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Objects of Desire

By Katherine Bourzac

1981, HP 12c Calculator
"It is the calculator. The way it looks is what you think of when you think of a calculator," says Rolston. Logan adds that it "took an existing technology and improved on it through design and manufacturing." This classic financial calculator uses reverse Polish notation, a system from the 1920s that, once learned, saves the user the trouble of using parentheses and brackets to write out mathematical expressions. Logan admires the 12c's staying power. "It has a great quality of build. It's still used by people. It's an example of how to build a product if you want it to stay around."