Hewlett Packard-19BII Scientific Calculator

The HP-19BII, known as the Business Consultant II Financial calculator, is an extremely powerful financial calculator. It will do just about relatively routine function that is required of a finance professional on a daily basis. It is intended for people in the finance industry and, if you're not in the industry, a student or a collector, don't buy this.

This calculator is not produced by Hewlett-Packard anymore but its particular presentation (folder) makes it an interesting choice if you are a collector.

You can find on eBay 3 different models of this financial calculator:
- The HP-19B Business Consultant II,
- The HP-19BII Business Consultant II (side battery door),
- The HP-19BII Business Consultant II (back battery door, made in Indonesia).

I would recommend the last model if you intend to use it exensively as the side battery door model is very fragile and it will be hard for you to find one in good condition on eBay.

The difference between the 19B and 19BII model is the ability for the 19BII to manage the RPN mode (Reverse Polish Notation) well known by HP calculators officionados.

The calculator is shaped like a little notebook and opens up. On the left is a keypad with letters and numbers for the address book, calendar, etc. On the right is a screen and the keys required to use the functions. Interestingly, at the top is a series of six blank keys described later.

The 19B will do just about anything you ask of it. The 340 page plus manual is clearly written and has many examples. A sample of the functions:

- Percentage changes,
- Time Value of Money (many different methods, e.g. home mortgages, leases, IRA's, etc.),
- Cash Flow (IRR, NPV, modified IRR),
- Bonds and Depreciation (many kinds),
- Statistics (standard deviation, histograms, regression, etc.,
- Foriegn Exchange,
- and, of course, numerous arithmetical and mathematical functions (logs, trig, etc.).

What is neat about the 19B is that a little menu will pop up when you want to solve for many variables. That is what the little blank keys are for at the top. You are given a choice of several different functions. Say you want to do bonds. Key in the type (semi annual, annual, etc.) then another little menu comes up, and you put in the appropriate value (settlement and maturity dates, call value, yield, price) and it will solve for the remaining variable. Very cool.

That leads up to a very cool feature of the 19B, which is its "Solver" function. Find a formula you use on a regular basis. You set up the formula, set up the menus, and you can recall this formula whenever you want to with the calculator solving for the remaining variable.

The left side keys permit you to use this as a date and appointment book and to store many business lists such as names and addresses, or use it for your expense account, etc.

You may print information from this using an HP-82240 Infrared Printer, including not just your address lists, but an amortization table as well.

You can switch back and forth from Reverse Polish Notation and algebraic functionality (HP-19BII only).

With all this functionality, one would think this would be the calculator of choice for finance professionals but others could think that it is too big (too large to shove in the front pants pocket), redundant (with a PDA or a PC) or too heavy (but rock solid, except for the door).

The HP 19B requires three N-size alkaline batteries to work.