Calculator widgets

by Derek Anderson	Stumble this!	November 02nd 2006

I see over at Tech Crunch they did a small review of Instacalc the online calculator. Tech Crunch embedded the actual widget into their post.

Instacalc is an online calculator. You can do simple math and use English words in the calculations. You can also do more complicated math. (get much beyond basic Algebra and I’m lost)

This is cool!

1. Size: You can customize the size of this widget by editing the code. Simply change the number associated with ‘height’ in the code.
2. Fields: You can add as many fields as you desire or as your calculations require.
3. Prior: You can create a set of calculations prior to embedding this widget and they will appear in your Instacalc widget on your blog.
4. Real time: Calculations happen in real time. No need to hunt for the equals sign.
5. Registration: There is no registration needed. Sweet!

This is OK!

1. Javascript: The Instacalc widget is a Javascript. Certain blog platforms restrict or ban the use of Javascript.
2. Appearance: This widget has clean orderly appearance. Borders are defined by 1px light gray solid lines.
3. Edit and save: This widget has an edit link built in so you can change the description of your calculator. Saving: You can capture a permalink for your calculator so you can send just your calculator to anyone with an email or IM account.

This is a bummer!

1. Color: There is absolutely no color options for this widget. People want to make their widgets blend in with their theme.
2. Width: You are not allowed to edit the width of this widget. 300px is a bit wide!

Other Calculators
Integer calculator (Google Gadget)
Scientific calculator (Google Gadget)

1 Comment »

1. Hi Derek, thanks for the kind review! I’m really glad you liked the calculator and put in your sidebar! =)

   I appreciate the feedback on the widget - I’m new to this space and have been considering various options on how to let people embed the page. Based on this, I’m probably going to have a fancy javascript version (more configurable) and a plain-jane HTML-only (no javascript) version for people who can’t embed JavaScript.

   Thanks again for your comments,

   -Kalid

   Comment by Kalid — 11-3-06 @ 6:45 pm

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