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The HP-41 calculator series introduced a new concept: the calculator as the core of a complete system, rather than a self-contained unit. |
When the HP-41C handheld calculator
was introduced in 1979, it was the first calculator that could display
alphabetic characters as well as numbers. But more importantly,
it was fully programmable and expandable. For many people, the HP-41C
was their introduction to computer programming. At $295, it was
less expensive than a personal computer, and—through the HP
Interface Loop (HP-IL0)—it
could be hooked up to a printer, plotter and mass-storage device.
By the time the HP-41CX was introduced, it was called a computer
rather than a calculator. It had more than twice as many built-in
functions and three times as much memory capacity as the HP-41C.
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