# HP 15C

24 Hacker News commenters recommended HP 15C and 6 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 5 of 13 months; owners who said how long report a median of 41 years (5 owners). It meets the Hacker Approved badge rule.

**Verdict:** Owners praise its tactile keys, battery life and durability, with a median of 41 years of use. Critics say the reissues don't match the original's keys, display or labeling.

## Why people recommend it

- Tactile keys that feel responsive (5 comments): "Form factor is good, aesthetically it's very appealing, it feels efficient to use, I like the tactile feel of the buttons" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46841191)) "the solid physical construction (the buttons on the 11C and 15C were awesome)" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48152138)) "I've never owner any other piece of technology with buttons this good." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46835431))
- Durable, lasts decades of use (4 comments): "it got me through four years of math, physics, and computer science university classes" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48378292)) "I can't think of another electronic device that has survived and remained useful" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46837818)) "None worse for the wear. They'll all come handy after the acopalypse." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47982397))
- Long battery life from silicon-on-sapphire (2 comments): "it isn't as good as the originals with their perfect keyboards" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45889869)) "silicon-on-sapphire technology, normally used for space, that ensured the amazing battery life" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48376432))
- Compact form factor for carrying (2 comments): "Form factor is good, aesthetically it's very appealing, it feels efficient to use, I like the tactile feel of the buttons" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46841191)) "to take with me all the time (due to its small form factor)" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46835608))

## What people warn about

- Reissues fall short of originals (4 comments): "it doesn't match the quality of the original in terms of display, key feel, and key labeling (colors)" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48376234)) "it isn't as good as the originals with their perfect keyboards" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45889869)) "it's not up to the quality of the original" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48376075))
- Early Collector's Edition had issues (2 comments): "there were problems with that emulation in the first 15C Collector Edition runs, supposedly fixed now" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48380944)) "the 15c 'Collector's Edition' had some issues" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48376728))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [Casio S100X Japanese Lacquer Edition](https://hackerapproved.com/p/casio-s100x-japanese-lacquer-edition.md): 16 recommend
- [Casio calculator](https://hackerapproved.com/p/casio-calculator.md): 14 recommend
- [SwissMicros DM42n](https://hackerapproved.com/p/swissmicros-dm42n.md): 13 recommend
- [SwissMicros R47 RPN calculator](https://hackerapproved.com/p/r47-rpn-calculator.md): 11 recommend
- [HP 42S calculator](https://hackerapproved.com/p/hp-42s-calculator.md): 8 recommend

## Where to get it

- [See price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/s?k=HP+15C+Limited+Edition+RPN+calculator&tag=hackerapprove-20) (affiliate link)

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "HP 15C", https://hackerapproved.com/p/hp-15c-calculator/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).