HP-12C Platinum EOL?

[JDW]

I am well aware the HP 12-C is one of HP's longest selling calculators (since 1981), and so I highly doubt HP is killing it off. Even so, the 12-C Platinum product page lists it "OUT OF STOCK," which I find extremely odd because it is found easily on Amazon. Also, other calculators on the HP website have a "FIND LOCAL RESELLER" button. You would think the same button should also appear on the 12-C page even if HP's store is out of stock, seeing other vendors still have stock.

So I'm not sure what to think about the 12-C. Is it out of production? Is the processor going to change again, resulting in another 12-C variant?

I'm especially curious about this because the last standard 12-C (not "Platinum") calculator had an Atmel ATSAM4LC2CA-AU processor with ARM Cortex-M4 core that supposedly runs 100 times faster than the original 12-C. However, the current (and newest version) 12-C "Platinum" (F2231AA) has a slower GPLB31A processor that is only 6x faster than the original 12-C. This leads me to wonder if the "OUT OF STOCK" message on HP's 12-C Platinum web page indicates a newer version that will sport the same ARM M4 processor as the last edition standard 12-C (which is no longer sold). Any thoughts?

Thank you.

[Gene]

As to your final question ... No ARM version.

As to the earlier question... HP's web pages for calculators should not be considered authoritative for anything.

[JDW]

Although I certainly appreciate your quick reply, I am unable to see how it could be emphatically said that the 12-C Platinum will eternally use the same chips as it always has and never ever progress to an ARM version. Indeed, what provoked changes to other HP calculators in the past was the inability to source components, which means you either kill off a product or use different components in order to keep building the product.

And while I understand your contention about the HP website, the question I put forth remains. Since other calculators on that site point to external vendors, why then would not the 12-C? Perhaps you would answer, "the HP website is illogical." But that explanation too does not fully satisfy my query.

I suppose it would be best for me to conclude, at least for now, that "no one seems to know, outside those working for HP." But since HP engineers do visit here, perhaps they might chime in to give the final word.

[Massimo Gnerucci]

Quote:“Those who know don’t talk. Those who talk don’t know.”

Lao Tzu: Tao Te Ching

[BruceH]

(09-13-2020 08:22 AM)JDW Wrote:  I am well aware the HP 12-C is one of HP's longest selling calculators (since 1981), and so I highly doubt HP is killing it off. Even so, the 12-C Platinum product page lists it "OUT OF STOCK," which I find extremely odd because it is found easily on Amazon.

Out of stock but listed at $79.98. You should be grateful: in the UK it is out of stock at £318.
;-)

[JDW]

(09-13-2020 10:30 PM)BruceH Wrote:  ... in the UK it is out of stock at £318.
;-)

I thought you folks in the UK were satisfied with all the "VALUE" you get out of that VAT, which otherwise drives prices through the stratosphere. Even so, Finland still has the UK beat at an unthinkable 24%. :-)

Unreasonable taxation aside, I still am quite curious about the 12-C, since no one in this thread thus far has given the final word. Perhaps an HP engineer will come along and kindly do that for us. That was actually my hope when I started this thread.

[Sylvain Cote]

The HP-12C Platinum is available in at least two Amazon stores (Canada Store for $79.39 CAD & USA Store for $54.95 USD)

[JDW]

(09-14-2020 12:23 AM)Sylvain Cote Wrote:  The HP-12C Platinum is available in at least two Amazon stores (Canada Store for $79.39 CAD & USA Store for $54.95 USD)

While I certainly appreciate your kind reply, I already mentioned Amazon availability in my opening post. Therefore, my query is about why the HP website says the 12-C is "out of stock." So far in this thread, I basically (my interpretation) have been told (a) "pay no mind to the HP web store," and (b) "we have no idea." So again, I can only hope an HP engineer "in the know" chimes in with the final word. Is the 12-C out of stock because it is being design-refreshed or simply a minor delay before getting new stock of the existing 12-C Platinum design, with COVID-19 having caused manufacturing delays. It's not a life or death matter. I am just curious because I am in the planning stages of making a YouTube video on a 12-C Platinum that a friend in the US is temporarily shipping to me in Japan.

Thanks!

[ddd]

Speaking of whether HP is still making calculators, how many of them are still being made? The prime probably is and so is the 12C, but what about the rest (e.g. the 35s)?

[Eddie W. Shore]

I am pretty certain that the 35S is no longer in production or is close to the end of its production cycle.

I think Prime, 300, 17bII+, and 10bII+ are still in production. Please correct me if I am wrong.

[JDW]

(09-14-2020 12:50 AM)ddd Wrote:  Speaking of whether HP is still making calculators, how many of them are still being made? The prime probably is and so is the 12C [Platinum], but what about the rest (e.g. the 35s)?

That is still very much an assumption; hence my desire to start this thread to eliminate such assumption and flesh-out the solid facts. I too can "assume" the 12-C's present "OUT-OF-STOCK" label will ultimately be replaced by "IN STOCK," but that is really just a guess. And that being a guess/assumption remains true regardless of whether one can find the 12-C Platinum sold brand new on Amazon, EBAY, etc.

Again, the "OUT-OF-STOCK" label could be a COVID-19 manufacturing delay. Or it could be a silly USPS contractor dumping their load in yet another California parking lot. But all these are just assumptions.

[rprosperi]

Historically (last 10+ years) the availability status on the HP website of a model is no indication of discontinuation or re-implementation (since the model/sku does not change), but when the model disappears completely, you can conclude the model is discontinued. (note exception below)

On the few occasions where there was actual comment from those 'in the know' the disappearance from the website actually took place many months (to over a year) after production actually ceased, which makes sense given the lag from production to warehousing to distribution to dealers/retailers, etc.

The portion of HP's website that sells calculators is buried within the accessories group (mice, monitors, etc.) which typically have products with life cycles measured in months. The very idea of a given product having an online sales lifespan measured in years (to say nothing of decades) is utterly foreign to them. It is virtually impossible for the Dev guys to exert any influence at all on what is added/removed there, when a new product is launched, it is added, and well after an old one is discontinued it is removed. There really isn't much else to know about it, tragic as that is.

As for why the Prime is sometimes there / sometimes not, and sometimes in-stock, sometimes out-of-stock, no satisfactory answers have ever formally been stated, but many manufacturers often do this to 'make nice' with their customers that also sell online, to not 'compete' with them. Typically, the product does stay listed, but is usually out of stock. In this case, why its very presence is dynamic is anyone's guess.

Solid answers from those that know would be nice, but I've long since given up hoping to see facts.

[JDW]

Understood. Thank you for the detailed answer, Bob! Much appreciated!

[Sukiari]

When the 50G was discontinued this forum was unfortunately NOT a good source of information, nor was HP.

[cyrille de brébisson]

Hello,

The 12C is not discontinued...

Cyrille

[Massimo Gnerucci]

(09-14-2020 04:52 AM)cyrille de brébisson Wrote:  Hello,

The 12C is not discontinued...

Cyrille

Right from the horse's mouth!

Thanks Cyrille.

[Nigel (UK)]

(09-14-2020 05:56 AM)Massimo Gnerucci Wrote:  

(09-14-2020 04:52 AM)cyrille de brébisson Wrote:  Hello,

The 12C is not discontinued...

Cyrille

Right from the horse's mouth!

Thanks Cyrille.

I read what Cyrille says as "The 12C is not discontinued, but ..."! Perhaps I'm worrying about nothing, though I do hope that the Prime and the other calculators survive.

Nigel(UK)

[Massimo Gnerucci]

(09-14-2020 05:58 PM)Nigel (UK) Wrote:  

(09-14-2020 05:56 AM)Massimo Gnerucci Wrote:  Right from the horse's mouth!

Thanks Cyrille.

I read what Cyrille says as "The 12C is not discontinued, but ..."! Perhaps I'm worrying about nothing, though I do hope that the Prime and the other calculators survive.

Nigel(UK)

Well, you know, nothing is forever. And the 12C already outlived many of its siblings. :)

[Eric Rechlin]

The original post asked about the 12C Platinum, though, and that was not answered.

But one thing I should add is don't expect an HP engineer to know what the HP web team is doing. They are not anywhere near as close to each other as they should be, and numerous times calculator-related content has disappeared off the HP web site without the calculator engineering team's knowledge, much less approval.

[JDW]

Since the horse's mouth chimed in -- thank you, Cyrille! -- I should add my closing remarks with a final question or two...

First, I am a man of specifics. As an EE and calculator aficionado, that pretty much goes without saying. Indeed, my cousin still addresses me as "Mr. Data" after all these years. As such, the official word from the horse's mouth is short on specifics. This isn't so much a criticism as it is an observation of fact, plainly stated in my post right now with the aim of getting those wanted specifics.

For now, I will ASSUME (like Spock, I hate to do that) that Cyrille mean to say, "The 12C Platinum is NOT discontinued..." Why assume that? Because the Platinum is the ONLY 12-C variant sold in the HP USA calculator store as of the time I created my opening post. As such, I ASSUME that Cyrille statement also means the regular 12-C (not "Platinum") has in fact already been discontinued.

If the regular 12-C (not "Platinum") is indeed still sold, it is unthinkable it would NOT appear anywhere at all in the HP USA calculator store (previous replies in this thread notwithstanding). Sadly, when I tried to reverify this just now to see if the regular 12-C (not "Platinum") now appears in the US HP Calculator store (the page for FINANCIAL calcs), I get the blue screen of "something is messed up" death.

If indeed someone wishes to contend that the regular 12-C (NOT "Platinum) is still sold, please provide me with the official website or webpage which proves it is still sold. Simply finding it on Amazon USA is not proof enough. I am looking for the official and SPECIFIC word here.

Why so specific? Because when I make my YouTube video on the 12-C Platinum, I want to provide links so my viewers can easily find the 12-C Platinum and even the regular 12-C, if indeed it is still sold. I want to tell people, "here's the link, and here's what you're going to get when you buy that (specs)."

And hey, since we're on the topic of specifics, I might as well ask the question on everyone's mind: Will be a 40th anniversary model to debut next year? (Logic dictates there probably will be.)

Thank you.