Windows Calculator Getting New Mini and Always-On-Top Modes

Ever since Microsoft open-sourced Windows Calculator, the company has been building the stock calculator app that ships with Windows 10 out in the open. The company’s own developers have been working with other open-source developers to build new features, and it’s already developed some really advanced features like the upcoming graphing mode.

And now, Microsoft is teasing some new features that will soon be making their way to the Calculator app in Windows 10. The first new feature is the new always-on-top capability that will allow users to keep Calculator on top of everything else on their workspace. That’s really useful for when you are switching between different apps but always need to have the calculator on the go. The always-on-top feature is useful for a lot of different apps, so I wish this is something Microsoft just implemented directly into Windows instead of on a per-app basis. There are third-party apps that allow for this feature, though.

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Along with the new always-on-top mode, Microsoft is also going to introduce a new mini mode for the Calculator. That means you can have a mini version of the full Calculator open on the side of everything else and do minor calculations as you go along, without the Calculator obstructing your view. If you have a small screen, this feature is going to be particularly useful.

Microsoft isn’t saying when these features will make their way to the public, but considering they already seem to be working well, it could only be a few weeks before the company starts testing them with Insiders.

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Conversation 9 comments

  • Chris Hedlund

    30 July, 2019 - 5:55 pm

    <p>Meanwhile, try opening two calculator windows on macOS…</p>

    • Jeffsters

      31 July, 2019 - 6:35 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#446074">In reply to Chris_Hedlund:</a></em></blockquote><p>Actually you can. </p>

  • hrlngrv

    Premium Member
    30 July, 2019 - 7:18 pm

    <p>Gimme an equivalent of the XP Powertoy Calculator with the ability to graph equations and define functions.</p>

  • jimchamplin

    Premium Member
    31 July, 2019 - 12:16 am

    <p>Excellent!</p>

  • wright_is

    Premium Member
    31 July, 2019 - 4:48 am

    <p>Always-on-top is a window flag that any developer can set for his or her application. For most applications, it doesn't make much sense, but it is an easy enough feature to implement – takes about 30 seconds.</p><p>The first always-on-top application I wrote was in VisualBasic 3 on Windows 3.1, it would show the currently used memory, swap, resource usage (probably the most important metric on Windows pre-95) and the caps, num and scroll lock status.</p>

  • mmurfin87

    Premium Member
    31 July, 2019 - 9:06 am

    <p>It would be really nice if Always-On-Top was a fourth button for every window next to Minimize/Maximize/Close</p>

  • dontbeevil

    31 July, 2019 - 2:25 pm

    <p>but but UWP and the store are dead … at least you said so</p>

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