regular ActiCalc users.

Q: How can I make sure that I have the latest program version?

A: The latest version is always maintained on this web site. Registered users automatically receive notification of new releases..

Q: I updated a cell in the tape. My changes show up correctly on the tape, but the updates do not show up in the memory registers. Why not?

A: The registers (memories and the financial registers) are sensitive to the current location (cursor) in the tape. As you move the cursor up and down the tape, the registers will reflect the memory state as of that point in the tape. To see the final results in the registers, move the cursor to the end of the tape.

Q: Is ActiCalc Y2K compliant?

A: Yes. There are no date-sensitive functions in ActiCalc.

Q: What international support does ActiCalc provide?

A: ActiCalc honors the currency settings in your Windows control panel. ActiCalc allows you to change the titles of the column headings. ActiCalc does not provide double-character support. All documentation and messages are in English. We currently have registered users in Japan, Brazil, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, and Argentina.

Q: Does ActiCalc support copy/paste operations?

A: ActiCalc version 2.1 permits limited copy/paste operation. You can copy and paste one number at a time using the data entry window. We expect to support copying of the entire tape to the clipboard in a future release.

Q: What happens if I lose my registration key?

A: Your registration key is very important. Your license requires you to keep it private. We recommend you print your registration confirmation email and keep it is a safe place. If you ever need to reinstall ActiCalc, you may need to reenter the key. In addition, this key will also unlock the premium features for any newer releases made available within one year of your registration. If you should ever lose your key, simply email us and we will send you this information again.

Q: If I already have Microsoft Excel, why bother with ActiCalc?

A: The more you use Excel, the more you will value ActiCalc. Even very experienced Excel users often use a desktop calculator for tasks that don't justify the effort of building a spreadsheet. With ActiCalc, you can have your cake and eat it too. You can gain the simplicity of a desktop calculator, and still end up with a proper Excel spreadsheet. For many tasks, you can build an Excel spreadsheet faster using ActiCalc than if you did all the work directly in Excel.

Q: The Adding Machine Mode does not function as a true desktop adding machine does. For example on a desktop adding machine to add 12 + 12 -3 you would do the following. Enter 12 hit the plus key, enter 12 hit plus key. enter 3 hit the minus key and the answer will be 21. With ActiCalc, you get 27. Have I missed something?.

Perhaps the term "adding machine mode" is a bit misleading. Several users who frequently tabulate columns of currency asked for the ability to avoid entering the decimal point on each line. They reminisced about the "good old days" with mechanical adding machines. The consensus was not to faithfully implement an adding machine with all its limitations. When in adding machine mode, ActiCalc still performs as an infix calculator, and it permits operations besides + and -. The main difference with adding machine mode is the automatic insertion of the decimal point. So if you want "12 + 12 -3", that's exactly what you type, which yields 21 cents if your local currency is dollars.