Struggling with Spreadsheets? You’ll Fall in Love When You See Nums

By Mark Myerson on Jul 28, 2017, 9:00 am EDT under Product Reviews

When it comes to design, you would be hard pressed to criticize Apple. Everything the company makes is both beautiful and highly functional. But even the legendary Jony Ive cannot cover every base. For instance, you cannot realistically squeeze a full number keypad into a Macbook. You can buy plug-in pads — but that means you need a spare USB port and a bigger bag. Alternatively, you could just use Nums. This thin piece of glass turns your trackpad into a dedicated number pad.

– Glass accessory is compatible with pre-2016 and current Macbook models

– Features the numbers 0-9 plus multiple symbols and an enter key

– Works with dedicated software that integrates with your macOS workflow

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/266112708/nums-ultra-thin-smart-device-to-transform-laptop-t

Love at First Sight

Whenever Apple launches new products, it does so with plenty of razzmatazz. Tradition dictates that Sir Jony takes a starring role in each performance. In pre-recorded segments, he produces a stream of pretty adjectives to describe the new arrival. The words “thin”, “beautiful”, “remarkable”, and “revolutionary,” are favorites.

This undoubtedly sells computers, but it doesn’t necessarily solve your problems. Many of us wrangle with spreadsheets every day, for example. What did you ever do for us, Jony? While the mighty Ive contemplates his latest stroke of design genius, Nums is here to help.

[tweet_box]This thin piece of glass turns your trackpad into a dedicated number pad[/tweet_box]

Like all the best inventions, this glass plate keeps things simple. It doesn’t work with Bluetooth, and there is no battery to charge. But that’s fine, because this little accessory helps you input numbers, launch apps and protect your Macbook. To use Apple terminology, it just works.

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No Struggling with Spreadsheets

To start punching in numbers, you simply place Nums over the touchpad of your Macbook and download the driver.

You can barely feel the ultra-thin glass under your fingertip. It’s more like a thin film than a solid sheet. The glass is also see-through, save for the figures one to nine, printed with metallic ink. In addition, Nums has basic math operators and its own Enter key.

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The magic is made possible by the special Nums software. This gives your Macbook numerical superpowers, so you can punch in numbers at will. The software also integrates with macOS.

struggling with spreadsheets nums

The folks behind Nums say that you can more than double your number typing speed with this accessory. Furthermore, you will reduce your finger movement by 66 per cent.

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Aside from numbers, Nums can improve your general productivity. You can assign your favorite apps and website to each of the printed keys, or simply swipe to open preset apps (e.g. Calculator). Prepare to reduce your launch speed by 31 per cent. Plus, the water-resistant glass offers great protection.

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“Nums is an ultra-thin number glass film that comes with an application powered by patented algorithms. It transforms your trackpad into a number pad, it launches your favorite apps and websites with just a swipe, and it protects your delicate laptop trackpad from scratches and other damage” — Nums on Kickstarter