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UI is hell: four-function calculators

One of the simplest and best-known computing devices on the planet is a fascinating study in interface design.

I have a thing for the history of calculators; they were among the earliest portable electronics, they pushed the limits of display technologies, and were the first digital computing devices to enter millions of homes. Today, if you asked any self-respecting software engineer to implement a simple but backward-compatible button-operated calculator, they would probably roll their eyes and say they can get it done on a single lunch break. The added perk of the revised scheme is that we can keep the previously-entered operand on the screen for a bit longer in step 4, so data entry errors are easier to spot.

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