Tydlig Calculator

iOS calculators are far outpacing the rate of innovation originally set by HP with their graphing calculators. I was an HP48 lover in the 90s and no calculator has ever given me the same amount of joy.

Tydlig, while impossible to pronounce, is a clever new iOS calculator. While PCalc is the best straight-up calculator, and Soulver is the best contextual calculator, Tydlig is the best visual calculator.

The Tydlig approach is unique. Enter a calculation and hit equals to see the result. Tap and drag any number, including the result, to a new line to create dependent calculation. Change a value in one equation to have it immediately reflected in another calculation.

Here’s their demo video:

It’s not all roses with Tydlig. There is a sparse collection of functions. The basics are there and this will probably satisfy 99% of the calculator market. But if you need anything more than basic trigonometric functions, you’ll be disappointed.

Sharing is also not great in Tydlig. You can share an image of your calculation, but not the actual text. Sharing a calculation by email looks rather ridiculous and occasionally does not include all of the calculations.

I also found the selection and placement of linked numbers to be hit and miss. Sometimes a quick tap and drag works and other times it produces a pop-over instead.

Here’s my demo video on an iPhone:

I like the concept but do not find it all that useable right now. I hope the next couple of updates improve selection, add functions and units, and improve the sharing options.

Tydlig | Universal | $5