Comparing Apples to Oranges and Anything Else

[Vincent Ferrari]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.iliumsoft.com/a2oiphone' target='_blank'>http://www.iliumsoft.com/a2oiphone</a><br /><br /></div><p><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/at/auto/1236526072.usr18053.jpg" style="border: 1px solid #d2d2bb;" /></p><p><em>Figure 1: Yes, we're loading!</em></p><p>It's happened to all of us.&nbsp; We go into the supermarket to buy a can of soup, and there in front of us is Progresso at $1.29 for 12 ounces and Campbell's at $1.79 for 14 ounces.&nbsp; How do you compare the two?&nbsp; Well, if you're like me, most of the time you don't even bother and you just buy the soup you like better.&nbsp; Apparently, someone at Illiumsoft got tired of whipping out the iPhone's calculator just to figure simple stuff like this, and designed an application to do the work for them.</p><p><MORE /><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/at/auto/1236526734.usr18053.jpg" style="border: 1px solid #d2d2bb;" /></p><p><em>Figure 2: I couldn't do this one in my head.&nbsp; Could you?</em></p><p>I readily admit I'm not the best at math nor do I have an excessive amount of patience, so an application like this is right up my alley.&nbsp; In looking at Apples 2 Oranges, I took it to the grocery store a few times and did some comparisons there's no way I could've done in my head or would've bothered to do on the calculator.&nbsp; As is usually the case with this sort of new-found knowledge, the results were often surprising.&nbsp; The UI makes it easy to use because there aren't a whole lot of extraneous buttons and controls and the styling, while not haivng a huge effect on the application itself, does look really cool.</p><p><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/at/auto/1236527006.usr18053.jpg" style="border: 1px solid #d2d2bb;" /></p><p><em>Figure 4: See?&nbsp; The lower number isn't always better!</em></p><p>One of the hardest parts of counting calories is the fact that most nutritional labels are utterly useless for doing so.&nbsp; They'll usually give you all or nothing type results, and just because they're both canned peaches doesn't mean that they tell you the same sized servings.&nbsp; In this example, the serving size is different as well as the calories.&nbsp; Your first reaction might be that the 120-calorie can is a better nutritional value, but it actually isn't, because proportionally that same serving would be fewer calories on the other can.</p><p>Again, this isn't something you <strong>can't</strong> do on a calculator, but it's something you most likely <strong>wouldn't</strong> do on a calculator.&nbsp; If you're counting calories, this sort of information is priceless!</p><p>And make no mistake, Apples 2 Oranges provides tons of conversions built in including distances, ingredients, volume, making it a pretty complete application for all your conversion needs.&nbsp; At <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=303216139&amp;mt=8" target="_blank">$1.99 in the App Store</a>, the money you save by being an educated shopper will probably outweigh the cost in the first few uses.</p><p>Their claim is that you'll shop smarter, save money, and eat better.&nbsp; When you consider how lofty those claims are, it's pretty cool that they're actually true!</p><p><em>Vincent Ferrari is an Apple fan, videoblogger, blogger, writer, and all-around geek from the Bronx. He works in the IT Department of a cellular phone company that shall not be named, and lives in a very comfortable apartment with his lovely wife, two lovely cats, three Macs, two iPhones, and God-knows-how-many iPods of varying age.</em></p><p><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com//ppct/auto/1240336793.usr1.gif" /></p><p><strong>Do you enjoy using new hardware, software and accessories, then sharing your experience with others? Then join us on the <a href="http://www.thoughtsmedia.com/reviewteam.php" target="_blank">Thoughts Media Review Team</a>! We're looking for individuals who find it fun to test new gear and give their honest opinions about the experience. It's a volunteer role with some great perks. Interested? <a href="http://www.thoughtsmedia.com/reviewteam.php" target="_blank">Then click here for more information.</a></strong></p><p><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com//ppct/auto/1240336793.usr1.gif" /></p>

[little john]

Or you could look at the grocery store price tag and it will have the unit cost for you.

Wiping the iphone out to do this just does not make sence.

[ptyork]

As with little john, I agree that the first part isn't that useful for grocery stores since the tags (by law) always show a standardized unit price to allow for easy comparison. The serving size comparison feature is more useful, especially since it allows you to do unit conversions at the same time. However, since there's always a servings per container listing (and most can do simple multiplication in their heads), I'm not sure this is all that useful in real life, either. Still, for some, not a bad little utility. I'd never use it personally (I was and always will be a math geek), but I can see it being worth a $1.99 for many folks who didn't grow up members of a math team.

[Vincent Ferrari]

As with little john, I agree that the first part isn't that useful for grocery stores since the tags (by law) always show a standardized unit price to allow for easy comparison.

If the shelf tags are:

a: Present (try finding a shelf tag on a stacked end cap.
b: Correct for the item.
c: Accurate (often the tags aren't changed when items are on sale).

However, since there's always a servings per container listing (and most can do simple multiplication in their heads), I'm not sure this is all that useful in real life, either.

Most people can do simple multiplication in their heads, but most of the time it's way more convoluted than that. You're also assuming that the items only differ in price, but are the same as far as can size and serving size. It's not always "simple multiplication."

Is this overkill? It might be, but if you're carrying your phone anyway (which I assume most people in grocery stores are doing), and many use it for keeping their list or using the calculator to keep track of the cost, it isn't that ridiculous that there's a good comparison shopping app out there.

[Macguy59]

If someone can't be bothered to use the calculator app why would they use an app that looks like it requires more steps ?

[Vincent Ferrari]

If someone can't be bothered to use the calculator app why would they use an app that looks like it requires more steps ?

I know enough people whom, if handed a calculator, couldn't work this stuff out. My 26 year old sister is still, to this day, perplexed by fractions and ratios. Give her a calculator and she still wouldn't know what she was doing. An app like this is designed for people like her. ;)