Ask HN: Do you still use physical calculators? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: Do you still use physical calculators?

#21

Post by tkgally » Sat, Jan 31, 2026, 10:55 AM UTC

I don't, but I sometimes see them used here in Japan. Some small-shop operators use them to add up charges and show the total to the customer. I was recently in the office of a small company, and I noticed that the bookkeeper had a calculator next to a pile of paper (receipts?) on her desk. She also had a computer in front of her with a spreadsheet on the screen.

When I moved here forty-three years ago, it was common to see abacuses used in similar situations. There's still an abacus school [1] not far from where I live, but it's been a long time since I saw one in use.

[1] https://maps.app.goo.gl/nvTg4hfSjTcba47c8

Re: Ask HN: Do you still use physical calculators?

#22

Post by mapierce2 » Sat, Jan 31, 2026, 10:56 AM UTC

Yeah I still use my good ol' TI-83+ occasionally, but I'm a math instructor, so obviously. Most often I'll just use GNU `bc` though.

We are getting away from them in the classroom though; just started piloting a program where students use the Desmos app on their phones (requested to be in airplane mode) in class, and we have a department set of air-gapped phones with Desmos pinned for students to use on exams.

Re: Ask HN: Do you still use physical calculators?

#23

Post by Vedor » Sat, Jan 31, 2026, 11:02 AM UTC

I have Sharp EL506T and it serves me well. I don't use it very often, mind, but it still happens semi-regularly.

The biggest reason for me are physical buttons and the fact I know the layout and capabilities. I'm just faster on physical calculator than on Android app.

But to tell the truth, usually I just use Speedcrunch on my computer. Or spreadsheeds. Or Python REPL.

Re: Ask HN: Do you still use physical calculators?

#24

Post by Hackbraten » Sat, Jan 31, 2026, 11:03 AM UTC

I use a SwissMicros DM16L (a HP16C clone) because I like RPN and prefer physical buttons over a touchscreen.

Re: Ask HN: Do you still use physical calculators?

#25

Post by sethops1 » Sat, Jan 31, 2026, 11:04 AM UTC

I keep my TI-84 at my desk and reach for it maybe once a week. Usually for money reasons though, not so much for work stuff.

Re: Ask HN: Do you still use physical calculators?

#26

Post by e-khadem » Sat, Jan 31, 2026, 11:06 AM UTC

Yes, I have a Casio fx-9750GIII and I love it. I still haven't found an Android app or website that can do everything that I need (basic functionality), but in general:

- I need physical buttons. I often find that on touchscreens I mistype something and I don't notice.

- The history feature. Maybe I want to do a serial task or calculation, and I can just replace/correct one of the formulas in the history and it automatically recalculates all of the expressions that came after it.

- I have written some micropython code / utilities for the calculator and I use it all the time.

- I don't want to context switch to do a quick calculation. On my PC I have to open up a new terminal or a website (I might be offline, so I have to hotspot and then connect the wifi and ...) and interrupt my existing work or I have to frequently switch between a PDF or latex or whatever that I'm working on.

- Typing out `sin` or `np.sin` or `sin^-1` on PC is both longer and more error prone. It gets very frustrating very quickly.

- The numerical solver is a godsend. Try solving for the roots of an expression like `xe^x = 10` on your PC without internet. Or with an android application. On my calculator it's just a few dedicated button presses. On the PC, I have to use isympy and typeout `nsolve(Eq(x * exp(x), 10), 1)`, and you wouldn't even get a proper graphical display of the expression while you are typing it.

Re: Ask HN: Do you still use physical calculators?

#27

Post by OutOfHere » Sat, Jan 31, 2026, 11:15 AM UTC

I still have them, also a slide rule, but no, I don't use them. It is essential to have these for when the grid breaks like it currently has in Mississippi for over a week. I also have multi-decade-storage batteries for them.

Re: Ask HN: Do you still use physical calculators?

#28

Post by AlphaGeekZulu » Sat, Jan 31, 2026, 11:22 AM UTC

- I have a HP 16C, mainly for doing number conversions (DEC-HEX-BIN) and binary arithmetic.

- I have a HP 15C to take with me all the time (due to its small form factor).

- I have a HP 48 GX as main calculator, it is most feature complete and has a clock and alarms. I use it a lot for time calculations.

- I have a HP 48 SX, but did not use it much any more after acquiring the 48 GX.

- I have a HP 10bII+, which was a gift of my brother in law when he saw my obsession with HP calculators. I do not use it much, as I am not in financial stuff.

- I have a HP 41 CV, which is less capable as my 48 GX, but I somehow love it so much, that it resides on my desktop and is used a lot.

- I have a Casio Classpad fx-CP400, which I use when I tutor my nephew - it is the best fit for high school requirements (in Germany).

- I have a bunch of TI nspire and voyagers and a TI 83 plus, that I never use.

- I have a TI-92 plus which I used a lot in the past, but I do not like it anymore.

- I have a Casio FX-730P, which I like to write little programs for.

Not to mentions my collection of slide rules.

Re: Ask HN: Do you still use physical calculators?

#29

Post by synack » Sat, Jan 31, 2026, 11:23 AM UTC

TI-30Xa still sits on the corner of my desk along with a pen and small notepad. I use it 2-3 times a week. Still faster to reach for it than find the calculator app on my phone or PC for simple tasks.

Re: Ask HN: Do you still use physical calculators?

#30

Post by srvmshr » Sat, Jan 31, 2026, 11:27 AM UTC

During my bachelors, I was using a Casio FX-991ES+. It was a beautiful calculator compared to the hand-me-down Fx-82 VPAM. And pretty popular with the folks of my age that time.

During and after grad school, I was using Mathematica or NumPy/Sympy quite a bit. But it felt like using an overpowered system to do basic assignments. Think of taking a Bugatti Veyron for grocery shopping. I indulged myself with another physical calculator - this time a Casio FX-CG50 with a color display and python support. I use it whenever I do self-paced courses or reading the occasional stats/ML paper.