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HHKB Studio: The New Happy Hacking Keyboard with TrackPoint

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Re: HHKB Studio: The New Happy Hacking Keyboard with TrackPoint

#61

Post by jwells89 »

fmajid wrote: post #60
jwells89 wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Shura uses double-shot keycaps, where the legends are a different colored plastic whereas earlier TEX models used UV printed or laser etched keycaps. TEX’s older method is common to a lot of keyboard manufacturers and is prone to wear like you’ve seen. By contrast double-shot keys will get shiny, but their legends will always be legible no matter how many years they’re used.

Those keycaps are doubleshot ABS, though, and ABS is widely considered to be an inferior material compared to PBT. At that price, you would expect the latter.

I’m not too surprised because PBT as a material is harder to work with. It’s more prone to shrinkage and large caps like the spacebar are prone to warping, and this compounds if you try to do doubleshot PBT.

Most of the affordable PBT caps I’ve seen have been dyesub (which can be very durable if done well) or PBT-ABS blend doubleshot.

Re: HHKB Studio: The New Happy Hacking Keyboard with TrackPoint

#62

Post by JohnBooty »

fmajid wrote: post #60
jwells89 wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Shura uses double-shot keycaps, where the legends are a different colored plastic whereas earlier TEX models used UV printed or laser etched keycaps. TEX’s older method is common to a lot of keyboard manufacturers and is prone to wear like you’ve seen. By contrast double-shot keys will get shiny, but their legends will always be legible no matter how many years they’re used.

Those keycaps are doubleshot ABS, though, and ABS is widely considered to be an inferior material compared to PBT. At that price, you would expect the latter.

Absolutely.

By any objective measure PBT is the winner in all regards.

Re: HHKB Studio: The New Happy Hacking Keyboard with TrackPoint

#63

Post by JohnBooty »

jwells89 wrote: post #61
fmajid wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Those keycaps are doubleshot ABS, though, and ABS is widely considered to be an inferior material compared to PBT. At that price, you would expect the latter.

I’m not too surprised because PBT as a material is harder to work with. It’s more prone to shrinkage and large caps like the spacebar are prone to warping, and this compounds if you try to do doubleshot PBT. Most of the affordable PBT caps I’ve seen have been dyesub (which can be very durable if done well) or PBT-ABS blend doubleshot.

Yeah, dyesub can be super durable. For the past few years I've rotated between several keyboards as daily drivers. All with dyesub PBT keycaps that retailed in the $30-$40 range.

Zero issues with the dyesub labels.

I generally prefer them to doubleshot PBT, because dyesub labels tend to be much crisper than doubleshot labels. Though, of course, you can find ultra-crisp doubleshot labels or fuzzy dyesub labels.

Re: HHKB Studio: The New Happy Hacking Keyboard with TrackPoint

#64

Post by JohnBooty »

khnorgaard wrote: post #10
TheRoque wrote: post #6

Sorry for being such a newbie, but I never understood why HHKB was popular, and where it got its fame. I saw my roomate already having it 10 years ago, I find cool the minimalist aspect, but why such keyboard with basic design made it so far ? Also, on a personal note, having a 65% keyboard now for 3 years, I'll go back to a 75% keyboard. I think functions keys and arrows are used way too frequently to spend your tim…

It's mainly due to using topre switches but they also swap CAPSLOCK for CTRL by default (which used to be normal back in the day). For me, having gone through heaps of MX-based boards, I always return to topre. The typing experience is just superior IMHO. Unfortunately this new board uses MX type switches which to me is weird because it's their biggest differentiator and selling point.

    having gone through heaps of MX-based 
    boards, I always return to topre
Have you compared/contrasted Topre switches vs. higher-end MX-compatible switches?

Actual CherryMX branded switches are not great in my experience. I find Gateron's factory-lubed MX compatible switches to be excellent, and they are considered (I think?) middle-tier.

But I have never tried "exotic" or "high-end" MX-compat switches, nor have I tried Topre. I would love a comparison.

Re: HHKB Studio: The New Happy Hacking Keyboard with TrackPoint

#65

Post by JohnBooty »

wodenokoto wrote: post #31

OT: What’s a great keyboard for people who don’t like mechanical keyboards? I took the plunge when I switched to a job where we worked on windows instead of macOS and got a keyChron as my daily driver instead of a Magic Keyboard. I had good memories of clicking away on an old IBM as a kid in the 90s so I thought I’d enjoy a “real” keyboard. I don’t dislike my low profile keyChron. But even after a year and a half it…

    But even after a year and a half it 
    still feels tall and I mistype a lot.
I had a Keychron K3 and I found the default keycaps to have a weird shape ("profile" in keyboard lingo)

This was resolved by getting a new set of keycaps: https://www.keychron.com/collections/keychron-low-profile-ke...

...at which point I found it to be an excellent typing experience! However...

    feels tall
There are low profile models from Logitech and others but I don't know that their height would be different enough to matter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6WZNKzHzXc

Maybe the Corsair A100? That looks like it uses unique laptop-style switches.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-kC_tnXGj4

Re: HHKB Studio: The New Happy Hacking Keyboard with TrackPoint

#66

Post by code-blooded »

ductsurprise wrote: post #20
azeirah wrote: post #16

Does anyone know if there are any portable bluetooth keyboards (think usable in the train) with a trackpoint? The only ones I can find have a trackpad, but I think a trackpoint would actually be a lot nicer.

- ThinkPad TrackPoint Keyboard II Bluetooth ? It's pretty close to full size, but very slim and light weight.

I'm writing this message on that keyboard and I don't really recommend it. It's a literal copy of the modern ThinkPad laptop keyboards, only a little worse.

It's mushy for a proper desktop keyboard, the TrackPoint is too flat and requires a lot of force to use (just like in the recent laptops) and worst of all, dust, crumbs and dirt easily get under the keys and make them not register unless you press hard.

Re: HHKB Studio: The New Happy Hacking Keyboard with TrackPoint

#67

Post by code-blooded »

tbitrust wrote: post #57

Question to keyboard enthusiasts: Are ergo column staggered keyboards that much more ergonomic, comfortable?

Column staggered and even more so ortholinear are easier for my brain to work with: the layout can be made almost symmetrical and fingers always go up.

One thing to watch for is that many have same size modifier keys as letter keys, which I find not ideal.

Re: HHKB Studio: The New Happy Hacking Keyboard with TrackPoint

#68

Post by tacone »

petepete wrote: post #8
threatofrain wrote: post #5

It really surprises me that the Happy Hacking Keyboard brand has stuck with their key layout. For a more conventional layout one might consider keychron. https://www.keychron.com/

Why would anyone need a capslock?

I remapped my caps lock as a modifier to let me use my central row keys as arrow keys, also stuff like caps look + space bar = return, caps lock + Z = delete and so on. It's quite handy.

Re: HHKB Studio: The New Happy Hacking Keyboard with TrackPoint

#69

Post by fomine3 »

thoweir234234ff wrote: post #28

Surprised that they abandoned the signature Topre switches for this 'custom' HHKB switch. Doubt if any of the keyboard-otakus will go for this esp. given the sheer variety of MX switches now.

Actually this model is designed by PFU with Japanese DIY keyboard otakus.

Re: HHKB Studio: The New Happy Hacking Keyboard with TrackPoint

#70

Post by wodenokoto »

8draco8 wrote: post #33
wodenokoto wrote: post #31

OT: What’s a great keyboard for people who don’t like mechanical keyboards? I took the plunge when I switched to a job where we worked on windows instead of macOS and got a keyChron as my daily driver instead of a Magic Keyboard. I had good memories of clicking away on an old IBM as a kid in the 90s so I thought I’d enjoy a “real” keyboard. I don’t dislike my low profile keyChron. But even after a year and a half it…

Logitech makes excellent, "mac style" keyboards for Windows. Checkout Logitech MX Keys. It should fit your needs if you liked Apple Magic Keyboard

Which caps did you go with?
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