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by jodrellblank 1280 days ago
> "despite not significantly changing in functionality since Windows 3.11."

Here you can run Win 3.1 in a VM in your browser with a click: https://copy.sh/v86/?profile=windows31 and Calculator is in accessories. Make sure to put it in View -> Scientific mode for a full comparison.

Now launch Windows 10 Calculator, you'll see that it is resizable, Win 3.1 calulator can only be minimised. Win 10 shows Unicode characters like Pi, square root, superscript exponentials, Win 3.1 shows them as "x^y" and the letters "PI".

Win 3.1 has a memory. Win 10 has a history log of calculations done, a scrollable editable copyable history and clicking on the entries brings them back to do again.

Win 3.1 has a bug where (2.01 - 2 == 0), Win 10 has that fixed.

Win 3.1 has normal and scientific mode, Win 10 has normal, scientific, date calculation, multiple unit converters, equation graphing with customisable theme, zoomable scrollable live updating high quality, themeable graph.

Win 10 integrates with the Windows contacts in some way to let you share graphed equations with other people. Currency conversion pulls currencies and live rates from the internet.

Win 10 has Programmer mode which does base conversion, logic gates, bit shifting, bitwise number representation with click-to-toggle-bits for entry and viewing.

Win 3.1 calculator is a binary blob, Win 10 calculator is open source MIT licensed on GitHub https://github.com/Microsoft/calculator