HHKB refresh in 2019?

[joric]

Some infographics on HHKB 2019 classic and hybrid models:

Big ass:


Quasimodo vs Esmeralda:


Boomer + zoomer:


Pretty dissappointed with 2019 design. There were so many hopes, like MX stems for example but they're all shattered.

I'm looking forward to the HHKB 2019 teardown (classic too), please someone disassemble these monsters and post pics.

The HYBRID is BLE 4.2 AFAIR, HHKB BT (2016) had MSP430+BCM20730 (BT 3.0), my teardown: https://imgur.com/a/YYAOv

BTW I confirm that HHKB BT (2016) dies in about a month on a set of batteries (with heavy use) so it's still kind of a power hog.

Pro 2 is still the best, considering YDKB controller (2 weeks on LiPo) and Type-C riser I made: https://github.com/joric/usb-c

[Muirium]

The hunchback is a fair bit smaller now, at least. How many batteries does the new Quasimodo take?

[joric]

Well, same two as before. They've just moved the button out of the battery compartment.



Source (japanese): https://www.itmedia.co.jp/news/articles ... ws094.html



Source (japanese): https://www.gizmodo.jp/2019/12/hhkb2019.html

[Muirium]

Hmm. Silly as it may sound, but 2x AA batteries weigh a fair bit in a portable input device. My Magic Mouse improved a lot when I swapped the two inside of it for a wireless rechargable Li-poly doohickey. Apple subsequently integrated a battery in the next version of the mouse, which is also much lighter and handles better as a result.

Sure, a mouse is smaller, lighter and much more moved around than a keyboard. But! The HHKB is so light, it's my favorite lap keyboard and I'd surely notice the extra weight. The single 2500 mAh battery I put inside mine for Hasu's controller is lighter than all that, by a long way.

Fun hypocritical note: I'm typing this from my 3 kilo, solid zinc Kishsaver, right on my lap. But this ain't my travel keyboard!

[webwit]

Wait for it...

[joric]

Wait for it...

I badly want Pro 2 with MX Green switches now...

[davkol]

derp

[the_marsbar]

Couldn’t help myself. Bought a Black HYBRID Type-S. I’ll take it apart when I receive it.

[Muirium]

There’s a black Type-S now? Ungh… filthy, unright, taboo temptation engage.

[cookie]

Good news: PFU didn't put LED Backlit with shitty ass ABS caps on that thing.
Bad news: everything else...

Man, I am not a fan of that new product iteration and case design, I was so gonna buy that damn thing, no matter what but now that I actually see it... nah.

I could live with the case but I like my keybaords without a battery dick.

Thankfully I still have some good old HHKBs around and I am probably going to stack them for "Bad Times", also I am going to modify one with the hasu controller for all its Bluetooth Glory.

Not impressed PFU, not impressed.

[joric]

Regarding shitty ABS, that's actually funny. Looks like there is almost a religious reason against MX stems: https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicalKeyb ... n/faxuxcl/
Q: Why is the spacebar 6u instead of 6.25u, which makes people, who changed into MX stems still hard to choose keycaps, will the length be redesigned in the future?
Prof. Eiiti Wada: Cross is not a good thing in Japan culture. There will be a cross if the space length is 6.25u. So I designed it as 6u in the beginning. We will not change it in the future. The piano has been invented for hundreds of years and its keymap has no change since what the human looks like is not changed. The human may also keep the current looks like until the end of the earth's life. So the 6u spacebar will not be changed until the end of earth's life.

[joric]

Upd. Figures the cross is actually not MX stems but this:

[joric]

I am going to modify one with the hasu controller for all its Bluetooth Glory.

Oh I wouldn't recommend Hasu now. Get this thing: https://kbdfans.com/products/hhkb-ble-m ... ade-module it's just $65 with international shipping. Hasu worked for about 2 days with a 2500 mAh battery, YDKB works for 10 days with the same battery and the same use case. There's also an USB hub (wired mode) that really works. Two onboard LEDs shine through USB ports and turn off in BT mode after connection is established. The board is absolutely perfect in every way, I couldn't be happier. It lacks USB-C so I've made an opensource daughter board but frankly I don't even want to solder it, that would ruin the look of the original Pro 2.

[Findecanor]

6u space bar is love. 6u space bar is life

[Muirium]

Well, my Hasu controller’s been doing sterling work now for a few years. I’ve no desire to ever replace it. Besides, I like the man himself! And I adore Unimap for configuring it. I’ve done more of that than I ever expected. Deep programmability is what I’d likely miss most from an HHKB Hybrid model.

How do you program the Kbdfans one?

[Muirium]

6u space bar is love. 6u space bar is life

I do honestly prefer it. I’ve lived with 5u spacebar for years before, as well. 6.25 verges on too damn long! And yes, it’s unsightly. That cross, too! It’s an awkward gap in the diagonal tiling that is conventional stagger.

What length is the HHKB JP / JIS spacebar? And what do they call those Japanese layout models now?

[Findecanor]

They don't have different model names based on layout any more. The variation is in the model code though.
Japanese are numbered 820, while English and "No print" HYBRID are 800, just like previous Japanese were 420 and 620. The new Classic breaks the mould by being numbered 401.
Japanese layout is same as always: 2.5u space bar centred under the B key.

[joric]

How do you program the Kbdfans one?

I really don't I just use keymapper on ydkb.io to download the fimware. You hold Esc, plug in USB and drag and drop the firmware file to the usb mass storage. The firmware is opensource though, https://github.com/yangdigi/tmk_keyboar ... d/hhkb_ble

[joric]

YDKB keymapper http://ydkb.io/ looks like this:



I can really do anything i want without actually recompiling the firmware from https://github.com/yangdigi/tmk_keyboar ... d/hhkb_ble

The only thing it lacks I guess is switching between bluetooth devices but Hasu controller doesn't do that either AFAIR.

I've never used advanced features so this configurator it's kind of enough for me. I like the battery percentage printing feature, I've made the same for the Hasu controller a while ago https://github.com/joric/tmk/tree/joric_battery_print

[joric]

YDKB controller also has a standard BLE 4.0 battery service that you can see in the OS interface.

[Atlantic]

The Bluetooth bulge is the greatest thing about the new hhkb, I love it.

[zrrion]

6u space bar is cool and all but dual 3u is the best.

[Muirium]

I totally would. If they did itty bitty spacebar with ANSI. But JIS is extracting the urine.

The Bluetooth bulge is the greatest thing about the new hhkb, I love it.

Pervert!

[cookie]

First blow passed by.

I revisit the sources again and again and keep thinking...
There is no way on earth that we are PFUs target audience.
That would explain why the refreshed version turned out the way it did.

My religious PFU fanboyism has been hit hard, maybe it's time to finally get a Tatoo removal for the PFU logo on my left butt cheek?

I kinda hoped for MX stems, it didn't happen and I am not even mad about it.
To be honest, I secretly hoped it will stay as is, since I belive that for the Topre switch design it's genuine sliders are prefect.
Having no fancy caps sucks though.

We all hoped for programability and kinda got this didn't we? I have to check out what possibilites it has to make up my mind about that feature. But nonetheless, it's going into the right direction!

I am glad the body is not made of aluminum to be honest, compared to a RF with metal backplate I think the typing on a HHKB is much smoother in comparison.

The fact they sticked to the "battery dick" design irretates me a lot.
It hasn't been well recieved back then and people still think it looks like shit now.

All in all, it's not the HHKB I personally hoped for but it certainly has some interesting development going on.

Wait for it...

Insulting an HHKB and calling its switches MX green triggered me so hard that I passed out!

[joric]

[cookie]

Spoiler:

A true masterpiece

[E3E]

I lost it at MX Green. Yep, gonna tell people all my Topre boards are MX Green now.

Also, they pull out another HHKB and act like it's different. Lmao. Oh well, good video despite the fuel for keyboard nerd ire.

[adhoc]

Are the space bars still in ABS?

[Findecanor]

I saw a transcript on Reddit from an interview that said they are PBT.
.. But I should really hunt for the source of that, to get it confirmed.

[adhoc]

If you find anything out, please do let me know. I'm quite interested in the "classic" model.

EDIT: Here the OP says the space bars are indeed in PBT now.
https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicalKeyb ... etails_in/