When HP handed out the free 25th. Anniversary 12CP calculators at the HHC2006 in San Jose, I really didn't have much use for it (as I primarily use my 11C and 49G+ scientifics).
But long ago, I bought my wife a 17BII with a nice burgandy-colored leather case, which she uses to consolidate our checking account. The "17" can always be found somewhere in our kitchen. Naturally, she likes the 17BII's algebraic entry, but whenever I reach for it, I like to use RPN. When I'm done, most of the time I leave it in RPN mode hoping my wife will just use it that way (Lord knows how many times I've tried to show her how RPN works and why it's better than algebraic entry). Then when she needs it, I hear her shouting for me to come change it back, because she can't remember how to change the mode. It's a normal routine around our house.
Back to the 12CP. My wife just got a job with the school district at our kids' elementary school. She was wanting to buy a small calculator that she could use to check the student's math homework. She saw the 12CP from the conference and fell in love with it. I told her it was hers, but that it worked in RPN mode (on power-up, which is true!). She said she didn't care, she just liked the look of it in that fancy case.
So now a week or so has passed, and she's still liking it and not complaining a bit about RPN. The true test will come this weekend, when she consolidates the checking account: will she go for the algebraic-mode 17BII or her new "friend" the 12CP?
So thanks again HP for the new 12CP (and that new case, which won over my wife over to RPN)!! :-)
Matt
p.s. Do I have to tell her the 12CP works in algebraic mode too?
Edited: 29 Sept 2006, 8:52 a.m. after one or more responses were posted