Retro Review: Hewlett Packard HP 14B 50th Anniversary Edition
Quick Facts
Model: HP 14B 50th Anniversary Edition
Company: Hewlett Packard
Years: 1989 (and probably 1990)
Type: Finance
Batteries: 3 x LR44, SR44, AR76
Display: 1 line, alpha-numeric, 12 characters
Original Price: $50, originally available only to Hewlett Packard's shareholders and employees
Operating System: Chain
Features
* Time Value of Money with Amortization. Like all the HP financial calculators, the compute key is not used to calculate values. The interest register is based on annual interest, while payments per year (P/YR) is a setting. Beginning and ending of period payment modes are present.
* Cash Flows: NPV and IRR. These worksheets store the cash flow and make use the COMPUTE function to calculate NPV and IRR. NPV is stored in PV while IRR is stored in I%YR.
* Solvers: Cost/Price/Margin, Old/New/% Change, Nominal Rate vs. Effective
Rate, Total/Part/% of the Total
* Schedules: ROI% (return on investment), Breakeven, and Inventory with Turnover analysis. The schedules will make use of the down arrow key [ ↓ ], up arrow [ shift ] ( ↑ ), and the COMPUTE function [ shift ] (COMPUTE).
* Statistics: One variable and two-variable. Regressions included are:
Linear: y = m * x + b
Exponential: y = b * e^(m * x)
Logarithmic: y = b + m * ln x
Power: y = b * x^m
There is also a Best fit mode, which decides the regression model based on the best correlation between the four modes.
There are also two prediction sets Going through the STAT menu, you can predict x and y values based on the chosen model. Going through the FRCST (forecast) menu, the regression used is determined by the regression with the best correlation.
The Math menu contains three functions: e^x, ln, and n! (factorials for positive integers only).
The 14B operates in chain mode, meaning no order of operations is followed. The 14B operates similar to a four-function calculator in this regard.
I think the 14B is set to be an intermediate finance calculator between the 10B and the 17B, which the 17B allows for user equations.
The display will not only give just numbers but will also label the variables, which I always find useful.
Golden Anniversary
The HP 14B 50th Anniversary Edition has a gold circle with a 50 logo on the top right side of the calculator. Also on the engravement is the years 1939 - 1989. On the leather holder, there is also the 50/1939 - 1989 logo engraved into the leather case.
The HP 14B 50th Anniversary edition is the same of the "normal" HP 14B calculator in terms of features and excellent keyboard.
The HP 14B is part of Hewlett Packard's pioneer series, which the series includes the HP 20S, 21S, 22S, 27S, 42S, 17B, 17BII, 10B, 32S, 32SII, and 32S 50th Anniversary Edition. It is my favorite series of Hewlett Packard calculators, both in terms of the features the calculators have and the high quality keyboards the calculators have.
50th edition calculators are available through online auction sites such as eBay for a reasonable price. Perhaps I may add a 32S 50th Anniversary Edition to my collection.
Sources:
"HP 14-B 50th Anniversary Limited Edition" Museum of HP Calculators
https://www.hpmuseum.org/hp14b50.htm Retrieved January 11, 2023
HP 14B Business Calculator Owner's Manual. Hewlett Packard
October 1988. Download the English version here: https://literature.hpcalc.org/items/574
Eddie
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