My keyboard search is over.

[Trev]

My HHKB2 (Type-S) just arrived today.

So far the fn-arrows are easier than I expected. After only a few hours they haven't slowed me down like I expected. I still might dye them light blue or another colour, just so there's a slight visual cue in my peripheral vision.

I've adapted to the delete(backspace) quickly. It's actually closer and easier to reach than normal layouts. It's a good optimization for the long term, but perhaps not great if you're constantly switching to standard keyboards. I assume people adapt to both? (like driving on both sides of the roads in various countries). The only time I've messed up hitting backspace is when I use my left hand to hit it. An odd habit I've developed in certain situations cleaning up code with the mouse.

My spacebar is perfect. It's all thocks from every angle, no clicks or other rattling noises.

Enabling "Mac mode" with the dip switches was enough to get the volume keys and power button (fn-esc) sending the proper mac key codes. Very convenient.

If I purchase any additional keyboards, they would only be for projects or experiments. I don't feel I can do any better than the HHKB for getting actual work done.

My Realforce 87U (silent) will likely go up for sale here or on Ebay soon. It's also an awesome board, but I much prefer 60% layouts.

[matt3o]

I also got mine (not silent). Hope I like it as much as you do.

next step is custom keyboard the search is never over!

[Muirium]

Great stuff. From a fellow Mac user, who's tried his share of Matias, this comes as high praise for the little keyboard.

In the couple of months I've been a member here, I've found myself gravitating to the HHKB. (Non silent, white, unprinted I think in my case.) Not only is it minimal, it's also excellently thought out, as Mac friendly as can be, and Topre. Seems to be more or less the perfect board for many of us.

Just waiting on the try before you buy switches to see if Topre really does the trick for me. And the headroom in my budget.

Of course, if a Bluetooth one were to come out once I get mine, grr…

[Jmneuv]

May i ask how much it was and where you did get it from?
Also i'm interested in this anti slip mat you put underneath: what product is that?

[LaCap]

Trev,

You choose the best keyboard ever... I cannot work without my HHKB.
And yes it's a little bit mac friendly. The only bad point is the F1-F12 keys that not working in the Mac way.

[Trev]

Hey guys,

May i ask how much it was and where you did get it from?
Also i'm interested in this anti slip mat you put underneath: what product is that?

Grand total ended up at around $400AUD shipped via EMS from Japan (roughly $420USD). I ended up purchasing from Smart Imports and had a good experience. EMS shipping to Australia was $25, which seems very reasonable.

The antislip stuff is pretty standard at any large hardware store. Home Depot in North America or Bunnings in Australia will have something like it. You can sometimes buy it off the roll. It's cheap and very effective.

Great stuff. From a fellow Mac user, who's tried his share of Matias, this comes as high praise for the little keyboard.

In the couple of months I've been a member here, I've found myself gravitating to the HHKB. (Non silent, white, unprinted I think in my case.) Not only is it minimal, it's also excellently thought out, as Mac friendly as can be, and Topre. Seems to be more or less the perfect board for many of us.

Just waiting on the try before you buy switches to see if Topre really does the trick for me. And the headroom in my budget.
...

I'm not sure that's enough to figure out if Topre switches are for you. You really need a couple of weeks with a real keyboard. To be honest, they're pretty boring at first. Over time you start to realize how much your speed and accuracy has shot up. After a while, going back to anything else starts to feel pretty rough and frustrating. When I had Topre test boards here and the Das with MX blues, the blues felt completely ghetto and scratchy. Of course, I can't guarantee this for everyone. It's still very subjective. Plenty of people like MX blues over other switches.

I also got mine (not silent). Hope I like it as much as you do.

next step is custom keyboard the search is never over!

I'm always open to the idea of customs builds. I like planning and putting stuff like that together. I just no longer feel compelled to keep frantically searching for a better "work" keyboard.

Trev,

You choose the best keyboard ever... I cannot work without my HHKB.
And yes it's a little bit mac friendly. The only bad point is the F1-F12 keys that not working in the Mac way.

I generally only use them as function keys, and even that's very rare. I assume you're looking to control monitor brightness?

[mr_a500]

Grand total ended up at around $400AUD shipped via EMS from Japan (roughly $420USD).

It's strange to see the Australian dollar worth more than the US dollar. I remember when it was around 60¢ US. That's when the Canadian dollar was worth around 76¢ US and I thought, "Canadian exchange sucks... but at least it's not as bad as the Australian dollar."

[002]

It's definitely easier on the wallet for us at the moment. Exchange rate on the JP Yen is great too
Coupled with the decent $1000 limit before getting slogged with import tax, the last hurdle is postage cost...but I don't see that changing any time soon. $179 Topre boards is nice though...

Nice board, Trev - lucky you didn't get the black board because that shelf liner stuff ruins the finish on black HHKBs

[Muirium]

Great stuff. From a fellow Mac user, who's tried his share of Matias, this comes as high praise for the little keyboard.

In the couple of months I've been a member here, I've found myself gravitating to the HHKB. (Non silent, white, unprinted I think in my case.) Not only is it minimal, it's also excellently thought out, as Mac friendly as can be, and Topre. Seems to be more or less the perfect board for many of us.

Just waiting on the try before you buy switches to see if Topre really does the trick for me. And the headroom in my budget.
...

I'm not sure that's enough to figure out if Topre switches are for you. You really need a couple of weeks with a real keyboard. To be honest, they're pretty boring at first. Over time you start to realize how much your speed and accuracy has shot up. After a while, going back to anything else starts to feel pretty rough and frustrating. When I had Topre test boards here and the Das with MX blues, the blues felt completely ghetto and scratchy. Of course, I can't guarantee this for everyone. It's still very subjective. Plenty of people like MX blues over other switches.

Absolutely. However, everything else about the HHKB seems so right that all I'm really looking into is to see if Topre is a red flag when I have MX blues and greens in hand. Hell, maybe I'll rave for reds, or go bananas for buckling springs! Can't rule it out quite yet. With this pair of samples, though, I might just get a sliver of an idea.

I've big strong hands but I'm always super gentle on my keyboards. Just gotta see…

When I first got into all this stuff (still only recently, in truth) I thought I'd have to swap key caps and the like on a Filco or a Ducky. (Command, damnit!) But you guys have been a great help in getting me started on my own path through this jungle of keyboarding deviance!

Nothing else strikes me as just right like the HHKB. I'm damn glad it exists. Or it would be necessary for us to (kinda, sorta) make one.

As for where: I've been onto Smart Imports too. They say they'll pack in the soft carrying case for $39 and whatever increase it does to shipping.

[LaCap]

I generally only use them as function keys, and even that's very rare. I assume you're looking to control monitor brightness?

Not for the brightness more for play|pause / next / previous
But I found a little program to rebind the keys.
So now I have everything working correctly.

Send from my HKKB

[Peter]

If you own one of these boards :
Please, DO NOT, EVER , complain about pricing of original Cherry-caps/switches/boards !!

[brdrgz]

I see that you are a web developer. Why do you prefer ST2 to something like JetBrains' PhpStorm? I personally like having a debugger available (cannot live without one, as I came from an environment using gdb), and the structure browser as well as refactor and goto tools are excellent. Nice display too, did you buy that or did the company provide it? Been pondering purchasing one of those myself..

Regarding keyboards, I'm torn between the 87U and the HHKB Pro 2. I've actually owned 3 HHKB Pro 2's (none Type-S) in the past, but am thinking of getting a new board yet again. Does the 87U feel more comfortable than the HHKB?

EDIT: removed quote, huge images were loading..

[ne0phyte]

Sublime text has tons of plugins and with goto anywhere (files, functions, classes, field declarations, lines), fuzzy search in commands, files, folders and multicursor editing + unlimited possibilities when it comes to shortcuts (in the worst case by writing a tiny plugin) ST is super awesome.
It doesn't aim to be a fully featured IDE (even though you can setup build systems and projects), its an editor, and it does so damn well.
I use Eclipse at work and at home but often ST is enough for simple projects and especially javascript/html/css and so on.

I love it for the fact that you can extend it with very little python knowledge to an extent that no other editor offers and it is really fast and lightweight.
Just my 2 cents, sry for offtopic

Btw: Congrats that you finally got your HHKB Trev

[Jmneuv]

I've actually owned 3 HHKB Pro 2's (none Type-S) in the past, but am thinking of getting a new board yet again.

What happened to those, did they break?

[brdrgz]

I've actually owned 3 HHKB Pro 2's (none Type-S) in the past, but am thinking of getting a new board yet again.

What happened to those, did they break?

Haha! No, I had a white one, then traded it for a black one, then sold the black and.. well I guess I miscounted, that's only 2!

[Trev]

I see that you are a web developer. Why do you prefer ST2 to something like JetBrains' PhpStorm? I personally like having a debugger available (cannot live without one, as I came from an environment using gdb), and the structure browser as well as refactor and goto tools are excellent. Nice display too, did you buy that or did the company provide it? Been pondering purchasing one of those myself..

Regarding keyboards, I'm torn between the 87U and the HHKB Pro 2. I've actually owned 3 HHKB Pro 2's (none Type-S) in the past, but am thinking of getting a new board yet again. Does the 87U feel more comfortable than the HHKB?

EDIT: removed quote, huge images were loading..

I'm almost entirely focused on visual + user interface design. It just happens that I can also write excellent HTML5/CSS(SASS, of course). There's obviously overlap in to JS, PHP, and other languages too. JetBrains would still be overkill for my sort of work. ST strikes the perfect balance between raw editing and IDE-style features (IMO). I highly recommend it. In fairness, I have never given JetBrains a proper chance. Being a large Java app didn't sit well with me.

The Thunderbolt display is pretty good. Pros are: solid alu build quality, true native SRGB profile, all the extra ports. Cons: Glossy glass surface, vents out a fair amount of heat from the bottom instead of the top (weird). I'd give it an 8/10. I purchased this myself, for my own company/partnership. Revenue is from clients and interesting side-projects.

ne0phyte saved me having to praise ST. It's really an awesome editor. I have friends in the industry who are VIM die-hards, but they seem to spend more time with configuration and learning.

...
Btw: Congrats that you finally got your HHKB Trev

Thanks. It seems like a really good choice. I'm not even completely settled in with the layout and already loving it.
I just need to find someone who will swap black HHKB keys for my whites. Any takers?

If you own one of these boards :
Please, DO NOT, EVER , complain about pricing of original Cherry-caps/switches/boards !!

The Type-S pricing is stupid high, but it's the only silenced 60% Topre option I know of. I type on this thing all day and night, so if it increases efficiency even a tiny bit, it's worth it. The keyboard could pay for itself in one productive morning.

I generally only use them as function keys, and even that's very rare. I assume you're looking to control monitor brightness?

Not for the brightness more for play|pause / next / previous
But I found a little program to rebind the keys.
So now I have everything working correctly.

Which software are you using? I've been testing out Controller Mate. Still not sure what software to go with.

[brdrgz]

I see that you are a web developer. Why do you prefer ST2 to something like JetBrains' PhpStorm? I personally like having a debugger available (cannot live without one, as I came from an environment using gdb), and the structure browser as well as refactor and goto tools are excellent. Nice display too, did you buy that or did the company provide it? Been pondering purchasing one of those myself..

Regarding keyboards, I'm torn between the 87U and the HHKB Pro 2. I've actually owned 3 HHKB Pro 2's (none Type-S) in the past, but am thinking of getting a new board yet again. Does the 87U feel more comfortable than the HHKB?

EDIT: removed quote, huge images were loading..

I'm almost entirely focused on visual + user interface design. It just happens that I can also write excellent HTML5/CSS(SASS, of course). There's obviously overlap in to JS, PHP, and other languages too. JetBrains would still be overkill for my sort of work. ST strikes the perfect balance between raw editing and IDE-style features (IMO). I highly recommend it. In fairness, I have never given JetBrains a proper chance. Being a large Java app didn't sit well with me.

The Thunderbolt display is pretty good. Pros are: solid alu build quality, true native SRGB profile, all the extra ports. Cons: Glossy glass surface, vents out a fair amount of heat from the bottom instead of the top (weird). I'd give it an 8/10. I purchased this myself, for my own company/partnership. Revenue is from clients and interesting side-projects.

ne0phyte saved me having to praise ST. It's really an awesome editor. I have friends in the industry who are VIM die-hards, but they seem to spend more time with configuration and learning.

Makes no sense to use an IDE if you're only doing design work, totally understandable.

[urbancamo]

I've also been very impressed with the HHK Professional. I am used to the layout and don't have to adjust any. I do need to concentrate on my right hand when touch typing - for some reason over the years it has moved over one key from the 'proper' home position. Even though I really liked Cherry Browns I'm finding my typing much more accurate on these HHK than either the Noopoo Choc Mini (with Cherry Browns) or an IBM Model M.

I can thoroughly recommend the eBay seller ibuyjp - the comms were excellent and the keyboard was dispatched within an hour of my order even though it was 8pm local time! I had tracking information almost instantly and the whole process took less than four days without any customs charges. Total including postage was US $296.28. Thoroughly professional service which is very comforting when you are spending such a large wedge of cash.

I can also confirm that you should definitely plug a new keyboard into a known computer when you first get it - I was playing with a Raspberry Pi and thought I'd plug the HHK into that first - it doesn't work because of the power requirements of the inbuilt USB hub. Gave me a fright!

Regards, Mark.

[Trev]

Loving this keyboard so far.
Quick shot in the strong Queensland autumn sunlight (changed some keys).

[matt3o]

As a side note... that screen is GLOSSY!

[phetto]

Nice to see that you found your board. I aswell found my love with the HHKB Pro2 also. Never felt any switch that good. Im going to grab a HHKB Pro JP though, since I want that layout more.

[Trev]

As a side note... that screen is GLOSSY!

I would never deny that a glossy glass finish is a horrible design decision, but that photo was taken at the worst angle and lighting setup you could ever hope for

[LaCap]

I generally only use them as function keys, and even that's very rare. I assume you're looking to control monitor brightness?

Not for the brightness more for play|pause / next / previous
But I found a little program to rebind the keys.
So now I have everything working correctly.

Which software are you using? I've been testing out Controller Mate. Still not sure what software to go with.

I'm using KeyRemap4MacBook. It's working with all version of Mac hardware

[urbancamo]

I've found that the HHK pro slips around on my polished wooden table (it's not made it upstairs to the office yet) so have added two tiny feet at the back of the keyboard - why the two moulded blobs are not rubber feet is a bit of a mystery to me, not exactly a costly addition.

Apart from the (very, very) minor gripe I'm absolutely loving the feel of the Topre and can confirm that, having used many, many, keyboard variants I'm convinced that these are the most accurate switches I've typed on. An absolute pleasure.

I've also recently received a Noopoo with Cherry red (first experience of the red) and it just doesn't even come close. I like the feel of the red key switch but they feel so sloppy and wobbly and unrefined compared to the Topre. This may, for a large part, be also due to the fairly cheap and cheerful key tops. I'm not totally up on all the different types of key top mouldings but you can just tell the HHK are much better quality.

I was fortunate enough to own a Sparcbook 3 for a while which had an old fashioned IBM long-throw scissor keyboard and I've just won an eBay auction for a M4-1 (which looks like it'll need some retr0br1te love!) I really quite like the feel of those old IBM laptop keyboards so am hoping this is similar in desktop form.


Made up!

Mark.

[urbancamo]

With regard to the glossy screen - may not be practical, but what a gorgeous reflection

[Trev]

Sunday night dye job. Modifiers are now Black:

[matt3o]

wow... black mod is black!

[TacticalCoder]

Apart from the (very, very) minor gripe I'm absolutely loving the feel of the Topre and can confirm that, having used many, many, keyboard variants I'm convinced that these are the most accurate switches I've typed on. An absolute pleasure.

Same here. I've tried Cherry MXes, white ALPS and I've used my Model Ms for years and years and years.

I'm going to say anything bad about the Model Ms (I still do have my nice collection and I do still love these boards) but the HHKB Pro 2 is the one keyboard that I tried and that eventually convinced me to put the M in a drawer.

It's been eight months now that I'm on a HHKB Pro 2 and Topres are nothing short of amazing.

[ne0phyte]

To join the HHKB praising:

I got my HHKB Pro 2 around a month ago and I absolutely love it. Unlike you I only tried all the common Cherry switches but the HHKB seemed to be the perfect 60% board and it turned out that the 45g Topre switches and the layout are indeed awesome. Just like Apple products the price of the HHKB is too high, but it is a premium product and after using it for a month I can say that it was totally worth it to me.

The only downside is, that I want another one for the office because taking it to work all the time is a bit annoying, even though it is compact.

[Muirium]

Just like Apple products the price of the HHKB is too high, but it is a premium product and after using it for a month I can say that it was totally worth it to me.

And just like Apple, the price is that high because we'll pay it.

*Shakes piggy bank impatiently*