Calculator blog

I was surprised when one of my customers told me that I had sent a calculator with a sub-par keyboard. He sent pictures to me showing very different % keys, and others as well. Here are pictures of the "expected" keyboard and the "received" one:

Expected (and this is the one I am accustomed to see)

Received. Main differences: the % keys; the printing seems sharper; the numbers are clearly bigger in size but seem thinner:

My customer told me that he has heard that this keyboard is clearly worse in key feel than the other.

Here are both side by side:

Once received the sample, the keys were found to be equal to the "desired" keyboard, but it surely looks different!

In contact with my sources, it seems that most recent samples are of the "left" design, as opposed to "right", older one.

Of course, both of them are of the ARM variety.

Surprisingly, the anniversary version comes with the "old" keyboard.

No difference as well from the back:

(Same order)

Any knowledge to share on this?

Nowadays most of the calculator line comes with a starting guide and a CD with the manuals. If you want to read the manual "the old way", you had two practical options - print it or download it in your Ebook of choice as pdf document. I have tried the second - it is a pain. The best way is the computer, of course (some manuals can be ordered from HP itself).

Even the HP12c Anniversary comes with a starting guide. But not the new HP15c Limited Edition. It is clear to me that HP has gone out of their way to create the HP15c, including things that they are not including in other models (and that no other producer does in my experience):

As you can see, the manual is slightly bigger - but you need to remember that the original manuals were very small (same for all Voyager line). I have not an HP41c calculator at hand, but it seems to be roughly the same size.

There were three possibilities when HP set to do the manual: start anew, try the best photocopying device available or try to imitate the original in every possible way with current means. This was the alternative chosen.

All pages have the same content, including the numbering, but written in different (but similar) fonts. Some graphs have been scanned instead of re-done. They were grey-blue in the original, different shades of grey in the new one. Let's see some examples.

Pages 158-159 in the new manual:

Same pages in the old manual:

 (although it cannot be aprreciated, even the footnotes are the same!)

Pages 174 - 175

And, in the old manual:

It seems that the same process was not possible to do in time with the advanced functions manual. This is an excellent book, and should be read from cover to cover by anyone interested in mathematics and computing - regardless of the calculator you have!

Lets now do some speed calculations between the 2 models - old and new:

Let`s try to calculate a 10-year IRR with the following program, which uses the solve function on the following Net Present Value program:

LBL 1

EEX

2 - from % to decimal

/

1

+

1/x - calculate 1/(1+i)

ENTER

ENTER

ENTER - to load the stack with 1/(1+i)

RCL .1 - number of periods (so that is is kept for further trials with other interest rates)

STO I

CLX

LBL .2 - loop for periods

RCL + (I)

X - calculates f(n) = (f(n-1)+ I(n))/(1+i)

DSE I

GTO .2 - Return if not 0

RCL + 0 - Add start cashflow

RTN

Let`s now try with the following cash flow

Initial -126.000

year 1 3.750

year 2 2.750

year 3 4.000

year 4 5.000

year 5 4.000

year 6 5.000

year 7 4.000

year 8 5.000

year 9 4.000

year 10 250.000

We put a starting value of 5%, to get it started.

With the old one: we launch, and wait, and wait, ..., and wait,...3' 34 secs. This program is a nice help for my financial job, and useful for short examples of up to 4 years - but completely impractical for business. Imagine a meeting room waiting for your results, if the cashflow to analyze is 10 years.

With the new one, around 1,5 seconds. We're in business !!!

By the way, both gave the same result, up to ten digits accuracy: 9,389956649%. This is yet another proof that both calculators share firmware.(let's be accurate - it is not a proof, but a hint)

Let's try now with the standard Time Value of Money program that appears in the advanced functions manual. And let's try with the longest function - the calculation of i for a formula

New model: around 1 sec.

Old model: 53 seconds.

A banker could not wait that long for an answer! However, the new one is acceptable for business.

I have tried to put a couple of comparisons of programs and situations that may happen in reality - not just a closed loop that no one will ever use. In this view, the new calculator allows for a number of applications that the former one could not do in a practical way.

Other example: inversion of a simple 4x4 matrix

Old 15c: 10 seconds

new 15c: clearly less than 1 second

(in this case both units were practical for use in an examination - more so because no modern teacher would suspect that a so humble calculator could do matrix inversion!!)

Next day we will talk about the look and feel.

We received the first samples on Friday afternoon, just before leaving for the mountain cabin. I opened it and played with it, but took it with the box and my trusty HP15c from Oct. 1985, made in USA, for meaningful comparisons.

So fast I was that I took the camera but not a proper flash. Hence I took pictures leaving the cameras on the balcony floor. The strong sun washes out the colours in most pictures, so all differences get exacerbated.

First of all, let's see the box. It is substantially bigger than the HP12c anniversary. Let's see both:

And the anniversary one:

The reason being the inclusion of a "real" manual instead of a starting guide as in the rest of calculators.

The manual is equivalent to the original manual, set with modern letter types and current HP design, but for the rest is equivalent to the old one - errors included! It is as well bigger than the original.

Here it is without the protective plastic:

Please note that the strong sun makes the little dust specs appear more clear. I had already opened the box and played with it - hence the dust.

And now for a comparison between the new and the old. Be aware that my old one is nearly pristine, and I separately bought a true leather cover in dark brown colour:

While both calculators are black, the newer is blacker than the original, but the strong sun enhances the differences.

The pouch is slightly thinner than the original, but clearly thicker than current HP12c versions - included the Anniversary. Look for a comparison (the one in front is the HP15c's):

 Now, a look at the back. The new calculator needs more room for the batteries and therefore less is left for the "instructions" in the back. Let's see how it was in the original:

...and the new one, in plain metal. I have removed the battery cover so that you can see the nice Lemo connector that will allow us to update the firmware and eventually change it for a new one. (can perfection be improved upon?)  Let's see how it ages!

By the way, do I feel proud of the low serial number!

And now the naked frontal view:

Sorry for the dust! It was not that much in reality.

Now, for a comparison, the old one:

As it is too late in Europe, I will continue tomorrow with a proper review on other aspects. Before entering in detail, let me say that I am very happy with it, and that it surpasses the original on several counts - including key feel. 

More tomorrow.

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

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.

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 (if, and, 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.

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.

We have made some speed tests with the simplest of programs:

01 +

02 GTO 01

And compared the newest 12c Anniversary (firmware 2009-07-02) with an ARM-based 12c with original firmware (dated in 2008) and another one updated with the latest firmware (2009-11-19).

For the 2-minute test, the first and second are more or less equal; the latest firmware is noticeably faster (reaching 153.268 iterations vs 141.126, 8,6% faster.

To complete the comments made in last blog, the keys in the new 30th anniversary machine are blacker than the previous one , and the lettering is much sharper - less blurred.

Of course, the original one are even blacker and the lettering sharper, but as they are more shiny it can lead to poor visibility in very bright environments. As well, the tactile feedback is different. I have used several original 12c's and some of them have developed mushy keys, soft to the touch (this happens as well to some of the original 15c I have had the opportunity to use, although not mine). This must have to do with the 25+ years of life of these devices.

During last trip I used the original one - and I still cannot decide which one to use for keyboard pleasure - softer in the old one, more responsive but also more springy in the new one. Now, when it comes to calculate a 10-year IRR, there is no comparison - although that does not happen every day.

As for overall fit and finish, the metal trim in the newer ones has a vernish protection (if it's a metal trim and not a plastic imitation) which will likely protect it better than in the original (where it was a weak point for cosmetic reasons)

And I have been told at the office that my HP15c LE sample has arrived but the post could not deliver it for some reason - for travelling reasons I will not be able to pick it until next wednesday...

And I expect to have some availability news by the end of next week

Please bid welcome to...The 12c 30th Anniversary Edition !!

Presentation is nicer than it looks. The outer plastic you see is just that - an outer plastic that can be removed to show the box in full glory. The fake leather surface is decent for a gift (By the way, if you ever considered to give a calculator as a gift to anyone other than a geek like you and me, this is the right one (this one and the new 15c LE))

This is a gift that can appear under a Christimas tree without embarrasment from your relatives. It looks a well thought out gift. I see it as well as a present to contract signatures, etc.

Lets see that faux leather in bigger detail:

So, what is the difference between this calculator and the plain 12c? Let's then take it out the box:

Compared with the 12c that I have, the labels are more bright, shiny, less matte. This applies as well to the red painting on the calculator surface.

Rest assured: key click is just as good. I, for one, have not been able to decide which I like better between the original 12c and the new 12c and anniversary versions.

See all three in a row:

It is worth noting that the fabric of the pouch is slightly thicker on the anniversary than on the new 12c and feels more substantial - and both are thinner than the original 12c version. Nowadays I would prefer the Anniversary version over the ARM 12c and both to the original one (maybe it is just old and does not have the feel it once had)

Let's see now some close-ups:

See the slight bright in the white and blue labels that is not present in the plain ARM 12c

Now see the plain ARM 12c:

And now for a taste of the original:

See the shiny keys that will never wear, since labels are co-moulded in the mass. Still working fine after so many years!

And now, the Anniversary one:

Tomorrow, speed tests !!

Upon some comments from Don Shepherd about the speed of the solver of the different versions of hP17bII

A=SIGMA(I:1:5000:1:1)

HP 17bII original: 80 seconds, serial number ID90700765, made in Indonesia

HP 17bII black: 80 seconds, serial number ID11400944, made in Indonesia

HP 17bII+ gold: 80 seconds, serial number CNA 43000634, made in China

HP 17bII silver:173 seconds, serial number CNA 04401226, made in China

Don made me doubt about the gold version measurements, but I have now confirmed them.. His is as fast (or slow in this case) as the silver version. His serial number is CNA 62900787, but I am at a loss to explain the meaning of the serial numbers of the new models. 

Don is a frequent poster in www.hpmuseum.org that shares with me an appreciation for the humble HP17bII. It is for us one of the best thought out HP calculators. The menu system is so well organized that HP did not feel the need to clutter most of the keys with several functions. And it is quite easy to navigate or learn - easier than the HP50g or the 30b.

The only missings thing in the HP17bII to be complete are:

• True programmability. Still, the solver allows some elaborate structurid programming, with loops, conditionals, etc (while you need to be creative: there are not a lot of examples in HP's documentation, as opposed to what you could find in the HP41, HP65, etc., which were full of them)
• More math functions: trigonometrics, hyperbolics, etc. If it just had what the HP19bII had, that would have been more than enough

The newest model has a good keyboard (clearly better than the gold version, not able to make up my mind between the oldies and the newest) and a fantastic screen (the best of all the series). I am still on my first set of batteries, so I do not know about its consumption (it is the calculator that I use the most at work)

Let's begin with Engadget . They present a video of HP's Dennis Harm, and they talk about "1981 coolest calculator". They mention as well the HP15c reissue for those to which the 12c does not move. They coin the term "retrocalculation". One would have thought that it was coming from the results back to the original data!

Hypebeast compares the well-being of a 30 years old calculator with the early death of the HP tablet. It recalls as well that the original introduction price was 150 dollars - now it is 80 - negative inflation for a 100-fold speed improvement.

GearPatrol Shows as well the calculator with the same picture that appears everywhere. (It is surprising that a financial calculator is shwon with Pi in the screen. It is a feature the calculator does not have!). "Iconic dinance industry tool", they say.

http://matrix.millersamuel.com/?p=11514 talks about the 30th anniversary and not the actula calculator. It was a surprise seeing a different picture from the rest of the bonch - since it is an old HP12c! You can see that it is an old model since the keys are shiny, as compared with the newer, matte-finish keys. (In the past, HP calculators had double-shot keys: both the key and the number were molded together - that is, the number was in the key plastic and could not be worn out or erased! Talk about quality and attention to detail!)

He goes on talking about his long-lasting unit from 1986. (Only 25 years old) Voyager family models were famous for their long lasting batteries - his have been changed just once since he bought it!

"With the rapid and untimely demise of the TouchPad, you might get the sense that HP isn’t very good at keeping its products alive", says ZDnet Mobile. "The interesting thing about the HP-12C is that HP never really anticipated it lasting so long. Expecting a two-year life for the device, HP was surprised to see that the HP-12C lasted much, much longer. Perhaps HP could learn a few things from the device and apply it to its tablet strategy."

Market Watch Shoes the standard HP press release

Michael Doan uses the Iphone for calculations, and confesses he was never a 12c man - he bought instead a 18c (see the site for an example), but he too likes the timeless design that lasts.

Lets include as well HP's historical video. 

Today HP issued a press release where it communicates the launch of the new HP12c Anniversary Edition and the HP15c reissue.

Here is a link to the Press Release

HP12c Anniversary Edition

Let's have first some first pictures of the unit being released:

Please email me at jose@thecalculatorstore.com if you want higher resolution pictures (4279 x 3380 pixels on one of them - higher on others - enough to print it big for a poster!)

The calculator is functionally and hardware equivalent to the current HP12c, ARM-based. The Anniversary edition will come in a gift box, with a laser-engraved serial number (as opposed to the painted decal of late), printed manual and a higher quality pouch. It will be a precious present for anyone in the finance world!

With 30 years' history, the HP12c is HP's longest running product - by far. While the HP12c platinum has a different firmware, the newest 12c runs exactly the same algorithms as the original 12c - only 150 times faster, since it is running emulated on an ARM processor.

HP was preparing a series of marketing actions using the HP12c. Is amazing how such wonderful company can manage to spoil this opportunity - losing 25% of its market value in the process!.

Here are some of the videos HP has released:

And here is the second:

In further blog editions we will insert more videos of the series.

HP15c Limited Edition

Same comment about the higher resolution pictures...

A note on availability in Europe on both theHP12c Anniversary and HP 15 LE:

It will take a little more than in the US, but they are guaranteed to come. The new calculators are presented to distributors on Sept.22. Prices have not been communicated yet to the network, and there are some points to decide yet.

The models will be in English only, but they will be a different part number than the US ones (#B1S instead of #ABA). I will not be able to tell the differences -if any- until I receive the samples.

There has been a change in the head of the EAME calculator business - this does not speed up the process. but, eventually, you will have a "local" calculator supported by the local network.