The free, full-featured scientific calculator RINPn now has a brand-new online version you can use instantly, right in your browser — anytime, anywhere.

Rather than explaining it in words, it's quickest to try it here on the spot. First, open the official RINPn website:

If you're already a RINPn user, this screen will look familiar. On this screen, enter an expression in the "INPUT" field and press the "=" button to evaluate it.

That said, while the online version looks and feels almost identical to the existing download (desktop) version, the internals are completely different. Because of that, a few buttons are slightly different and some features are pared down in the online version.

You cannot define custom functions or variables (possible in the download version).
You cannot run scripts (possible in the download version).
You cannot tweak fine-grained settings such as digit precision (possible in the download version).
You obviously can't use it from the command line, since it runs in the web browser (the download version can).

The download version is PC-only, whereas the online version also works on smartphones and in a wider range of environments.*
The online version needs no setup — just open the web page and use it anywhere.

* Note: Depending on the smartphone model and browser, layout issues may still occur. We don't have a large pool of physical devices for testing yet, so we'll keep refining it over time. Feedback from users is very welcome!

In short, neither version is strictly "better." They complement each other's strengths and weaknesses.

By the way, just like the download version, the RINPn online version is open source. The repositories are available on GitHub — feel free to take a look!

Since it's open source, next time I'm thinking of posting a more niche write-up — an architectural overview of the online version and a comparison with the download version. Stay tuned!

Meet RINPn Online: Use the Scientific Calculator Anywhere, Instantly