HHKB Studio Review: The Programmer's Mechanical Keyboard

It’s not often that thing arsenic well-known arsenic the Happy Hacking Keyboard gets reworked from the crushed up. And erstwhile it does happen, those changes usually gully disapproval from long-time fans. Look astatine Porsche’s power from air-cooled to water-cooled engines successful the 911, oregon Microsoft’s modulation to a much tablet-like interface for Windows 8. If radical are utilized to something, they won’t admit seeing it alteration drastically, careless of whether these changes are yet bully oregon bad.

The latest iteration of the Happy Hacking Keyboard (HHKB) makes ample changes to the model’s astir 30-year-old legacy, and it tin easy beryllium seen successful the aforesaid light. Besides the layout, astir each facet of this keyboard has been altered. Thankfully, rather a fewer of these changes bash consciousness similar improvements implicit erstwhile iterations.

The HHKB Studio is simply a hot-swappable 60% mechanical keyboard with Bluetooth connectivity, integrated touchpads, a built-in trackpoint, and a unsocial programmer-oriented layout. The Studio has a PBT integrative lawsuit and keycaps, multi-device connectivity, and keymap customization done the company's proprietary Keymap Tool software. But earlier we dive into this caller iteration, we request to instrumentality a look astatine the legacy.

Decades-Old Legacy

The Happy Hacking Keyboard has been astir for decades. It was designed astir the thought of a singular, specialized, long-lasting keyboard that could beryllium utilized crossed aggregate computers and operating systems (back erstwhile specified an thought was caller and new). It has been regularly upgraded since to further refine its unsocial layout and multi-device utility.

The archetypal exemplary of HHKB pioneered its unsocial layout, cutting keys from the bottommost corners, moving the backspace/delete cardinal and adding a 2nd cardinal successful the apical right, and trading the Caps Lock cardinal for a Control key, which was easy accessible to the pinky. In pursuing iterations, the keyboard moved from a accepted rubber-dome layout to Topre electro-capacitive switches, added USB pass-through, and yet introduced Bluetooth connectivity. However, crossed each generation, the unsocial layout has remained a constant. While the latest exemplary has stayed existent to the layout, astir each different facet of the keyboard has been modified.

One of the astir defining factors of the HHKB was the Topre electro-capacitive switch: A brushed tactile power with a rounded bump created by a rubber dome connected apical of a conical metallic spring. The HHKB was 1 of the lone keyboards disposable with these switches, which was some a blessing and a burden. They were uniquely enjoyable to benignant on, but astatine the aforesaid time, Topre switches’ rarity and unsocial operation made modifications to the switches oregon keycaps acold much difficult. Instead of being capable to region and regenerate idiosyncratic switches, immoderate modification would impact taking isolated the full keyboard.

Now, the HHKB Studio has adopted the MX-style power that has go astir ubiquitous successful modern mechanical keyboards, bringing it person to the satellite of modular keyboard designs. But alternatively of sticking with an existing mechanical switch, the institution has designed its ain MX-style power successful collaboration with Kailh, a well-known aftermarket power manufacturer.

Other noteworthy changes see the caller trackpoint successful the halfway of the keyboard, low-profile rodent buttons underneath the spacebar, and touch-sensitive “gesture pads” connected the beforehand and sides of the keyboard. The HHKB Studio besides maintains the wireless functionality of the erstwhile procreation and preserves the extended usage of PBT integrative successful the lawsuit and keycaps. The Bluetooth functionality is enhanced by an LED barroom successful the top-left of the keyboard, and the quick-adjustment dip switches connected the backmost are present hidden down a artillery cover.

Typing Feel

The HHKB Studio’s power from Topre to MX-style switches is simply a arguable change: One could reason it “sold out” by moving to MX-style switches. However, that would beryllium ignoring an important detail. These switches are fantastic to benignant on. They blend the unsocial dependable and consciousness of Topre tactile switches with the smoothness of a modern linear switch, creating a silenced linear that produces a soft, deep, and satisfying bottom-out. I’ve ne'er felt different power similar it. And, for fans of Topre switches, I bash deliberation this is the champion linear equivalent possible.

Taking isolated the switches, they look to beryllium made from a akin operation arsenic Kailh’s clicky switches. Specifically, the plan is reminiscent of Box Navy and Box Jade switches. The lone large quality is that the existent clicking mechanics (a tiny outpouring called a “click bar” that adds a tactile bump and produces a dependable erstwhile pressed) has been removed, and a sound-dampening pad has been added to the bottommost of the power housing.