HP-12C
The HP-12C is a widely used, programmable financial mathematical calculator from the Voyager series by the US manufacturer Hewlett-Packard . This series includes the models HP-10C to HP-16C , all of which have the same external appearance in landscape format. The HP-12C has been produced since 1981 with the same design and functionality, which should be unique for a device in rapidly developing information technology , especially for a pocket calculator.
Functionality
The HP-12C uses Reverse Polish Notation (UPN) as the input method .
In addition to extensive basic functions, the HP-12C can be used to perform various common calculations - including iterative ones - of financial mathematics:
history
The HP-12C was first launched in 1981. Of all HP pocket calculators, the HP-12C is the most popular and longest-selling model and has remained unchanged on the outside to this day.
In 2003 the HP-12C Platinum came onto the market, which has some additional functions and a revised design (platinum-colored). There is now a second version of the Platinum, recognizable by the buttons with brackets.
Even if the programming technology and display are out of date according to today's standards, these points have not been changed in order to save long-term users from getting used to it.
In the early 1980s, PCs with spreadsheets were not yet common. The HP-12C was therefore a great relief for financial calculations. It was seen throughout the financial services industry not only as a status symbol - Goldman Sachs provided every new employee with an HP-12C - but as a reference: values calculated by an HP-12C were considered correct and were accepted without discussion by all parties involved. Various successor models could not replace the HP-12C despite additional functions and higher computing speed. Obviously it covers the needs perfectly and is at the same time handy and uncomplicated to use. Allegedly, HP's marketing department is said to have found out that users even rate the waiting time during a complex calculation as a quality feature: "One moment please, now he's calculating!"
On the occasion of the 30th anniversary, HP launched a "30th Anniversary Edition" of the HP-12C in late summer 2011. This model contains modern electronics and calculates much faster, but the design is strictly based on the original from 1981.
literature
- Roy E. Martin: Printing Financial Calculator Sets New Standards for Accuracy and Capability. In: HP Journal, October 1977 (29), pp. 22-28; (PDF; 10.1 MB) .
Web links
- Article on http://www.hpmuseum.org/
- Pictures at MyCalcDB: HP-12C
- Finanx FX-12C Java ( engl. )
- HP-12C emulator in JavaScript ( Engl. )
- HP-12C - HP's Virtual Museum
Individual evidence
- ↑ Datasheet ( Memento of the original from October 12, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF; 198 kB), HP 12c 30th Anniversary Financial Calculator.
