• Happy Hacking Keyboard Hp Japan
• Ultimate Hacking Keyboard

The Happy Hacking Keyboard makes you bust your ass to 'get' it. But seeing as this is a minimalist keyboard meant almost exclusively for Unix work, I guess that shouldn't be surprising. Mar 31, 2020  The newest wireless Happy Hacking keyboard makes a few smart changes and a strong case for minimalist “designer” keyboards. March 31, 2020 Happy Hacking, one of the biggest names in Japanese mechanical keyboards, doesn’t update its gear often.

Initial comments[edit]

It's too bad that the company (PFU systems) doesn't have a lot of info on their website, this is a great little keyboard! Either way, I may email the company and try to get more images/info from them... Wish me luck!'We are not special. We are just different. Which makes us the same.' -Camo_Yoshi 02:58, 11 January 2009 (UTC) —Preceding unsigned comment added by Camo Yoshi (talk • contribs)

The Japanese article seems to have some information on the history of the HHKB. It'd be really nice to have a translation of that. Aon (talk) 10:10, 10 July 2009 (UTC)

Please, how is this spam? I created the page because the Das Keyboard links to it, and because it's an unusual keyboard. As far as I can tell there's no sales pitch, just information about how the keyboard works. H3st 11:02, 8 May 2007 (UTC)

As far as I can tell, it's not spam. It's a simple description of the thing with a link to the vendor's website. -- Apotheon 11:07, 8 May 2007 (UTC)

From the Criteria for Speedy Deletion page, 'Note that simply having a company, product, group, service, or person as its subject does not qualify an article for this criterion; an article that is blatant advertising should have inappropriate content as well.' -- Apotheon 11:22, 8 May 2007 (UTC)

This article is not spam. In fact, it is probably the most important article on Wikipedia. --stufff 12:53, 8 May 2007 (UTC)

Umm, saying that a short article on a keyboard is 'the most important article on Wikipedia' is a red flag to me. I can't see the notability of this. Why is this keyboard notable? I don't dispute that the article is based on fact. But pure facts don't make the topic notable. I'm re-marking it with notability. Some reason as to why this keyboard is notable must be given. Third party references are required to show that it is notable. peterl 01:43, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

I'm pretty sure Stufff was being 'funny'. As for notability, I can only guess by your skepticism that you're not a connoisseur of keyboards like some of us. It is as notable as Das Keyboard and the Optimus keyboard, in that it is designed to cater to a particular set of needs and preferences and has gained a certain cultural traction amongst enjoyers of fine input device design. -- Apotheon 14:43, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

Ah, now we're getting somewhere. The last sentence is great: if that is true it should go in the articl. Seems like a great keyboard: what needs and preferences does it cater to? Can we have some references? You've obviously got one; can we get a photo like Das Keyboard has? I do like a good keyboard; I'm a MS Natural person; the older ones were better than the new ones. peterl 22:22, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

Alas, I don't actually have any references handy for what I've said -- which is why I haven't put something like that in the article. I just hang out with enough hackers/geeks to know something about the quietly increasing usage of the Happy Hacking keyboard amongst such types. I personally would find the Happy Hacking keyboard a little difficult to use, but I can empathize with those who favor it easily enough. Perhaps the original author of this article has a photo of a Happy Hacking keyboard that can be submitted to Wikicommons for use in this article. By the way, while there are other keyboards I prefer over it, I currently use an old Microsoft Natural Elite for my desktop system -- it's not the best, but it's better than most. I'd much prefer the IBM Model M, but don't currently have access to such a beast. -- Apotheon 09:48, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

I added an image I found in the wikimedia commons. I'd gladly use a picture of my own, but I only have a crappy webcam and the pictures end up looking like this. The PFU site has promotional pictures that look better, but don't seem to be under a free license. They could probably be used like the one for Das Keyboard, though.

I added a slightly sharper picture that I took. Aon fi (talk) 15:27, 6 August 2008 (UTC)

As for who it caters to, the first who spring to mind are people with limited desktop space. There also seems to be some ergonomic value in it: I've seen some blog posts mentioning that they'd normally have their hands shifted a little to the left when using a normal keyboard, as opposed to right in front of them when using a small one. Finally: All the keys are within a short reach. There's no numpad to move your hand to, the esc, control and delete keys are closer to the home row, and the rest are accessible with Fn. It's pretty neat if the keys outside the, um, main typing area are mostly collecting dust and you'd rather use the space for your mouse or a coffee mug. It's not for everybody, though, for instance spreadsheet wizards who use the numpad extensively would probably go mad. My only gripe with it so far has been that mine's got an American layout, which lacks a key compared to the Norwegian keyboard layout. That's due to differences in layouts, though, so I'm not sure it should be included here. H3st 19:34, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

This keyboard deserves an entry. There are few 'clicky' keyboards for the Mac that are comparable to the old IBM model M. The model M has its own article. Given the ergonomics, excellent feedback, and uncommon feature set of the Happy Happy Keyboard, it deserves its own page, too. It is a notable keyboard for Mac OS X users, and is one of the few keyboards available to users who prefer 'clicky' keyboards. -66.31.203.92 (talk) 14:45, 14 August 2010 (UTC)

Blank keys instead of actual layout[edit]

I don't think the best picture to go along with this article is a blank keys HHK. It means I can't refer to the picture to see the layout described by the article. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 128.12.240.248 (talk) 11:22, 22 April 2010 (UTC)

I came here for exactly that: info on the unique layout. I don't own this keyboard so I can't take a better picture. -78.20.116.246 (talk) 13:49, 22 January 2012 (UTC)

References[edit]

The trouble with getting references to discuss this keyboard and its features is that basically everything about it is in Japanese. A Happy Hacking Keyboard Professional 2 Type-S Blank keys with US layout ships with a leaflet entirely in Japanese. It's pretty hard to even figure out how to set the dip switches to your liking. So for someone to write a well referenced article about this keyboard they'd need to be bilingual yet prefer to write in English. Dlamblin (talk) 15:28, 16 January 2013 (UTC)

Couldn't someone who speaks Japanese just translate the leaflet and post it somewhere? RoflCopter404 (talk) 08:26, 16 December 2014 (UTC)

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2020 version[edit]

Seems like some version with USB-C, USB-A, and BT got released in 2020 (or maybe end of 2019?) — Preceding unsigned comment added by 77.251.174.211 (talk) 23:00, 11 March 2020 (UTC)

Keyboards

• Pros

  • Great typing feel
  • Topre switches
  • USB Type-C (cabled) and Bluetooth (wireless) connectivity on a battery-powered keyboard
  • Rear DIP switches allow for software-free customization
  • Surprisingly comfortable 60-key design

• Cons

  • Steep learning curve from full-size and tenkeyless keyboards
  • No 2.4GHz RF wireless connectivity
  • Very expensive

• Bottom Line

  The newest wireless Happy Hacking keyboard makes a few smart changes and a strong case for minimalist “designer” keyboards.

Happy Hacking, one of the biggest names in Japanese mechanical keyboards, doesn’t update its gear often. The company, a division of Fujitsu, has been making its 60-key Professional keyboard for more than 20 years. The minimalist mechanical board is one of the pillars of the enthusiast keyboard scene, which covets its intelligent design and Topre electrostatic capacitive switches. Though the firm occasionally releases updated models—the last one was in 2016—the formula rarely changes much. The $322 Happy Hacking Professional Hybrid, one of three “Pro 3” models released this year, expands the keyboard’s wireless functionality, adds a USB-C port for charging, and adds a light configuration app for Windows. That’s not a whole lot in the way of evolution, but given the keyboard's incredibly refined and highly specific design, it’s easy to understand why Happy Hacking doesn’t mess with a classic.

Less Is More

Given that it has just 60 keys, using a Happy Hacking Pro Hybrid may be a shock if you’re used to a full-size or tenkeyless (TKL) keyboard. Measuring 1.6 by 11.5 by 4.7 inches, it’s very small—if you’re switching from a full-size keyboard, you’ll be amazed how much more space you have on your desk.

The primary benefit of this compact design is how it makes your movements more efficient. The keys are perfectly spaced, but still very close together, so your fingers can reach far keys without stretching. This makes the typing experience more comfortable and should, in theory, reduce repetitive stress to the muscles in your hands. That said, I wouldn’t call this an ergonomic keyboard, as it doesn’t have the alternative form factor that reduces stress on your wrists and shoulders. Still, it provides some ergonomic benefits and may help improve performance over time.

The downside of that size, for many people, will be that a 60 percent keyboard doesn’t feel natural. To hit that low number of keys, HH moves Caps Lock, F1 through F12, the arrow keys, Page Up, Page Down, and many other functions to Alt- or Control-key shortcuts. If you buy a model with printed legends (as shown in the photos), these shortcuts are marked on the near sides of the keycaps, so you won’t need to memorize them.

Some of the larger system configuration changes, including switching between Mac and Windows compatibility and relegating Backspace to a shortcut, can be adjusted with a set of small sliding DIP switches, which are hidden under a panel on the keyboard’s underside. You'll find a sticker with instructions to explain what each switch does, so you don’t need to keep the manual handy. The DIP switches are small and delicate, and using them feels a little like playing with the keyboard’s circuit breaker, which makes the experience a little stressful.

As a new minimalist keyboard user, I was impressed at how easy it was to manage all these changes, because they are a lot to take in. Though it took several weeks to get comfortable navigating the keyboard, it was never difficult to check my shortcuts and do what I needed to do. That said, it is a big change and takes some mental gymnastics to adapt—I had no idea I used the arrow keys as much when writing and managing my PC before this review. Unless you’re really enthusiastic about making the switch, I would not recommend downsizing.

Topre, or Not Topre

That said, once you adjust to the differences, the Happy Hacking Pro Hybrid feels wonderful to type on. The key difference, aside from the design, is that Happy Hacking uses Topre switches that combine mechanical and membrane-style actuation to create a very smooth but stable typing action. They have a light touch, requiring just 45g of force to actuate, but don’t have the hair-trigger drop you’d find on Cherry MX Reds or other similarly calibrated switches. The feeling of pressing each key feels consistently good all the way down. If they weren’t so expensive, I’d say everyone should use them.

Now, to be clear, everything we’ve discussed up to this point is old news. Happy Hacking’s core design doesn’t change much from keyboard to keyboard. There are three main new features in the Pro Hybrid. First, it swaps out the micro USB port used for its wired connection for a USB Type-C port...

Second, building on the Bluetooth support added in the 2016 Happy Hacking Professional BT, the Professional Hybrid adds the ability to pair with as many as four devices and hot-swap among them using a keyboard shortcut, similar to what you see on Logitech’s high-end productivity gear. For the person who uses multiple PCs, or wants to pair a keyboard with their phone, it’s a very helpful feature, though I would have preferred if HH added a button or second set of DIP switches to adjust, if only for clarity’s sake. It’s easy to mess up the two-part pairing shortcut without knowing it, then get frustrated when the keyboard doesn’t start working right.

Also, though I didn’t experience any latency from the Bluetooth connection, I would still prefer it if the keyboard also featured a dongle-based 2.4GHz connection, as that’s proven to be more stable and often consumes less power. Considering that the Happy Hacking costs more than $300, it doesn’t seem like a big ask.

Happy Hacking Keyboard Hp Japan

Then again, the Pro Hybrid doesn’t seem to have any issues with battery life. The keyboard should run for approximately three months on a single pair of AA batteries, according to Fujitsu. That’s a long time, if not nearly the best we’ve seen. That said, in a way it’s the best of both worlds: I generally don’t like it when wireless keyboards and mice opt for disposable batteries, in part, because companies often use that as an excuse not to include a USB port. Since the Pro Hybrid has a USB Type-C port, you need to charge less and you can always plug in if the moment calls for it.

Hacking Your Keyboard Configuration

Happy Hacking’s last new feature for the Professional Hybrid is a new configuration app. Like the design ethos of the keyboard, Happy Hacking employed a minimalist approach with its Windows-only utility. The Happy Hacking Keyboard Keymap Tool is a single panel, which allows you to remap keyboard functions, see the current positions of the DIP switches, and update the keyboard’s firmware. You cannot remap shortcuts or make new ones, so this is purely for basic customization. And honestly, given how many shortcuts you need to memorize, I imagine that changing anything would do more harm than good. (Luckily, restoring the factory default layout is one of the few options in the settings menu.)

You can save your changes as external configuration files, then load them as needed. There’s no quick way to swap among profiles on the fly, nor is there onboard memory to store them.

Does Happy Hacking Make You Happy?

Here’s the thing: Happy Hacking keyboards, like Realforce, Leopold, and other mechanical keyboard brands that use Topre switches, are prohibitively expensive. The Happy Hacking Pro Hybrid starts at $322, though its price fluctuates from $281 to $350 depending on where you shop. (Pro tip: Buy direct from Fujitsu to get the best price.) That’s far more money than most of the keyboards we test, and for fewer comforts and quality-of-life features. Topre switches feel great, but are they worth sacrificing features and spending a fortune? On paper, the answer is no, but I’d also be remiss if I didn’t recognize that there is a community that strongly disagrees.

Happy Hacking has been a minimalist 'designer' keyboard pillar for some time. Having spent some time with the keyboard, I get why fans covet it: It’s compact and feels great to type on. If you're obsessed with how a keyboard feels and sounds and prefer technical and aesthetic minimalism, it is exactly what you want. In my mind, that philosophical purity comes with some utilitarian compromises, but I can also see why some people prefer this to a decked-out mechanical keyboard.

For the crew who already know and love Happy Hacking, the upgrades to the Pro Hybrid don’t do anything to hamper its best qualities, though only a small subset of power users will find the software and device switching to be meaningful upgrades. Then again, you have to care a lot about keyboards to spend this much on 60 keys, so maybe they’re exactly what Happy Hacking’s fans need.

Happy Hacking Professional Hybrid Wireless Mechanical Keyboard Specs

Ultimate Hacking Keyboard

Best Keyboard Picks

Further Reading