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Your Pico-8 just got down to business.

The full-featured, high-precision spreadsheet application for the Pico-8 that nobody asked for has finally arrived! PicoCalc is a feature-complete1 clone of the 1979 classic VisiCalc, which introduced the world to an entirely new category of business application. Steve Jobs said of VisiCalc, it's "what really drove -- propelled -- the Apple ][ to the success it achieved."

PicoCalc does everything* VisiCalc can do, with some enhancements over the Apple ][ classic:

  • 18.18 integer/fractional precision vs. VisiCalc's 12.
    Handles numbers as big as 999999999999999999.999999999999999999
  • Granular error reporting!
    Get informed of division by zero, number overflow, and more.
  • Multi-color representation of active/inactive cursor, locked titles, truncated values, and error messages
  • Save and load your work
  • Full arrow-key support (LOL)

To use it effectively, you do need to know how to use VisiCalc.
Here's a manual to help you along.

More information and download available on itch.io now.
https://christopherdrum.itch.io/picocalc

*OK, I ran out of tokens and only got 99.5% in; still thinking how to hit 100%

Updated to 1.0.1

Available now. Writeup of bug fixes at itch.io.
https://christopherdrum.itch.io/picocalc/devlog/226707/picocalc-updated-to-101

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On behalf of all of us old enough to remember using the actual VisiCalc, thank you for this gift. When I was a kid, I would transcribe the daily MLB standings and the box score results from my favorite players into VisiCalc to keep track of who had the best batting average (it was always Tony Gwynn, LOL). I had the TRS-80 version though, not the Apple version. Still, this is amazing!

EDIT: Hello, 1984 National League West final standings!

@2bitchuck Thank you for the kind reaction. As a fellow TRS-80 kid (model 1 and 3) I’m happy I could spark a little joy in delivering this to you.
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@2bitchuck OMG that’s awesome to see it being used for such nostalgic purposes. Thank you! That really made my day :)
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@ChristopherD such a fun trip down memory lane :)
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I honour the people who need no reason. Thank you for taking this bravery.

@mailsprower1 My pleasure. Pico-8 is a great system for tearing apart big concepts to understand how they work, which includes non-game applications. I learned a lot of very useful skills that can apply to any genre in making this.
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I get this nagging feeling
that you've just opened a
Pandora's box. Kudos.

@alexr Well, with only 10 downloads to date I doubt its going to make the impact you're suggesting. lol

But it's fun to try and shake things up nonetheless.
Thanks for the kudos.

I meant in terms of sources of inspiration for pico-8 ideas. I had never considered apps until now. :)

When you mention the number of downloads, how did you track that?

@alexr Ah, yes, I see your point. :)
itch.io shows analytics for the visits and download count. It is just a part of the creator’s administration tools.

Oh okay. I thought you were talking about play counts in this forum or via splore and was curious as to how one would do that.



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