# HP 28S calculator

5 Hacker News commenters recommended HP 28S calculator and 1 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 4 of 13 months.

**Verdict:** People recommend it for its programmability, including a Lisp-like language, and for physical ergonomics that software calculator apps lack. One critic notes that HP should sell a replacement battery door.

## Why people recommend it

- Lisp-like programming language (1 comments): "the first to implement a lisp-like programming language in a calculator" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48376966))
- Better ergonomics than software apps (1 comments): "The ergonomics of these are so far superior to using software apps" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46841411))
- Teaches programming concepts well (1 comments): "It felt like magic dealing with concepts I hadn’t seen in the C compiler on my Amiga" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48047633))
- Early start in programming (1 comments): "HP started my journey so to speak" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48380489))

## What people warn about

- No replacement battery door (1 comments): "HP should sell a replacement battery door." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48377763))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [HP 48G](https://hackerapproved.com/p/hp-48g-calculator.md): 16 recommend
- [HP 48GX](https://hackerapproved.com/p/hp-48gx-calculator.md): 12 recommend
- [HP-11C calculator](https://hackerapproved.com/p/hp-11c-calculator.md): 7 recommend

## Where to get it

- [See price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/s?k=HP+28S+calculator&tag=hackerapprove-20) (affiliate link)

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "HP 28S calculator", https://hackerapproved.com/p/hp-28s-calculator/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).