HP 12c Calculator Turns Twenty-Five!

I just learned from Jonathan Miller, CRP's blog Soapbox that . . . This year is the 25th anniversary of the launch of the HP 12c. Jonathan says, "I have had mine for about 20 years. The logo has been chipped off, two of the foot pads are missing, its scratched, dented and scuffed. But it still works like a charm." "I have purchased more powerful upgrades to the 12c by HP but I was soon back to my baby. " His full blog post is at A Badge Of Honor: My HP 12c And Reverse Polish Notation From the HP site we learn:

"In 1981, the world was obsessed by a little yellow "man" on a video screen and a fledgling cable network that played music on TV. And in an HP laboratory in Corvallis, Oregon, an Iowa farm-boy-turned-PhD was about to introduce a product that would literally turn the world on its side. That farm boy was HP Project Manager Dennis Harms and the product was the HP 12C Financial Calculator. The HP 12C was the world’s first horizontal financial calculator. Its innovative design and breakthrough Reverse Polish Notation (RPN) entry forever changed the way students and professionals reach their goals. After 25 years, this iconic calculator is still sold under its original name and model number and retains its world-famous horizontal design."

Have you ever wanted a "desktop" version of this famous calculator?

I've used the fully functional HP-12C Financial Calculator emulator from Telemark Software for years. They have a free download available on their web site. Click here.

Looking for even more fun? How about an HP-12C screensaver or wallpaper?

Find out a little more about the history of the HP-12C!