HP 12C

The HP 12C is my favorite calculator that I've ever owned. I LOVE the touch of the HP keys, I LOVE reverse polish notation (RPN), I love the simplicity. The HP 12C has just about every function you need and very few function you don't need. It is also the perfect size. It's a pretty standard tool so I feel a bit silly writing about it, but just in case you don't have one, I decided that maybe I should blog about it.

First of all, RPN makes more sense once you get used to it than any other way of talking to a calculator. You hit the keys the way you actually think of equations. For instance, to calculate 1 / ( (2 + 3) * 3) on a normal calculator you would do something like 2 + 3 = x 3 MC M+ 1 / MR = probably. With the HP you would do something like 2 ENTER 3 + 3 x [1/x]. In other words, enter 2, take 3 and add it, take another 3 and multiply it, then invert it. You sort have have to get used to it, but trust me. It's more natural.

The HP 12C also has a bunch of very useful financial functions for dummies like me. You can listen to an entrepreneur give a pitch and punch in... 5 years, projections for the first 5 years, starting cash, then pow you get expected cash at the end of 5 years and pow, you've got your internal rate of return (IRR). Or if you're buying a house, punch the interest rate, how much down payment, how many years, how often you pay, and pow, you've got your monthly payments. You can do date calculations and some simple programing too.

Anyway, I can't live without it and I have software on my palm and my PowerBook that emulate the HC 12C.

Comments

[dj]

Could you please link to the HP 12C emulator for OS X?

[JY]

I still use my HP28S :-)

"Real Nerds use RPN" (tm)

[Derek]

My parents wouldn't buy me a computer in high school, but at last they broke down and bought me a calculator. HP at that time had four models in this series: HP 10c (basic), HP 12c (financial), HP 15c (engineering) and the HP 16c (comp sci). It was a toss up between the 15 and 16 for me (the 16 would display numbers in octal, decimal, or hex); but I ended up with the 15c. I think the deciding factor was that the 15c had a random() function so you could write games for it (which I did). Still have it in fine working condition (after replacing the LCD screen once).

RPN (which I described as stack based) was great as long as you could think ahead and keep track of multiple "buckets".

[Barak]

But you didn't blog about the coolest thing. After 20 years HP is still charging $79 for this calculator (it was about $149 on intro as I remember)! Unreal, what technology product with the same features as 20 years ago sells for only 50% less today? Imagine paying $1,295 for a 128K Mac, yes K not MG. How about $2,495 for a 5MG Profile Harddrive?

It's a testimant to a near perfect product and HP's ability to price based on value not cost. What could this cost to make? $8?

[Benoit Cazenave]

HP calculators rock ! I stared out with an HP 34c after discovering RPN and programing with a friend's older brother's HP 33c ! I ended up with an HP 15c and I must agree it is an object that is quite perfect - form, function and feel - just like my iPod !

[kong]

I have the 17BII and the 10BII (the latter doesn't have RPN). The 17BII is the best. It has two lines of LCD dot matrix in the display, and there are virtual keys displayed in the bottom line. Things like TVM use these virtual keys.

The PowerOne Finance for Palm is a superset clone of all the HP and TI financial calculators, down to the Solver functions from HP.

[Andy Smith]

I was browsing through your backlog here, looking for your mention of an ergonomic keyboard, but I just wanted to stress how much I agree with you on this. I've got an HP42S and I recently was somewhat forced into buying a TI83+. The change has made me want to burn down Texas Instruments and destroy every product they have. The cheap plastic keys don't register a press at all. I will never purchase a non-HP again. I got through two years of Calculus that "required a graphing calculator" with this 42S, and had enough programs written on it to make most busywork a thing of the past.
The 42S, last time I checked sold originally for $80, but goes for closer to $150 now that they are off the market.

[Mahavir]

I just bought a the HP 12C calculator today, its awesome !

[jeff]

I still have my HP 48G from college (1991) and it's probably the best scientific calculator one could own! Great calculator for engineers and scientists.

[Ricardo Lira Matte]

I'm committed to develop the very best Macintosh and Windows emulators of the Hewlett Packard Voyager series calculators (in my opinion the best design available). I'm already have on-line to download, the hp-10c, 11c, 12c and 12c Platinum. Actually I'm developing the 15C and 16C.
Please check them out in my site http://homepage.mac.com/riclira.

Any comment is highly appreciated

[liza]

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[steve]

I was given an original HP35 (HP's first RPN calculator) when it first came out. I was an undergrad studying physics at the time. It took me through my Ph.D. in particle physics when I moved to a HP48.

I still use the HP35. The chrome has worn off and I've had to replace the rechargeable battery a few times, but it still works wonderfully - I ceremonially use it for doing my taxes every year.

RPN rules.

[moses akarigbo]

Dear sir/ma.
we are interested to place an order for HP 12 C financial calculator from you.
we need {100 copies]
so let us know the total cost with the shipping charge via dhl or fedex courier service to african country in Nigeria.
and what are your methods of payments?
we are looking forward to hear from you soonest.
Thanks.

[phil]

RPN is da bomb!

I have a 11c, 12c and a 48G and rpn calculators on my Palm.

[Mike]

Love the HP RPN calcs. back in 1988 during my short-lived time as an undergrad engineering major i had (i think) the 15C. Now these days i'm in the finance world and just bought the 12C as to use when taking the CFA exam. The calculator is great, i agree. but it seems a bit slow to me. you think they would update the processor to at least something comparable to todays available technology? I just did a simple NPV calc and it took about 10 seconds.
(my 2 cents)
Mike

[Mike]

Love the HP RPN calcs. back in 1988 during my short-lived time as an undergrad engineering major i had (i think) the 15C. Now these days i'm in the finance world and just bought the 12C as to use when taking the CFA exam. The calculator is great, i agree. but it seems a bit slow to me. you think they would update the processor to at least something comparable to todays available technology? I just did a simple NPV calc and it took about 10 seconds.
(my 2 cents)
Mike

[edward jackson]

hello i need a HP12C Financial Calculator ,i need just only 120 QTY so tell me the total price including the shipping charges to SPAIN to it by over night delevered to it. hope to heard from you the soonest.

[JIm]

I need/want a HP15c? Anyone have one they want to get rid of?

[Harry Joiner]

Gee, I'm glad there are people who share my enthusiasm for HP calculators -- but I'm not surprised.

QUESTION: Does anyone know where I can buy replacement manuals and problem solving books for the 17BII?

Thanks!
harry @ reliablegrowth.com