A brand new one costs at least $400. It doesn't have wi-fi. It doesn't even have a CPU. All it does is shine light on your desk, the same way a $5 lamp from Ikea or Target can. Nevertheless it's still a very popular product and plenty of people buy it even for $400 - partly because it is well constructed, partly because of the recognizable classic design, and, yes, partly because of Artemide's marketing and branding efforts. I don't own one, I have no intention of buying one, but I don't have a problem with other people buying them and I certainly wouldn't suggest that the manufacturer shouldn't bother selling them.
Not really. The ability to position and direct the light in that double articulated angle poise lamp is vastly superior to that in a cheapo lamp for a few dollars from a general furniture store.
I certainly wouldn't pay $400 for it but it is the superior product functionally.
The calculator is functionally inferior. You're buying it, if you do, for nostalgia or visual amenity (blurgh looks terrible IMO) and not for its function or ergonomics.
It's not useless. The use is not to do calculations though - it's to bring satisfaction to the owner. And I predict HP will find plenty of takers who feel they'll get at least $99 of satisfaction out of owning one.
Here is a desk lamp. Maybe you have seen one like this before: http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/images/h2/h2_1988.236.10.jpg
A brand new one costs at least $400. It doesn't have wi-fi. It doesn't even have a CPU. All it does is shine light on your desk, the same way a $5 lamp from Ikea or Target can. Nevertheless it's still a very popular product and plenty of people buy it even for $400 - partly because it is well constructed, partly because of the recognizable classic design, and, yes, partly because of Artemide's marketing and branding efforts. I don't own one, I have no intention of buying one, but I don't have a problem with other people buying them and I certainly wouldn't suggest that the manufacturer shouldn't bother selling them.