why are the numbers on a calculator opposite from the numbers on a phone?

look at that
http://www.vcalc.net/Keyboard.htm

There are several different theories.

The first theory deals with the telephone's circuitry and tone-recognition hardware. When the touch-tone telephone was being designed in the late 1950s, the calculator and adding-machine designers had already established a layout that had 7, 8 and 9 across the top row. Data-entry professionals, and others who used calculators fairly regularly, were quite adept at navigating these keypads. They could hit the numbers extremely quickly, which was great for data entry, but not so great for dialing a touch-tone phone. The tone-recognition technology could not operate effectively at the speeds at which these specialists could dial the numbers. The telephone designers figured that if they reversed the layout, the dialing speeds would decrease and the tone-recognition would be able to do its job more reliably. This theory has little proof to substantiate it, but it does make sense.

A second theory refers to a study done by Bell Labs in 1960. This study involved testing several different telephone-keypad layouts to find out which was easiest to master. After testing several layouts, including one that used two rows with five numbers each and another that used a circular positioning, it was determined that the three-by-three matrix that had 1, 2 and 3 across the top was the easiest for people to use.

Another theory is based on the layout of a rotary telephone. On a rotary dial, 1 is at the top right and zero is on the bottom. When designing the new touch-tone keypad, putting the 1 on the top-right didn't make much sense, because Western writing is read from left to right. But putting 1 on the top-left, and the subsequent numbers to the right, did make sense. Using that formula, the resulting rows fell into place, with zero getting its own row at the bottom.

All of these theories attempt to explain why telephone and calculator keypads are exact opposites, yet no one theory can be pinpointed as the definitive reason. It is common practice today to use the telephone-keypad layout when designing new products that utilize a keypad, such as Automated Teller Machines.

i got a better question...why do you need to know that?

i'm unsure yet i think of it has greater to do with the reality that telephone numbers was letters and with the intention to contain the previous numbers c5858f6588743a7b187fa8c4abeb2eklc5858f6588743a7b187fa8c4abeb2e c5858f6588743a7b187fa8c4abeb2ec5858f6588743a7b187fa8c4abeb2ec5858f6588743a7b187fa8c4abeb2ec5858f6588743a7b187fa8c4abeb2e with the recent c5858f6588743a7b187fa8c4abeb2e0 digit numbers[c5858f6588743a7b187fa8c4abeb2ec5858f6588743a7b187fa8c4abeb2ec5858f6588743a7b187fa8c4abeb2ec5858f6588743a7b187fa8c4abeb2ec5858f6588743a7b187fa8c4abeb2ec5858f6588743a7b187fa8c4abeb2ec5858f6588743a7b187fa8c4abeb2ec5858f6588743a7b187fa8c4abeb2e-c5858f6588743a7b187fa8c4abeb2ec5858f6588743a7b187fa8c4abeb2ec5858f6588743a7b187fa8c4abeb2ec5858f6588743a7b187fa8c4abeb2e] used immediately they had to place it that way. it truly is greater handy to have the numbers backwards then the letters. it truly is my wager.

To keep bookies from making calls out of the book, while they are working.

why do you have to know the answer,nobody cares about it?

Who cares?

i'll have to check that out, well noticed!