HP Hewlett Packard [] Calculator Financial Platinum RPN Algebraic Programmable Ref 12C PLATINUM

I bought this as a replacement for my HP 12C 30th anniversary calculator which I lost and then found again almost immediately so the review applies to both. They are almost identical actually. It's very compact and fits easily in your pocket but still a delight to use even if you've 'fat fingers' like me. I've seen reviews of variants of this calculator which say the build quality is no good but both mine are excellent. I've also got some old video tutorials on their use where you can see the thing grinding away for several seconds whilst performing calculations but mine seem to work instantaneously. Perhaps the product has been improved since some of the other reviews were written. The keys work well with a nice positive feedback so haven't had any problems with being unsure if I pressed one or not. The RPN operation takes a bit of getting used to but I believe you can change to algebraic if you want. Personally, I like it and think I'll continue with it now I've got over the initial learning curve. This one has a better case than the 30th anniversary edition one. It's quite solid which prevents buttons being pressed when it's in your pocket or bag. The only issue I'd say needs to be considered with care is the 'programmable' feature. If you're getting it for exams like me (ACI exams) you can't use one that is 'text programmable' but this one is acceptable I don't actually know what text programmable means but on the HP 12C you can enter about 100 steps and save as programs This could be just one formula or several formulas. You have to use sort of goto statements like ancient computers if you want to enter more than one formula because they're all stored as one program. I haven't done that because a) ACI give you the formulas on a sheet for the exam anyway b) The programs are stored in the registers. I find the registers very useful and if you store 100 lines of program in them there's no space left for you to use whilst performing calculations manually. My textbook recommends the HP 17IB for ACI exams for it's programmable features so could be worth a look if you can find one

It looks very good, quality and easy to learn. I bought it for my CFA exam, my recommendation for hp if you are taking the exam, definitely buy the platinum one because otherwise you are applying the values for calculation reversed, google it before buy it, you will understand: for me it is confusing because it is wasn’t what I was familiar with my old calculator. I really like this model, has very nice and strong cover.

It was was thirty years ago that I bought my first HP12c. Sadly, I left it on a plane a short while back. Hence this recent re-purchase. The product is simply excellent and has all the functionality that I need in a device of this kind. It is also easy to use, has a very long battery life and is robust. Having dropped it several times on hard surfaces, I know. Few people borrow it because most do not know how to use reverse Polish notation (RPN). Accordingly, the risk of loss from borrowing is low. Note to those not familiar with RPN: this notation is ultimately more intuitive and logical than the traditional algebraic approach. Once you are used to it you will never want to go back.

It's so great to have a proper calculator again. The HP key action has never been beaten, and this is a joy to use. Having never used an older HP-12C I can't comment on whether the build quality has suffered over the years, as some reviewers suggest. The keys seem a little lightweight – perhaps more plasticky and less rubbery than those on my HP-41C, which was the last HP calculator I owned. Louder clicks, too. But after a few days' use I'm well pleased with how they perform. No more missed keystrokes! The silver bezel looks nicer in real life than I'd been expecting, compared to the original gold colour which I think I prefer. The colours of the "f" and "g" keys are horrible – why on earth did HP change from the original yellow and blue? The red legends for the "f" functions are a bit hard to read in poor light. The display is nice and clear, with a good viewing angle. It was supplied in a blister pack with quick-start guides in English and French, a case, and a CD with the full manual. For the first day or two it didn't sit quite flat on the desk, which was a nuisance. But some judicious flexing seems to have got it level now. The case is substantial, and made of real (cheap) leather I think. But it's hard to slide the calculator in and out, and I don't like it much. If I end up needing a case think I'll buy a zipped one. I have the impression the old HP-12C models were a bit sluggish on some calculations. This one seems quite quick – though still not instant – when calculating interest rates, which is nice. RPN has always been the best way to design a calculator, but I guess the algebraic mode is a good option for anyone who never learned RPN. Since the "equals" key is the same as the RPN "enter" key, having the algebraic option doesn't clutter up the keyboard in any way if you prefer RPN. I won't comment on the general design of the calculator except to say that as a newcomer to financial stuff I've found it generally logical and easy to use, with a great manual. The HP-12C has been a standard in finance for decades, and I can see why.

I like this design and functions. Especially I think this RPN method is simple, if you will be familiar with it. It can be useful when I take CFA exam.

Although it looks very odd and old it is perfect and very intuitive to use when you get used to. It is faster than the others for financial calculations. At the beginning I thought a bit pricey but it is worth it and now understand why it has been so many years in the market and still the same as the original. By the way it is very strong material and don’t feel cheap at all.

I have had an original HP12C (1983 vintage) for a few years and have loved to use it ocassionally. Because of its "Classic" status I didn't want to wear it out so I bought the new HP12C Platinum for everyday use. I had read on forums that the build quality of these new ones was very poor. I have not found that to be true. Quite the reverse actually. Some say the keys are not very responsive or they rattle. My one is perfect. The keys are pivoted at the front so when you press them they tip back slightly. This is just like the original. I have tried pressing the keys as lightly as I can and no problems. One small criticism is the f and g keys are not the same colours as other HP devices including the original HP12C or HP71B. Those two keys do look a little cheap. I don't need a financial calculator really, but I find this layout with the numerals on the right to be easy to use. I always use it in RPN mode but the ALG mode is handy if someone wants to borrow it. This comes with quite a bulky slip case. it's more like a cheap 50p wallet from a market. It was very tight but I stretched it before use and I don't get the rubber feet coming off like others have mentioned. It does the job but it won't slip into a shirt pocket as well as the original brown ones. To sum up I would say it's as beautiful as the original and if there WERE any quality issues, they have been sorted out.

This calculator was manufactured with premium materials. Everything was done with excellence. I highly recommend you get one and learn how to extract the best of it.

La recibí muy a tiempo, muy bien empacada, sin ningún rasguño, funcionando muy bien, baterías en buen estado, exactamente como la esperaba, estimo adquirí un producto para muchos años. EXCELENTE PRODUCTO

HP 12c Platinum（以下、Platinum）とHP 12c無印（以下、無印）の両方を購入しましたのでその違いについてレビューします。 ALGモード、アンドゥ等Platinumでの拡張機能については、色々なところで紹介されていますので割愛します。 ・計算速度 無印の方が圧倒的に速いと言えます。試しに320000[PV]150[CHS][PMT]0.48[g][i]4000[f][AMORT]という計算(現実的にはあり得ない計算とは思いますが、性能比較のため)の所要時間を調べると 無印 ：約 7.5秒 Platinum：約97.6秒 となり、かなりの速度差があるのがわかります。参考までに、TIのBA II Plus PRO.で同様の計算をした場合、約18.3秒でした。 ちなみにこの様な計算でも、12cを模したスマホアプリ(RLM-Fin-PFなど)では、最後の[AMORT]を押下した瞬間に答えが表示されます。スマポアプリおそるべし・・・ ・スタック上昇の動作の違い 実用上の影響はほとんどないでしょうが、金利計算におけるスタック上昇の動作に違いがありました。Platinumでは、[PV]や[PMT}を押して金利計算レジスタに数値を格納した直後に数値をキーインするとスタック上昇が起きますが、無印ではスタック上昇は発生せず、xレジスタの内容が置き換わります。マニュアルの付録Aの記述も、この部分は両者で異なっていて、無印のマニュアルにはスタックが上昇しない事が記載されているのですが、実際に使ってみるまで気がつきませんでした。 ・キーボード キータッチついては、どちらも適度なクリック感があり良好です。個体差かもしれませんが、無印の方が多少やわらかい感じがします。キーの刻印は、Platinumの方がはっきりしていて見やすいと言えます。（無印の方は特に青色の刻印が見づらい。よく使うキーは覚えてしまうので実害はないと思いますが） ・付属の日本語マニュアル 無印の方が完成度は上です（どちらもEdition 5）。とは言っても、誤植も少なくなく、参照先ページが間違っていたり、空欄になっていたりと完成度が高いとは言えません(Platinumの日本語マニュアルよりは多少はまともというレベルです)。マニュアルは、1987年発行の「HP-12C 操作ハンドブック」との併読がオススメです。 ・デザイン、色合い 無印はレトロな感じで、Platinumは今風な感じといったところでしょうか。どちらが良いかは好みの問題でしょう。 結論：私見ではありますが、Platinumでの拡張機能を必要としないのであれば、無印の方がオススメです。 自分は、ALGモードもアンドゥもxの二乗もレジスタ増設も必要性を感じませんので、無印ばかり使っています。それに、ALGモードで使用するのであれば、BA II Plusの方が幸せになれる気がします。

Loaded with lot of options, multiple functions in the same key.

Super feliz com a aquisição, produto de excelente qualidade, entrega antes do prazo,

If you're looking at this review, you are probably asking yourself what I was asking myself: Do I buy the HP12c or the TIBAII? A finance professor recommended the HP12c to me, then another finance professor insisted on the TIBAII. I purchased both, read 300+ pages of instruction manuals, and here's what happened: For almost every calculation, the HP12c, once you learn to use RPN (contrast with algebraic for you guys who don't know what I'm talking about) is sooooo much more comfortable and, more importantly, much faster. If I want to calculate standard deviation, I can chain the entire equation out without stopping or storing a single value--in other words, I never have to say "okay, gotta write this value down (or store it) so I can call it back up later when I need to add it to the next value". I did this on a statistics test and I was the first one done. I got worried because everyone else was still working on problems, but guess what? I was the only student using the HP12c, because no one wants to learn a new system--people are intimidated by RPN. Don't be: it's awesome. But on the other hand, the "worksheets" for the TIBAII are actually quite useful. HP12C doesn't have a default 30/360 setting for bonds (it can be programmed according to the manual in about 40 steps, which I'm still learning about). TIBAII has some conveniences like combination buttons and permutation buttons. But guess why? As I mentioned above, in the HP12c, you can chain those calculations without even thinking, so it doesn't need those buttons. TIBAII, with algebraic notation, benefits greatly from the added functions. So TIBAII appears to provide extra value that, frankly, is unnecessary if you use HP12c. I could give more examples like these. The TIBAII's worksheets allow for fool-proof entry and give a few extra results that are "useful" [meaning, useful for the TIBAII, but HP12c users are doing them quickly from memory] (discounted payback, multiple IRR, NFV--i have the plus professional-- for example). Who should use the HP12c? Well, from my experience, people who are good with numbers and want a device that keeps up with their computational instincts use the HP12c. As I mentioned before, you can chain together some seriously long computations in cool ways. If you are not that type of guy, it's not going to be that useful for you--the thing is, I would argue that the HP12c can turn you into that kind of guy. The possibilities, once the system is learned, are great. The TIBAII is definitely a "safer" calculator. It is also more technologically advanced. The worksheets have value. They give you useful outputs (useful for the CFA, yes). But the HP12c user will tell you(rightly) that some of these are crutches that will result in you forgetting how to do the calculations (combinations, permutations). Here's what I've done: I use the HP12c for everything I can, and I use the TIBAII for the 30/360 bond worksheet (and the discounted payback and a few other features that would save time on the CFA). So my goal is to use the fastest always, and to always give priority to me KNOWING a calculation--not blindly relying on a button. HP12c is the overall winner, but the TIBAII has a minor role on my desk. Buying both calculators is really not that big of an expense. One final note: the layout of the HP12c is so much more fluid than TIBAII's lame scientific-calculator look. Every time I pick up the HP12c, I esthetically enjoy it. I have the platinum version, and man does it feel good. Good with math? Need a tool that allows you to exress that? You need HP12c's RPN. Like the safety of support? Like extra features you don't have to know how to calculate yourself? Need the 4-5 things that TIBAII offers quickly (for the CFA, for example?)?: buy the TIBAII. Are you like me? Want the RPN but also need that 30/360 bond worksheet? Use HP12c 95% of the time, then pick up the cheaper-feeling, plastic-y, scientific-y TIBAII (which is, nonetheless, a good product). One final thing: Once you learn RPN, you will be ruined for algebraic. The fact that I say that should tell you a lot. When I use algebraic on the TIBAII, I find myself thinking "what idiot would actually prefer this crap over RPN?" I know I shouldn't, but I now tend to assume people who are bad at math would naturally avoid RPN and the HP12c. Again, that's a very biased statement, but one that, even acknowledging it's biased, I still say. Okay amigos, let the comments begin.