HP 42S calculator
Shares rank 15 of 21 calculators by recommenders
Owners recommend the HP 42S for its satisfying tactile buttons and long life, with many reporting decades of reliable use. Battery replacement is the common caveat.
Owners recommend the HP 42S for its satisfying tactile buttons and long life, with many reporting decades of reliable use. Battery replacement is the common caveat.
8 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 8
- criticize it
- 0
- approval share
- 100%
Recommended in 4 of 13 months
- November 2025: recommended
- December 2025: not recommended
- January 2026: recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: not recommended
- April 2026: not recommended
- May 2026: recommended
- June 2026: recommended
- July 2026: not recommended
- August 2026: not recommended
- September 2026: not recommended
- October 2026: not recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Owned for 30 years
Median of the 3 owners who said how long they have had it.
Each square is one year.
Why it doesn’t carry the badge
- 8 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, not met.
- Nobody criticizes itNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 4 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Still working decades later, durable
“My HP-42S is still running strong 30 years later”
Comment from 3 Jun 2026 in “HP re-releases classic computer science calculator: The HP-16C” “The HP still works 31 years later.”
Comment from 11 Nov 2025 in “The R47: A new physical RPN calculator” “None of them have broken.”
Comment from 10 May 2026 in “Casio S100X Japanese Lacquer Edition (JP Page Only)” Satisfying tactile, memorable button layout
“Just an awesome calculator that still has that awesome tactile button feel.”
Comment from 11 Nov 2025 in “The R47: A new physical RPN calculator” “Satisfyingly-clicky real buttons in memorizable positions”
Comment from 31 Jan 2026 in “Ask HN: Do you still physical calculators?” Favorite calculator, used often
“to this day is my all time favorite calculator”
Comment from 2 Jun 2026 in “HP re-releases classic computer science calculator: The HP-16C” “I have a 42 at home and use it very often”
Comment from 2 Jun 2026 in “HP re-releases classic computer science calculator: The HP-16C”
What people warn about
Each mark is one comment
Battery replacement is difficult
“Replacing batteries was a big pain on the original.”
Comment from 11 Nov 2025 in “The R47: A new physical RPN calculator”
Other calculators people recommend
The four most recommended other calculators, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas Instruments TI-84 Evo | 41 | 53 | 44% | 4 | 10 yrs7 owners | — |
| TI-89 calculator | 31 | 8 | 79% | 8 | 28 yrs4 owners | Approved |
| HP 15C | 24 | 6 | 80% | 5 | 41 yrs5 owners | Approved |
| TI-83 Plus | 21 | 8 | 72% | 6 | 30 yrs3 owners | Approved |
| HP 42S calculatorThis page | 8 | 0 | 100% | 4 | 30 yrs3 owners | — |
What people said
9 of the 10 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“My HP-42S is still running strong 30 years later”
“to this day is my all time favorite calculator”
“I have a 42 at home and use it very often”
“it's such a superior way to calculate”
“None of them have broken.”
“Satisfyingly-clicky real buttons in memorizable positions”
“The HP still works 31 years later.”
“Replacing batteries was a big pain on the original.”
“Just an awesome calculator that still has that awesome tactile button feel.”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.