Jun 25, 2009 05:20 PM
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Nerds of the world jump of happiness, for HP has brought the legendary HP 15C Scientific Calculator and the HP 12C Financial Calculator for the iPhone and iPod touch, complete with custom skins and programming.
What are these "calculators" I am talking about, you ask? Please, allow me to pull a Chris Anderson here:
The HP-15C was a high end scientific programmable. To the HP-34C's numerical integration and root solver the HP-15C added complex numbers and matrix calculations.
The HP-12C is HP's longest and best selling calculator. Though it has been followed by many newer models, with both more and less features this model continues to sell well. In fact an EduCALC catalog says of the HP 17BII (in bold type): "It's 15 times faster than the HP 12C, and displays more than 4 times as much information." And of the HP 19BII: "It's 15 times faster than the HP 12C, and displays more than 9 times as much information." In addition, both newer calculators can print via infrared to compact printers, have more memory, general purpose solvers, menus etc.*
Oh man, that was easy. Now the question is: Do you really want to spend $15 on a financial calculator or $30 in the scientific one? If you are asking that, probably you shouldn't buy it, but here is the answer: Yes, get the iPhone version because the actual financial calculator is $80 and the 15C doesn't even exist anymore—and newer models are more expensive. [HP 12C and HP 15C]
HP Announces Calculator Software for PCs, iPhone and iPod Touch
HP announced that some of its most popular calculators will be available as software applications on PCs, iPhones and iPod touch devices.
HP 12c and 12c Platinum software are exact replicas of the original calculators that millions of business professionals and students use. The software is built with the same algorithms and calculation sequences and has the identical layout and functions as the originals. The Platinum version of the industry-standard HP12c adds the choice of time-saving Reverse Polish notation or traditional algebraic data entry as well as convenient editing features such as "backspace" and "undo" keys.
Ideal for engineering professionals, teachers and science students and professionals who already use the HP 35s Scientific Calculator, the software version offers quick, accurate answers from the PC. The software offers the identical HP 35s calculator layout and functionality and provides quick results to scientific and engineering calculations. The software was developed by HP, recipient of the IEEE Milestone in Engineering for the original HP-35. The HP 35s software also offers more than one hundred built-in functions, HP Solve where the user can store an equation, then use it to solve for any variable and the ability to copy and paste calculations directly into financial documents.
Designed for business professionals and students, the software version of the HP 20b Business Consultant is identical to the calculator. It is designed to be a convenient tool for finance, business, and real estate functions. The large two-line display enables the user to view up to 12 digits and scroll through variables, detailed real-text labels, menus and worksheets, and prompts as well as copy and paste answers into other documents.
The HP 15C application, designed for iPhone and iPod touch, replicates the original calculator's layout, functions, algorithms and calculation sequences. Used by college students and career people alike, the programmable HP 15C was revolutionary when it was introduced in the 1980s. Like the hardware version, the software application provides an array of matrix calculations plus complex functions and a Solve key that finds the root of an equation.
Pricing and availability
The HP 35s application for iPhone and iPod touch is available on the iTunes App Store. Software for the HP 20b and 15C is available at www.hp.com/buy/calculators. Software versions of the HP 12c and 12c Platinum are available on both sites. Most of the software is available now on the iTunes App Store and through HP at prices starting at $9.99.(1) The 12c Platinum solution is expected to be available in late summer.
About HP
HP, the world's largest technology company, simplifies the technology experience for consumers and businesses with a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure. More information about HP (NYSE: HPQ) is available at http://www.hp.com/.
* All this from HP museum site.
Send an email to Jesus Diaz, the author of this post, at jesus@gizmodo.com.
Original material is licensed under a Creative Commons License permitting non-commercial sharing with attribution.
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