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Use Instacalc to crunch numbers before Excel even loads

by Tris Hussey on July 4th, 2007

We all know that Excel is a number crunching power-house.  I know that I couldn’t live without some kind of spreadsheet application.  Sometimes, however, you just need to crunch some numbers.  Usually I just fire up the Calculator app (my keyboard even has a quick launch button for it), but what if you need to do something a little more complex?  What if you also need to do it with other folks at the same time?  Thanks to Bryan Starbuck (a distance relative…very distant…who I met at MindCamp this weekend) I found Instacalc.

The page loads instantly and as you are typing, it’s starting to work.  I haven’t had a chance to play with this as a collaborative tool, but I can see this as a great way to just crunch some quick numbers.  Something that is a bit complex.

Sure, you could use Google Doc & Spreadsheets, but that also requires you to create and save a sheet.  What if it isn’t that important?  Do you want/need to keep it around?

When you just need to crunch some numbers…

POSTED IN: Cool tools, Internet tips

1 opinion for Use Instacalc to crunch numbers before Excel even loads

  • Kalid
    Jul 11, 2007 at 12:45 am

    Hi Tris, I’m glad you found it useful! I had a chance to chat with Bryan in Seattle in May (I’m out on the east coast now).

    Instacalc was designed for quick, back-of-the-envelope calculations and I’m glad that came through. I’m trying to make it easy to use (readable variables like “sales=300″, equations like “3.3 million + 10%”, etc.), so feel free to send any feedback my way (kalid@instacalc.com).

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