Malaysia made HP 12C

[jthole]

Recently I got a Malaysia made HP 12C for a good price ($16), and I just wanted to give some quick feedback. It is a unit from 1996 which has seen some light use, given the looks of the exterior. Some tiny scuffs on the front and the back but no scratches or dents, and one tiny speck on the LCD protection glass.

Given the online reputation of lower quality for the Malaysian/Indonesion/Chinese units, reading from the forum, I was positively surprised. Of course it has painted keys, and the blue script is sometimes hard to read. But the keyboard feels very secure, and I never miss keystrokes (also passes the keyboard test each time, even when I click as fast as I can, without looking). No rattle in the keyboard too, and the paint shows no signs of wear.

I realise that these are less desirable than the older units with the molded keys (and probably better quality control). But for daily use, and given the low price, I am very satisfied with my Malaysian 12C.