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HP12c Anniversary .

Finally, here you have one of the two new "old" calculators: the 30th Anniversary HP12c


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It will ship from beginning October and we are taking orders already.

Suggested retail price is 99 €; our price will be 89,9 €

 

Some quotes from Wikipedia and other sources:

The HP-12C is HP's longest and best-selling product, in continual production since its introduction in  1981.   Due to its simple operation for key financial calculations, the calculator long ago became the de facto standard among financial professionals – for example, most investment banks issue HP-12Cs to the members of each incoming class of its investment banking analysts and associates. The 1977 October edition of the HP Journal contains an article by Roy Martin, the inventor of the simple method of operation used in HP financial calculators, which describes, in detail, the mathematics and functionality built by Prof William Kahan (from UC Berkeley) and Roy Martin that is still in use today.


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Later HP financial calculators are many times as fast with more functions, but none has been as successful. The HP-12C's programming mode is very intuitive and works like a macro operation on a computer. Basically, the keys one would press in the calculating mode to arrive at a solution are entered in the programming mode along with logical operators (ifand, etc.) applicable to the solution. After the programming is complete, the macro will run in computation mode to save the user steps and improve accuracy. There are 99 lines of programmable memory on the HP-12C, enough to include a complete set of accurate trigonometric formulae or the complete Black & Scholes formula.


Over its lifespan, the processor's technology has been redesigned to integrate all the circuitry into a single chip and to refresh the manufacturing process (as the foundry could no longer manufacture the necessary chips, having moved on to making higher-density chips). 

 

In 2008, HP modified the design so that new production runs contain an ARM processor which runs an emulated version of previous chips. This has brought advanced possibilities such as flashing new firmware, not previously possible. The calculator runs 20 times faster on most benchmark operations. This version is based on the same hardware, better packaged and with a more evolved firmware (dating from July 2009 as opposed to November 2008. No idea of what the changes were).

 

It is important to underline that this calculator is not substantially different from the HP12c+ except on minor details and much better packaging.


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This is the latest iteration of the HP12c - and it may well be the last. This package is a Collector's Edition, with a gift box, slightly thicker plastic pouch compared with the plain 12c, basic manual and a CD with the whole manual set. Excellent as a gift for a friend.

 

 

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