HHKB Professional BT (Bluetooth)

[cookie]

The consumer isn't ready for 60% probably will never become.
There are 3 essentially different audiences.

1. Gamer: You can probably sell them everything what seems to improve their "Skill" but it has to be shiny and must glow in several different colors so they can impress their buddies on /r/battlestations. The product has to be as tasteless as possible to.

2. The Crowd: Would never spend more then 10 bugs on a keyboard only exception is if the product has the logo of a piece of fruit with a bite taken out of it. Suddenly a fair bit of the crowd goes nuts and waste their children's college savings on that overpriced shit.

3. The Keyboard Elitist: Loves keyboards more than a drunkard loves his booze! Incredibly picky and anal about almost every aspect of an input device, therefore impossible to please. Ends up spending hundreds of bugs on artisan keycaps on his quest to satisfaction. Brags about their latest acquirement on /r/mechanicalkeyboards.

I consider my self as the last one.
It's nieche yes but they are willing to spend a lot of money on keyboard products.

[Muirium]

#2 doesn't exist. They don't buy keyboards any more. That shit comes for free when you buy the whole system. Especially when it's a laptop, which most traditional computers are now, while phones eat them alive.

And yes, software doesn't matter. That's why you're a PC guy!

[face]

I have to say I really find it tempting to take a look at the HHKB with bluetooth. Buuuut....

Could you please explain me how you get your stuff done without programming features? It has even less keys than a normal 60% keyboard... I understand that the keys are very good and I personally love the look of the HHKB, but without being able to program a few basic things into it, it would be pretty useless to me. Is there a option to program it that I am not aware of?
Autohotkey doesn't count, I want to use it on multiple os.

[Stabilized]

The function layer for the HHKB is what gives it the functionality of a full sized keyboard, it is a matter of getting used to using the pinky function button to get to all the keys that you need.
So if you want to program some things into it like macros or other functions than the ones present on a fullsized keyboard you need to look elsewhere.

[face]

Ah ok, thanks.

[jerue]

If you've got the older HHKB (non Bluetooth), the Hasu controller gives you some extensive programming options

I know a few programmers who, despite my valiant efforts, will not use a HHKB because of the Fn key and the lack of arrow keys...at least one of them seems to be very fond of the 55g Realforce 87u

Has anyone here done the purple slider mod to their HHKB BT? I know a couple people over on Geekhack have, and the only thing stopping me from jumping ship to the BT is the lack of a white Type-S option...

[face]

it is actually pretty smart, they removed one element (the spring) from the equation making everything cheaper to produce. It is getting closer and closer to a standard membrane for sure

Of course we would need to open one and see for ourselves what they actually did inside.

I think that picture is only the normal topre description, as it is on every product on their site. I translated it too and don't see any hints that it is a different switch.

[adhoc]

Hol' up

Are you saying the new HHKB BTs no longer have springs inside?

[face]

No, I don't think so. As I said, I translated this picture and it is the EXACT same that you find on the product page of every other HHKB version.

So no worries, these are legit Topre switches. I guess I would have that much fun with it otherwise at the moment.

[Zoide]

Hey, I could bear AAs hidden in an externally pristine Realforce. But for the record: my birdie wasn't chriping about that.

What did your birdies tell you, Lord Varys?

[joric]

I did the same. However, I'd like to know what the text in the figure itself says

Someone here asked for a pic of HHKB BT intestines, here it is:


Here is the full album:
http://imgur.com/a/YYAOv

[seebart]

So what kind of battery duration do you get on your HHKB BT?

[face]

I own it for 2 months, leaving it on the whole day and only shutting it down on sleep-times. Haven't changed the battery yet, nor is it indicating I have to. I you are interested I will post again when the battery is empty.

[joric]

So what kind of battery duration do you get on your HHKB BT?

Seems like infinity but i use large capacity duracell turbo max. About 6 months, I guess.

[the_marsbar]

That sounds really great

[seebart]

So what kind of battery duration do you get on your HHKB BT?

Seems like infinity but i use large capacity duracell turbo max. About 6 months, I guess.

Impressive.

[Hypersphere]

@joric: Looks more like the peripheral nervous system than the intestines.

[joric]

@joric: Looks more like the peripheral nervous system than the intestines.

I honestly made every single pic of HHKB BT except springs and the rear side of the PCB. I afraid people will ask me for a side by side comparison, but I don't want to disassemble pro 2, I'm using it, sorry. Feels much better than dentalbanded HHKB BT. Btw, managed to measure those dental bands I used on HHKB BT they're gnarly, about 1.0 x 1.25 mm (rectangular section) no wonder it felt so bad. If only I could get better rings for less than $50.

[Hypersphere]

Thanks for the link to a very impressive documentation of a step by step dissection. I seem never to have the patience to photograph my tear-downs and experiments.

[joric]

Thanks for the link to a very impressive documentation of a step by step dissection. I seem never to have the patience to photograph my tear-downs and experiments.

Oh, good. Could you please help me to put these HHKB domes back again? I'm getting a lot of plastic friction now, guess domes have to be precisely centered, maybe it's better to glue them to the PCB first? What kind of adhesive should I use for that?

[Khers]

Thanks for the link to a very impressive documentation of a step by step dissection. I seem never to have the patience to photograph my tear-downs and experiments.

Oh, good. Could you please help me to put these HHKB domes back again? I'm getting a lot of plastic friction now, guess domes have to be precisely centered, maybe it's better to glue them to the PCB first? What kind of adhesive should I use for that?

I find it a lot easier to do the opposite; put the domes in the top case first and seal them off using the PCB last. In my experience, this method limits potential headaches.

[joric]

Used the same high adhesive glue stick (Berlingo) I use for my 3d printer. Very reliable and helps to save springs.

[cookie]

You've glued the domes on the PCB?

[joric]

Yep. Just slightly. To center them while assembling. It's a weak paper glue so it's all reversible.

[stratokaster]

Nothing wrong with AA batteries. If anything, I'm opposed to Li-Ion or Li-Pol cells because they degrade rather quickly.

My Minila Air uses 2 AA batteries, I get over 6 months of battery life out of it.

That lump wouldn't bother me at all, it isn't even visible from the front

[sems]

Was looking to get a HHKB when I visit Asia but hey, I'm glad I found out this! Most of the time I use my MBA on an aluminum stand, currently plugging in and out usb all the time. Would be great to have BT option as well for me.

[webwit]

So I got me one of these hunchbacks.

hhkb_bt3.jpg (411.54 KiB) Viewed 7146 times

hhkb_bt2.jpg (439.48 KiB) Viewed 7146 times

hhkb_bt1.jpg (476.67 KiB) Viewed 7146 times

The sticker reads:
"HHKB 20th ANNIVERSARY The cowboys in the western United States will leave horses there when the horse dies, but saddle will carry it by myself no matter how despite walking in the desert. Horses are expendables and saddles are familiar to their body. Now that a personal computer is a consumable item, do not forget that the keyboard is an important, life-long interface. - University of Tokyo Emeritus Professor Eiichi Wada"

I'm not entirely pleased, as it feels slightly more rubbery and sounds less clacky as compared to the Pro 2. I liked the original clack.

[the_marsbar]

Could you make some recordings and post them here? I'm curious about the difference in sound.

[webwit]

[the_marsbar]

Thanks. That's quite a difference.