To Buy or Not To Buy - HHKB

[S.J.]

Hey guys,

I'm thinking of giving into my internal demons and plumping for a Happy Hacking keyboard... I have a CM Storm QFR with MX Blacks and I've sprayed it, got PBT caps blah blah blah, but it's just not doing it for me. 

What do you guys think?  Should I go for it?  FYI I've never used a Topre keyboard... 

[rm-rf]

well if you don't like it, you can sell it off for close to retail.

[ponoj]

I just got an FC660C Leopold.  Literally 2 days ago from mechanicalkeyboards.com. Literally best feelingthing ever.   So solid and beautiful. Hhkb look great too. I like the Leopold so much. I can't explain how nice it feels.  I'd recommend this board to anyone.  I got the white and it is perfect.  I'm sure the HHKB would feel similar. Only with a neater layout but no arrow keys

[ponoj]

[duplicate post whopps]

[S.J.]

well if you don't like it, you can sell it off for close to retail.

This is what I thought...

I just got an FC660C Leopold.  Literally 2 days ago from mechanicalkeyboards.com. Literally best feelingthing ever.   So solid and beautiful. Hhkb look great too. I like the Leopold so much. I can't explain how nice it feels.  I'd recommend this board to anyone.  I got the white and it is perfect.  I'm sure the HHKB would feel similar. Only with a neater layout but no arrow keys

Will have a look! 

[digi]

Don't get it, buy a Realforce or a Ducky TKL.

[ponoj]

Could you elaborate?  Is the ducky topre ?

[nmur]

Could you elaborate?  Is the ducky topre ?

no it's not

the difference between realforce and hhkb is mostly preference

[Elrick]

What do you guys think?  Should I go for it?  FYI I've never used a Topre keyboard... 

Get a HHKB Type - S and enjoy it.

YES, the long time hater of anything to do with HHKB, is now over hence why not buy it and see if it matches your predilections towards the Thorpie phenomenon.

Live long and prosper.......   

[ArchDill]

Buy HHKB. I love mine.

[Lazylewis]

What do you guys think?  Should I go for it?  FYI I've never used a Topre keyboard... 

Get a HHKB Type - S and enjoy it.

YES, the long time hater of anything to do with HHKB, is now over hence why not buy it and see if it matches your predilections towards the Thorpie phenomenon.

Live long and prosper.......   

. Why type s? I see no reason to buy a type s.

[cicada]

What do you guys think?  Should I go for it?  FYI I've never used a Topre keyboard... 

Get a HHKB Type - S and enjoy it.

YES, the long time hater of anything to do with HHKB, is now over hence why not buy it and see if it matches your predilections towards the Thorpie phenomenon.

Live long and prosper.......   

SO YOU LIKE HHKB NOW? Welcome to the elite club sir Elrick 

[S.J.]

Don't get it, buy a Realforce or a Ducky TKL.

Already have a TKL, wanted to go smaller.  I know i didn't say that though 

Get a HHKB Type - S and enjoy it.

I can't justify the extra cost... especially not at UK prices! 

[Tactile]

Hey guys,

I'm thinking of giving into my internal demons and plumping for a Happy Hacking keyboard... I have a CM Storm QFR with MX Blacks and I've sprayed it, got PBT caps blah blah blah, but it's just not doing it for me. 

What do you guys think?  Should I go for it?  FYI I've never used a Topre keyboard... 

Well, Topre really has nothing to do with it. If you haven't used a 60% keyboard, try one first. Just about all of the HHKB complaints, here and across the Web, relate not to the Topre switches but instead to the layout. People will buy one and then learn they can't do without arrow keys, or they need a Control key on either side of the spacebar (that one is HHKB specific), they hate the need to press two keys for F4, "Why did they bury the Caps Lock? I use Caps Lock all the time!", etc.. They're not cheap, and to buy a HHKB as a first Topre keyboard is, IMO, not wise. If you've not used a 60% keyboard, I think a Realforce or one of the Leopold Topre boards is a much wiser choice for a first Topre board.

[ponoj]

What he said   /\

Excellent points.

I would however strongly encourage you to try a topre board though, I personally love them. The hype is warranted.

[SpAmRaY]

Can we get the thread title corrected?

[S.J.]

Can we get the thread title corrected?

Done. It was bugging me too 

I don't think I will have the chance to try out a Topre board... and even buying a Realforce board is as expensive as the HHKB.  As someone already said, I could sell it for almost what I buy it for anyway.

I think instead of buying a 60% Leopold or whatever, and having to get a Topre too to try, I may as well go for the HHKB.  I do appreciate all the advice though guys, thanks!

[digi]

THANK YOU, that title was REALLY bugging me.. glad we got that cleared up.

[LiquidEvilGaming]

The HHKB is the best Topre board out there IMO by a long shot, however that said in the long run I ended up going back to clicky tactile switches as I missed that real mechanical feel.  Make sure you like Topre first if you DO the case mounted 45G HHKB is amazing, but if you don't it's a huge investment.

[digi]

The Realforce is the best Topre board out there IMO by a long shot

FTFY )

[LiquidEvilGaming]

The Realforce is the best Topre board out there IMO by a long shot

FTFY )

Nope,owned reviewed and sold the 55G Realforce, prefer the HHKB by a mile.

[Elrick]

SO YOU LIKE HHKB NOW? Welcome to the elite club sir Elrick 

Not just yet, all I did was place an order for one on Flebay and now waiting for it's arrival.

It's the juvenile's in the House wanting to try it out.  If they love the HHKB Type - S then a further 2 more shall be ordered.

Remember that the HHKB Type - S is an elusive animal hence you need to hunt one down first to see up close how it performs.  For myself I am happy with any other keyboard but an HHKB but for the ones you love you will do anything, including putting away an ancient hatred towards this tiny keyboard.

Also getting older and don't see the point in denying the ankle-biters, their keyboard of choice.

[Elrick]

I can't justify the extra cost... especially not at UK prices! 

Trust me, Australian prices aren't any better plus our currency is world renown as being almost WORTHLESS, making nearly everything bought and shipped here quite ludicrous.

But since we are a country that makes nothing this is the world we live in, either way you got to fork out more than anyone else on this planet, FACT of Life living here in Convict Town  .

[Severe]

I have three HHKB boards  2 blacks (one with key legends, one without) and a wireless one with blank caps as well. It is an amazing layout first and foremost. I didn't get the HHKB for the switches. I got them for the layout and discovered I absolutely love the Topre switch feel

[iLLucionist]

Easy. Buy. Topre is Love.

No ragrets here.

[S.J.]

I can't justify the extra cost... especially not at UK prices! 

Trust me, Australian prices aren't any better plus our currency is world renown as being almost WORTHLESS, making nearly everything bought and shipped here quite ludicrous.

But since we are a country that makes nothing this is the world we live in, either way you got to fork out more than anyone else on this planet, FACT of Life living here in Convict Town  .

Haha ok then!
Stil don't want to fork out for the S model though 

[iLLucionist]

I can't justify the extra cost... especially not at UK prices! 

Trust me, Australian prices aren't any better plus our currency is world renown as being almost WORTHLESS, making nearly everything bought and shipped here quite ludicrous.

But since we are a country that makes nothing this is the world we live in, either way you got to fork out more than anyone else on this planet, FACT of Life living here in Convict Town  .

Haha ok then!
Stil don't want to fork out for the S model though 

You can always do zeh hyperdomes mod. BUT... here in the Netherlands at least, HHKB + hyperdomes is almost as expensive as just buying the stock Type S.

[rowdy]

I have a QFR with MX blacks and HHKB (and at least a dozen other keyboards).

Coincidentally I've been using the QFR recently, but switched to the HHKB as part of weekly rotations and started to enjoy typing so much more.

That's not to say I don't like the QFR, for blacks is is quite smooth and hasn't given me any problems over the years.

At least you'll have the experience of two quite different keyboards.  And do give yourself a week or two to get used to the HHKB layout.

[beigebrucewayne]

I've always felt it's a keyboard very specifically engineered for programmers who use Vim or Emacs (originally bought it because caps lock -> control, which is what I remap everything to b/c of Vim). If you're not in that demo, then I think the appeal is iffy.

It's always going to be more convenient to have dedicated arrow keys. If you're into it for the sheer novelty and weirdness, then go for it. Otherwise, I'd say there are better Topre boards.

[Sup]

I've always felt it's a keyboard very specifically engineered for programmers who use Vim or Emacs (originally bought it because caps lock -> control, which is what I remap everything to b/c of Vim). If you're not in that demo, then I think the appeal is iffy.

It's always going to be more convenient to have dedicated arrow keys. If you're into it for the sheer novelty and weirdness, then go for it. Otherwise, I'd say there are better Topre boards.

Post is from 2017....

[1391401]

Maybe OP was still contemplating an HHKB