HP-10b vs. HP-12c

I purchased a calculator after declaring my Finance major as an undergraduate. The calculator recommended at the time was the HP-10B. I realize now that an important reason for choosing the HP-10b over the HP-12c is because it uses the familiar infix notation. My professor probably thought it was hard enough teaching the time value of money, and there was no reason to dive into Reverse Polish Notation (RPN), also known as post-fix notation. Despite the shoddy build quality, I still have mine sitting on my desk at work.

I recently ordered an HP-12c off of eBay, and I ended up paying 35 dollars without the manual. Brand new, the HP-12c sells for approximately $60 on Amazon. I never thought that the resale value for a physical calculator would be so high. As you can see, the preferred calculator for business is the HP-12c. There’s even an iPhone app that emulates the function and look of the 12c.

One thing about the 12c though is that the RPN is difficult to get used to, and it isn’t just the keyboard orientation. I find myself double-checking my math on a regular basis to make sure I did not key something in incorrectly. I assume that once I get used to it I will not want to do calculations any other way.