Anyone tried both the Novatouch and HHKB?
Want to compare them both in detail before I decide which one I want to buy.
I have both. They feel very different due to the fact that hhkb is plastic case mounted and novatouch is steel plate mounted.
Hhkb:
Smaller, lighter, weird keyboard layout, but much higher quality key caps.
It feels much better to type on IMO. The actuation force is harder but the landing is much softer.
The sound is much thockier and there's no stabilizer rattle at all. You can make it programmable by adding a Teensie board (soddering skills required).
After market keycaps for Topre almost impossible to find other than $150 Realforce sets.
Uses mini USB (but does not work with all USB hubs).
Overall build quality is extremely good but it slides around on your desk a little sometimes because the rubber feet are a joke.
Novatouch:
TKL size, very sturdy case. Nice matte finish (not rubber).
Not as nice to type on as other Topre boards but starts to feel much better when you put other keycaps on it. (I like thick pbt or OG dolch with o-rings, I have heard SA is really good on it)
The actuation is lighter than HHKB (to me it's not as nice to type on but better for gaming). The bottom out is kinda harsh though. My friend said it makes her fingers feel weird.
Sound is not great but much improved with thicker keycaps. The stabilizers can be loose or rattle, different people have different ones affected by this.
Uses MX keycaps so you can use whatever you want, but Novatouch seems to be designed for higher profile caps so shorter ones like cherry profile will have clearance issues with the stabs hitting the roof of the keycap and making a loud clacking noise. Need to use thick o-rings or maybe landing pads to prevent this.
Uses micro USB
Very good build quality and although not as heavy as a RF, I actually like the case much more.
Hope this info helps
