SiliconBeat

Hewlett-Packard just surpassed Dell to regain the title of No. 1 PC vendor in the United States. It’s coming out next week with a new line of data-center products that promise to take advantage of cutting-edge technology for big computing facilities.

But let’s take a moment to remember a simpler time, when HP was known for its … calculators.

HP said this week that it has been honored by the respected Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, which is giving the company a “Milestone” award for introducing the pioneering HP-35 Scientific Calculator back in 1972.

It was pioneering because — unlike other handheld calculators that drew the line at simple arithmetic — the HP-35 could perform all the functions of a slide rule, to 10-digit precision. It also was HP’s first product that contained both integrated circuits and LEDs.

The HP-35, named for its 35 keys, was developed when co-founder Bill Hewlett “challenged HP engineers to take their current desktop computer, the HP-9100, and create a similarly capable device that fit in his shirt pocket,” according to a company announcement.

IEEE awards milestone awards to honor technological achievements that “stand the test of time.” A plaque commemorating the award will be installed at HP Labs in Palo Alto.