- column
- TECHNOLOGY Q&A
Carlton’s pondering
Please note: This item is from our archives and was published in 2015. It is provided for historical reference. The content may be out of date and links may no longer function.
TOPICS
Why is it that as CPAs we mastered the 10-key calculator with number pads numbered from the bottom up, but our smartphones display number pads numbered from the top down? Shouldn’t there be an option to let us choose the number pad layout on our smartphones? (Examples of typical keyboard and smartphone number pads with opposing layouts are pictured below.)

J. Carlton Collins is a technology consultant, a CPE instructor, and a JofA contributing editor.
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