FEATURE/HP Offers Classic Holiday Gift for Busy Professionals; HP's $69 HP 12C Financial Calculator Gives Cost-conscious Shoppers Time-tested Value and Affordability.

PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE FEATURES)--Nov. 6, 1998--For shoppers sifting through the holiday avalanche of high-tech gadgets, Hewlett-Packard Company offers a refreshing alternative: a time-tested classic that won't end up in a drawer. Enter, the HP 12C financial calculator. In 1981, this electronic marvel first captivated business executives with its pocket-sized power, and, with nary a change since then, it continues to attract busy execs with its no-nonsense functionality and attractive price tag -- just $69.

"In today's fast-paced business-office environment, the HP 12C financial calculator has flourished as an effective tool on the job," said Jeff Blough, business manager for HP's North American Calculator Operation. "Whether for banking, real estate or accounting, HP continues to provide executives with a full line of powerful financial calculators for significantly less than $100. Simply put, an HP financial calculator can be one of the smartest gifts this season."

HP 12C: The Standard

Within the growing $353 million U.S. retail calculator category, the HP 12C is among the most popular financial calculators available and consistently has been the calculator of choice for Wall Street financial professionals.

"Without question, the financial professional is one of our most valued customers, and what these customers have told us is, `don't change the 12C,'" said Blough. "It simply is the standard for entry- and senior-level practitioners in the financial community."

Key Features and Benefits

With its tasteful design, easy-to-use programming, lightweight and pocket-sized frame, the HP 12C provides just the right functions in the right form factor at the right price. Key features and benefits include the following: -0-

     High Performance

--   more than 120 built-in financial, mathematical and statistical
     functions;

--   20 different cash-flow-analysis solutions, including the ability
     to calculate loan payments, discounted cash flow analysis,
     standard deviation and forecasting based on linear regression;

--   long battery life, running for months to years, not hours, on a
     single set of batteries; and

--   99-step memory capacity.

     Ease of Use

--   helpful manual, with chapters on real estate, lending, leasing,
     savings, bonds and investing;

--   keystroke programming, lets the user save a series of keystrokes
     into memory; and

--   RPN (Reverse Polar Notation) Logic, allows the user to enter data
     and perform calculations quickly and efficiently, without an "="
     key, resulting in fewer keystrokes and, potentially, fewer
     errors.

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U.S. Pricing and Availability

The estimated retail price for the HP 12C is $69.95. In the United States, HP financial calculators can be found at Staples, Best Buy, Circuit City, Office Depot and OfficeMax. In Canada, carriers include most college bookstores, Business Depot and Trentech Office Products.

About HP Calculators

HP offers a comprehensive range of calculators designed for math and science students, engineers, scientists, and financial and business consultants. Manufactured with the quality and durability that customers have come to expect from HP, HP calculators feature hundreds of built-in functions, user-friendly displays and easy-to-use features.

For under $100, HP offers three distinct models of financial calculators. Specifically designed for discerning customers such as investment brokers, accountants and bankers, the HP financial calculator product line includes the HP 10B, HP 12C, HP 17BII and HP 19BII.

Information about HP calculators can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.hp.com/calculators.

About HP

Hewlett-Packard Company is a leading global provider of computing, Internet and Intranet solutions, services, communications products and measurement solutions, all of which are recognized for excellence in quality and support. HP has 127,200 employees and earned revenue of $42.9 billion in its 1997 fiscal year.

Information about HP and its products can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.hp.com.