Comparison

Cat Scribe vs Calc

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Cat Scribe

Features
Read full description

Capture notebook pages and convert them into clean digital text with Cat Scribe. Use your camera to scan handwritten notes, pick your preferred extraction engine, and quickly copy or send results to Drafts. Cat Scribe is built for fast personal note capture with a simple workflow and minimal friction.

About

Calc

Explore the inner workings of classic TI-59, TI-58, and TI-58C calculators. This tool offers cycle-accurate emulation, a debugger to inspect code and registers, and a functional paper tape printer recreation. Load and save programs using magnetic card emulation and state files.

Highlights
  • Cycle-accurate TMC0501 processor emulation
  • Integrated debugger for program and register inspection
  • Functional PC-100C paper tape printer recreation
  • Magnetic card reader for loading/saving programs
  • State file loading for instant machine configuration
  • Solid State Module support
Read full description

Calc-U-59 is a TI-59, TI-58, and TI-58C emulator for iPhone, iPad, and Mac. It runs the original ROM, so every program, module, and quirk works exactly as it did on the real hardware — with virtual magnetic cards, a PC-100C printer, all fourteen Solid State Software modules, and a CPU-level debugger for anyone who wants to look under the hood. CYCLE-ACCURATE EMULATION The TMC0501 processor is emulated at the cycle level, reproducing the exact behaviour of the original hardware — including the TI-58C's constant memory, preserved across restarts. The Master Library ROM and many more modules are included. INTEGRATED DEBUGGER Inspect program memory, data registers, CPU state, and internal SCOM registers live as the machine runs. Step through instructions one at a time, or let the emulator run and freeze it at any point. You can even run your own assembly programs! Available on iPad (landscape) and Mac. PAPER TAPE PRINTER A functional recreation of the PC-100C thermal printer with dot-matrix font rendering. Trace exactly what programs print and why. Copy output as plain text or as a high-resolution bitmap. MAGNETIC CARD READER Load and save programs and data registers as card files, stored on your device and synced via iCloud. Bring old listings back to life and run them under the debugger. STATE FILES Load .ti59 and .ti58(c) state files to instantly configure the machine with a program, registers, and flags — ideal for sharing reproducible scenarios or revisiting known machine states. SOLID STATE MODULES Select a Solid State Module and run programs from there. Whether you're bringing an old program back to life, running the Master Library modules, or exploring how these machines actually worked under the hood, Calc-U-59 gives you a faithful TI-59 in your pocket.

Screenshots

Cat Scribe4 screens
Calc4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Calc at fortnightly against Cat Scribe's every 2 months. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Cat Scribe ships an update every 2 months, Calc fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 8 level
Cat Scribe versus Calc: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCat ScribeCalc
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS18.018.0
Further details — not scored
Size11 MB9 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDavid DegnerMartin Erzberger

In-app purchases

None

Cat Scribe

No in-app purchases

None

Calc

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Cat Scribe free?
Cat Scribe is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Calc free?
Calc is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Cat Scribe or Calc have ads?
Neither Cat Scribe nor Calc shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Cat Scribe or Calc?
Cat Scribe ships an update every 2 months, and Calc fortnightly. Most recently, Cat Scribe was updated on October 2, 2026 and Calc on October 15, 2026.

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