HP's 12C Calculator Has Pluses, Minuses For Corporate Parent; Build Better Breadbox?; After a 22-year success, any changes carry risks of riling devoted users.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)

Byline: NICK TURNER

For a calculator, the 12C evokes some pretty strong emotions.

The Hewlett-Packard Co. number cruncher is standard equipment among business school students, real estate agents and stockbrokers. They grow attached to the device, and many see it as a status symbol. MBAs brandish their 12Cs proudly whenever a math problem requires their attention.

The 12C has enjoyed the longest production run of any calculator in history. It debuted in 1981 -- the same year as the first IBM PC.

But all that success has created challenges for HP. As it rolls out a new generation of calculators -- including a new 12C -- it must tread lightly. The company has to develop its new crop without offending faithful customers, who often fear change.

"Our first objective was not to create a revolution by changing the 12C too much," said Fred Valdez, general manager of HP's calculator unit.

HP did add 130 functions to its new 12C, dubbed the 12C Platinum. But the look and feel of the 12C remain largely unchanged. Its brown-and-gold hues are now blue and silver, but its lines, size and touch are unmistakably the same. It has a distinct horizontal shape and the keys click ever so gently.