Product Description Calculator of choice for many business and financial professionals. Use this calculator for all the answers you need in real estate and finance. This powerful unit is packed with features that make mortgage calculations, balloon payments, date, arithmetic and depreciation calculations simple. Contains cash-flow analysis, bond price and yield, percent change and percent total, plus powerful math and statistics functions. Easy-to-use keystroke programming is perfect for repetitive calculations that can become tedious and time-consuming on other calculators. Dimensions: 5"W x 3-1/9"D x 3/5"H. 99 programming/99 storage memory steps.
Amazon.com Review If you bought yourself a financial calculator during the 1980s, chances are it was this bad boy. Nothing has changed since its introduction--it still uses Reverse Polish Notation (RPN), is easy and versatile in programming, and has a thin, sturdy casing. Certainly, there's been newer, fancier calculators introduced since, but there's something to be said for the quality of classics.
The HP 12C's functions include all the basics--such as calculating APR, NPV, and IRR--and statistics are a snap. For students new to financial calculators, this is an excellent place to start. For the most part, the manual reads like a minitextbook, walking you through sample problems and situations followed by graphs and tables demonstrating the technique--and you can even check your results. The section on creating programs does seem to be written for the technically ignorant, addressing in detail how you could possibly benefit from using programs, but it'll still help you get the job done.
In general, it's a bit slower than newer models, just like last year's computer isn't as speedy as today's new release. On the plus side, it's just 3 by 5 inches and slips easily into a pocket. The bottom is printed with a few little cheat notes for common functions, which is nice for quick reference. The HP 12C's one-year warranty and available tech-support line offer reassurance this little workhorse will continue to be an industry standard for years to come. --Jill Lightner
Pros:
Pocket size
Thorough and simple instruction manual
Competitive price
Cons:
Calculates more slowly than modern machines
What's in the Box Calculator, user's manual, installed batteries and carrying case
Nice calculator, but---May 22, 2010 Threefeethighand 2 out of 2 found this review helpful
It seems that the only thing that has changed from HP for this legendary calculator has changed for the worst. A reviewer in March of 2010 noted that the manual that came with the calculator was easy to follow. I just received my calculator a few days ago and there was no printed manual/user's guide. Instead, there was a nearly useless "quick start" guide that just describes each key, and the actual user's guide on a disk. Since there are no additional useful items on the disk, such as an interactive tutorial or an increased number of examples to supplement the original user's guide, the only justification for the switch by HP is saving the company money in printing and packaging costs. But if I have to sit in front of a computer to use my calculator, I may as well just use my spreadsheet. I could print out the entire user's guide myself at an additional cost of $20, but then it would not be nicely bound and easily carried with me wherever I need it. If this were a computer peripheral, then HP could reasonably expect people to sit in front of a computer to use it. But the reason you buy a calculator is to not have to be in front of a computer. This calculator remains expensive, and HP should provide a full printed version of the user's guide, as they did in the past. I am contacting HP to see if they still have printed user guides available. Excellent calculator, but the user's guide is a main reason it is so well regarded. Very disappointed with HP in this respect.
Great priceApril 11, 2010 D. Gibbs(Torrance CA) Great priced and shipped quickly. Complicated calculator but once you learn how to use it, works great. Seems they could make one that is much easier to use. Easy to forget the steps unless you use it often.
Financial calculatorMarch 3, 2010 Jorge Garcia(St. Louis, MO) Financial calculator is easy to use and was all that I expected it to be. The manual that came with the calculator is easy to follow.
Best calculator on the market - Even after 2 Decades!February 23, 2010 H. Deastra(Richmond, VA) I am still using the dented HP 12C my father purchased for me over two decades ago, as a graduation present. After so long, it is like a trusted friend that has helped through negotations, successful exams, and many financial decisions. Plus, the price has risen minimally compared to the quality. When my father balked at the price, $50 in 1986, neither of us would know how valuable it would be. Actually, the HP12C was a bargain!
You need no other calculator for businessFebruary 5, 2010 Music Omnivore(Boston) 1 out of 1 found this review helpful
The box all the others came in; it does everything you need it to do, and it eschews needless bells and whistles. Built like a vault; I bought mine (used) in 1983 and it has never failed me, despite being nearly 30 years old. A modern classic, like an Eames lounge chair or a Frank Lloyd Wright building.
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