CityCalc – Review

Our rating:

By: Abbacore LLC

Version #: 1.0

Date Released: 2009-12-10

Developer:

Price: 0.99

User Rating:

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This app begs the question: how does one market an application that already comes built-in to the iPhone and iPod Touch.  After all, they come with a calculator.  There are scientific calculator apps with many additional functions in the App Store, but a simple calculator?  CityCalc answers this by having a montage of cityscapes in the background of their app, and this is both a good and a bad thing.

It is a good thing because it keeps the calculator interesting.  It’s a bad thing because the cityscapes could be distracting from the app’s basic function.  The photos could even make it difficult to find the keys.  Also, the fast switching between graphics could make one nauseous.

I also found a bug in the app (and it’s always a bad thing for a reviewer to find a bug).  If you pause the cityscape slideshow then go to the settings which allow you to select the cities you want to see and then return to the calculator, the app forgets that you’ve paused the slideshow.  This is not good.

I have a couple of suggestions to improve the app:  The first is that the user should be able to customize the background photo.  I know many people that would pay money for even their calculator to show their kids in the background.  Secondly, the slideshow should fade in and out more slowly to prevent potential nausea and/or epilepsy.  In effect, this should be a digital photo frame with a calculator.

The initial concept is good, but the app needs work.  If you enjoy viewing cityscapes, then this app could be for you.  Otherwise, wait for the next one.