Financial Calculators
The HP-10C series calculators were introduced by Hewlett-Packard in 1981. Also known as the "Voyager" series, all are programmable and use reverse Polish notation. more...
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Nearly identical in appearance, each model provided different capabilities and was aimed at different user markets.
One of the least-known features of this calculator series is the quality of the arithmetic inside them. Hewlett-Packard retained the well-known numerical analyst Prof William Kahan, from UC Berkeley, the architect of the IEEE 754 standard for floating-point arithmetic, to design the numerical algorithms implemented by the calculators. He also wrote parts of the manuals. Because of this care in design of normally invisible features, HP calculators are widely trusted, particularly by those who have experienced the numerical anomalies that can be produced by other "scientific calculators."
The HP calculators 10C series consisted of five models (with original retail price and years of production):
HP-10C – basic scientific calculator. ($80 1982-1984);
HP-11C – mid-range scientific calculator. ($135 1981-1989);
HP-12C – business/financial calculator. ($150 1981-present);
HP-15C – advanced scientific calculator. ($135 1982-1989);
HP-16C – computer programmer's calculator. ($150 1982-1989);
The HP-10C
The HP-10C is the last and lowest-featured calculator in this line even though its number would suggest an earlier origin. The 10C was a basic scientific programmable. While a useful general purpose RPN calculator, the HP-11C offered twice as much for only a slight increase in price. Designed to be an introductory calculator, it was still relatively expensive compared to the competition, and many looking at an HP would just step up to the better HP-11C. Poor sales led to a very short market life.
The HP-12C
The HP-12C is a popular financial calculator. It was such a successful model that Hewlett-Packard redesigned it from scratch, added several new functions, and introduced it as the HP-12C Platinum in 2003.
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, Goldman Sachs and Bear Stearns issue HP-12Cs to the members of each new incoming class of its analysts and associates. Its popularity has endured despite the fact that even a relatively simple, but iterative, process such as amortizing the interest over the life of a loan--a calculation which modern spreadsheets can complete almost instantly--can take over a minute with the HP-12C.
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