Great/Interesting Finds

[Hypersphere]

Put a peaked roof on it, and you've got a Monopoly hotel.

[quochung1989]

Cherry MX Blue G80-3000HSMGB/05:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Cherry-MX-Blue- ... Swo6lWH5tP

[Engicoder]

Is it really that square? Yuck!! And whoever allowed that last shot, surely 2 cases stacked, doesn't want this to be taken seriously either. That bulk!

(I know about the Massdrop guest link trick. I just want posters to do it instead of everyone else! Massdrop makes things needlessly difficult for us, so do bear that in mind when advertising for them.)

It is really that square.

[HzFaq]

Holy shit that thing is ugly.

[Muirium]

Yuh-uh-uck!

I finally checked the Massdrop page itself, and then saw that price. Oh boy. Two times as ugly and twice as expensive as I'd ever go!

[HzFaq]

I think it'll be the watershed though, so kind of interested to see what comes next.

Not that it's the case I have a problem with with the HHKB....

[photekq]

The price is very, very reasonable. Especially considering all of the machining required for the top pieces of the switches. However, that is one ugly shit brickhouse (NOT brick shithouse) of a case.

[RoastPotatoes]

I am really not too bothered by the design. I enjoy typing on my atomic with no tilt and I have my hhkb as flat as possible. One issue I am confused about is the usb cutout placement.

[Muirium]

Yeah, Photekq's got a point about all the machining on the top. The HHKB uses its case as a plate and barrel frame (in IBM speak), which is a lot more work than for a Poker. I'm curious how well this case works exactly. I imagine it's easy to fuck up the HHKB's feel.

Besides, I'm a purist and a cheapskate. (Tricky combo!) I think my Type-S cost me about that much in total, including shipping! I got it from Japan, not EK.

[Sayso]

hey all,
Yeaj the case looks horrible, but not expensive at all regarding the machining work I think.
I'd like to see the backside of the uppercase and how about the feeling of the slider with the aluminium switch housing

[Hypersphere]

They really should have sent out some before-market prototypes for testing and reviews, especially given the fact that the switch housings are machined into the top case. It will be of interest to find out how the aluminum switch housings affect the sound and feel of the HHKB and how the height of the case alters the typing experience.

This thing is a fundamental departure from aluminum cases for other keyboards, such as the Poker II or Pok3r, which simply swapped the bottom plastic enclosure with an aluminum one. With the HHKB case, the static part of the switch mechanism is being replaced by aluminum. This was of course necessary, because the HHKB switches are case-mounted to begin with. The transformed HHKB would be expected to have an extremely rigid typing feel compared to the springiness of the original HHKB.

[RoastPotatoes]

They really should have sent out some before-market prototypes for testing and reviews, especially given the fact that the switch housings are machined into the top case. It will be of interest to find out how the aluminum switch housings affect the sound and feel of the HHKB and how the height of the case alters the typing experience.

I will volunteer. But this is the main question. How will this effect the sound and the feel?

[Muirium]

The sound will be completely transformed. Metal cases really amplify the sound of a board. Especially with direct contact with the sliders, like this one!

The feel… well, we know what happened with the NovaTouch. Topre switches are quite fussy about the tolerance between the slider and the switch housing. In the HHKB: the keyboard body *is* the switch housing. So this will be critical.

Hyper's right: they really should have involved the community with some prototype testing. But that's not the Massdrop way, is it! Money first, input later.

[scottc]

Hooooooly shit that's an ugly case. Come on, Massdrop! It's also more expensive than both of my Pro 1s... Combined!

[Hypersphere]

If my keyboard paraphernalia budget weren't already severely overspent, I would buy the aluminum HHKB case just to satisfy my curiosity about how well it works and how it affects the sound, feel, and overall typing experience.

Does anyone know which company is producing this thing?

[Muirium]

Don't do it, Hyper, step away from the edge! That thing is hideous and you'll regret the moment you ever thought about getting it. Put the wallet down!

[seebart]

In that second shot it looks like something out of kubrick's space odyssey. A monolithic block full of crap. It may actually look much better in real life but that "creative" shot is too much. Self destruct.

[derzemel]

probably the sound difference would be like the sound difference between a Normal Realforce:

Versus the one with the Aluminium Digilog case:

Or even louder as the HHKB plate is part of the case itself

[Muirium]

Much more so, because of the direct contact between the metal case and the moving parts. Oh, and thanks for putting me off such a metal case for my Realforce. My wallet sighs with sweet relief. Looks nice — looks authentic, that's why! — but sounds highly un-Topre to my ears.


@Seebart: Just think. Whoever came up with those fat-tastic angles is most likely the person calling all the shots on the whole project.



Why the hell is it not a wedge, like the real HHKB?

[Khers]

Probably because it is cheaper to manifacture a flat case than a wedged one.

The plastic on aluminium friction has me worried. I don't mind the looks too much, I think the second, ugly monolithic pic, is due to perpective. Not having a wedge is off putting though...

[derzemel]

Getting back to topic, here's another colourful vintage:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Financial-Com ... 1406418794

[scottc]

That is a very good-looking board! I love those tall, flat caps. Where have I seen those before?

[Muirium]

Oooh… that is actually rather nice. I especially like the HHKB Fn key they remembered to include, right of right Shift.



Beware the connector, though. It ain't the DIN 5 AT that it appears on first sight:



That rust does not bode well for the keyboard's own innards.

[RoastPotatoes]

That is a beautiful arrangement of colour. I am tempted but I would have no idea how to get it working.

[Muirium]

Could be a dead end. But come on, look at it! I also notice the seller ships UK only, which should keep the price down a bit.

[Blaise170]

Looks nice but the rust is worrying.

[DanielT]

HHKB is perfect the way it is. If you want blink and aluminum you have Korean boards. This keyboard was designed having in mind portability, and not looks, it must be a tool not a weapon.
Those cases are for kids, real men don't need that

[Hypersphere]

@Muirium,
@DanielT,

Thanks to each of you. You have saved me from myself. I shall resist shrouding my HHKB in Aluminum! (And save my domestic economy from ruin).

On the other hand, I tend to regard tools as weapons and weapons as tools, but that is a different story.

[MECHGAMER]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Personal-Media- ... 1847283211

Topre utron, $399.99, used very little, seems good, but not sure about the price, my wallet is not a bottomless void.

[XMIT]

@Muirium,
@DanielT,

Thanks to each of you. You have saved me from myself. I shall resist shrouding my HHKB in Aluminum! (And save my domestic economy from ruin).

On the other hand, I tend to regard tools as weapons and weapons as tools, but that is a different story.

Maybe I can make an aluminum case at TechShop.