HP Kicks Off Calculator’s 25th Anniversary with Amazing Stories Contest

PALO ALTO, Calif., Feb 10, 2006, HP today announced a nationwide competition that asks entrants to submit their most incredible real-life success stories involving the HP 12c Calculator, which has entered its 25th year of production.

“The Tales of the Amazing HP 12c Calculator Contest” runs through May 1 and is open to U.S. residents who currently own or have owned the HP 12c Calculator.

Contest prizes include an HP Pavilion LC3700N 37-inch LCD HDTV, with a suggested retail price of $2,700,(1) as well as desk clocks and embroidered caps commemorating the calculator’s 25th anniversary.

First introduced in 1981, the HP 12c has become an industry standard in the business and finance community with millions sold over the years. It is the only pure Reverse Polish Notation(2) calculator still produced by HP and is well-known for its durable construction, proven accuracy(3) and long battery life.

The HP 12c Calculator is instantly recognized for its unique horizontal layout and is still sold under its original name and model number. With the exception of improved performance due to modern components, the HP 12c sold today acts and looks just like it did when it made its worldwide debut.

Contest participants are required to submit their stories in 150 words or less. Entries will be judged by a panel on the basis of creativity, believability, innovation and general interest. Winners will be determined by the compelling nature of the entry essay. Topics can be as varied as how the HP 12c Calculator helped people sell their first house or how it helped them land their first job.

“This contest invites everyone, from chief financial officers to college students, to share personal stories of how this iconic product affected them,” said Fred Valdez, general manager, Calculator Division, Personal Systems Group, HP. “Whether the HP 12c Calculator got them through a tough semester in school or helped them advance in their career, we want to hear about it.”

In 2003, an enhanced version of the HP 12c financial calculator, the HP 12c Platinum, was introduced. The HP 12c Platinum has more memory (allowing for increased number of keystroke programming steps), more built-in functions and includes the option of standard algebraic mode as well as RPN mode.

More details about the contest, rules and a sample story are available at www.hp.com/go/12cAnniversary.

Information about HP’s complete line of graphing, scientific and financial calculators, as well as virtual classes, online webinars, and step-by-step learning modules for each of HP’s current range of calculators is available at www.hp.com/calculators.

HP calculators are available at the HP Home & Home Office Store (www.hpshopping.com), HP’s Small and Medium Business Store (www.hp.com/buy/hpcalculators), Amazon.com, WalMart.com, Staples.com, OfficeDepot.com, Fry’s Electronics and select retailers and bookstores across the United States. A complete list of resellers is available at www.hp.com/calculators/resellers.

About HP
HP is a technology solutions provider to consumers, businesses and institutions globally. The company’s offerings span IT infrastructure, global services, business and home computing, and imaging and printing. For the four fiscal quarters ended Oct. 31, 2005, HP revenue totaled $86.7 billion. More information about HP (NYSE, Nasdaq: HPQ) is available at www.hp.com.

(1) Retailer prices may vary. Price shown does not include applicable sales tax and shipping and is subject to change or cancellation without notice.

(2) More information on Reverse Polish Notation, HP’s exclusive time-saving, consistent method for entering and solving mathematical problems, is available at www.hp.com/calculators/news/rpn.

(3) The original HP 12c Financial Calculator was certified by the federal Bureau of Standards (now the National Institute of Standards and Technology).

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