HP 12c - 15 million units later

Over 15 million units of the HP 12c series calculator have been sold since the original Hewlett-Packard 12c Financial Calculator was introduced in 1981. The 12c is by far the best-selling calculator series HP has ever produced.

To celebrate that success, the company has rolled out a 25th anniversary Platinum edition, which cost a little more than the standard 12c. While the computer circuits and batteries have been upgraded, it’s essentially the same machine.  The 12c was the product of an intensive two-year design process. Harms led a team of 12 to 15 engineers. The group made sure the 12c had all the functionality needed in the business world, calculating everything from mortgage payments to bond yields, as well as a classic style.

Inevitably, some of that cachet has worn off over the years with rapid advances in computing power. But longtime users still swear by the HP 12c, and for some professions, it remains a must-have tool of the trade.