Author Topic: Happy Hacking Keyboard Professional 2 - Alternatives? (Read 18922 times)

exia · « **on:** Sat, 24 July 2010, 22:16:36 »

I like the compactness of the HHKB Pro 2 but not the price. What other keyboards choices do I have? I find the tenkeyless keyboards too big as well so no suggestions from those please.

Superfluous Parentheses · « **Reply #1 on:** Sat, 24 July 2010, 22:42:38 »

The BTC 5100 C is more or less comparable in size. It can be cheap as hell ( see here for an example) but the switches aren't much good.

The SIIG minitouch is pretty much the same board except that you can get it with good switches and it has the cursor keys in the right configuration. The good version is available for $99 here.

kriminal · « **Reply #2 on:** Sat, 24 July 2010, 22:55:55 »

whoa Exia is back? hmm SF took his question seriously too... hmm...
oh well check the geekhack SIIG Minitouch

d4rkst4r · « **Reply #3 on:** Sat, 24 July 2010, 23:52:50 »

exia, have you considered looking for a used hhkb lite? These can usually be acquired for about $30 shipped. Fentek sells the hhkb lite2 new for $69.95.

hyperlinked · « **Reply #4 on:** Sun, 25 July 2010, 01:45:36 »

Let's not forget the GeekHack Space Saver:
http://5k177.com/more/

aegrotatio · « **Reply #5 on:** Sun, 25 July 2010, 01:49:11 »

People here hate on the HHKB Lite. I have both a Lite and a Lite 2 and I rather like them. I'm not sure what the fuss is all about. Unfortunately they are both out of production.

You might want to check out the BTC-5100 series. The arrow keys are in the wrong place, but I really like them. Also known as SIIG Minitouch Plus, but that line is now out of production. What's cool about the BTC-5100 is that you can get it in ivory, too.

ch_123 · « **Reply #6 on:** Sun, 25 July 2010, 06:12:02 »

The prodigal son returns, starting his troll cycle by claiming his interest in some arbitrary mechanical keyboard... only a matter of time before he starts going on about how great Logitechs are.

microsoft windows · « **Reply #7 on:** Sun, 25 July 2010, 09:19:14 »

Many, many long years ago, my mother said "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything".

ch_123 · « **Reply #8 on:** Sun, 25 July 2010, 09:31:11 »

Damn straight.

If anyone wants to look at Exia's backlog, they'd see that he's kinda like what MW would be if he was a proper troll instead of just some bored 14 year old.

microsoft windows · « **Reply #9 on:** Sun, 25 July 2010, 09:33:57 »

I'm not a bored 14-year-old. But I'd have to wonder what you all would think if you saw me in real life.

But I got to wonder what kind of troll Ch_123 is. I bet he's a troll with Ass burgers.

ch_123 · « **Reply #10 on:** Sun, 25 July 2010, 09:37:46 »

How original.

microsoft windows · « **Reply #11 on:** Sun, 25 July 2010, 09:43:51 »

Hey. I thought you were ignoring me!

patrickgeekhack · « **Reply #12 on:** Sun, 25 July 2010, 11:33:06 »

Quote from: microsoft windows;206197

I'm not a bored 14-year-old. But I'd have to wonder what you all would think if you saw me in real life.

But I got to wonder what kind of troll Ch_123 is. I bet he's a troll with Ass burgers.

Microsoft Windows you are one special case. You are like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

patrickgeekhack · « **Reply #13 on:** Sun, 25 July 2010, 11:35:32 »

Quote from: hyperlinked;206135

Let's not forget the GeekHack Space Saver:
http://5k177.com/more/

This is a very tempting keyboard, especially because I have never tried real click Alps. Unfortunately, any keyboard that has the ~ key not located to the left of the 1 key is going to cause too much frustration for me and therefore will not get used as often as I would like it to be used. Do you know if real white Alps are less noisy than Fukka?

ironman31 · « **Reply #14 on:** Sun, 25 July 2010, 12:14:10 »

I'm pretty sure the ghss has fake alps. Mine appear to be, they are much different than what's on my acer 6011, and they don't. Have the alps logo on them. Someone correct me if I'm wrong

patrickgeekhack · « **Reply #15 on:** Sun, 25 July 2010, 14:27:09 »

Quote from: ironman31;206237

I'm pretty sure the ghss has fake alps. Mine appear to be, they are much different than what's on my acer 6011, and they don't. Have the alps logo on them. Someone correct me if I'm wrong

I see. I'll keep waiting. If I find a real white ALPS keyboard at a reasonable price, then I may bite the bullet. It's not something I'm dying to do. Someone once told me that I should not judge ALPS switches from my experience with black ALPS only.

ch_123 · « **Reply #16 on:** Sun, 25 July 2010, 14:28:53 »

That's true. Thing is that the white Alps are nothing special. They occupy a sort of unnecessary middle ground between the Blue Cherry and Buckling Spring. If you have a strong preference for one of those, the white Alps will just seem mediocre.

patrickgeekhack · « **Reply #17 on:** Sun, 25 July 2010, 14:30:29 »

Quote from: ch_123;206295

That's true. Thing is that the white Alps are nothing special. They occupy a sort of unnecessary middle ground between the Blue Cherry and Buckling Spring. If you have a strong preference for one of those, the white Alps will just seem mediocre.

Mmmm... I'm a big fan of blue Cherries.

ch_123 · « **Reply #18 on:** Sun, 25 July 2010, 14:31:19 »

Cherries are light and springy. Alps are heavier, and they have that hard bottoming out, although not as bad as it is on the blacks.

ironman31 · « **Reply #19 on:** Sun, 25 July 2010, 14:40:20 »

If you were to compare the simplified and complicated white alps, to a blue cherry lover, the complicated with feel miles better than the simplified. The latter feeling a too stiff at the beginning of the keypress. They are also kind of hard not to bottom out on. (this is only coming from trying the ghss)

patrickgeekhack · « **Reply #20 on:** Sun, 25 July 2010, 15:11:05 »

I have come to that conclusion too. The more still a switch is, the harder it is not to bottom out heavily. I say heavily because it's pretty difficult not to bottom out. What most of us mean by not bottoming out is "not bottoming out heavily."

exia · « **Reply #21 on:** Sun, 25 July 2010, 16:27:38 »

If one were to make an offer on this Happy Hacking Keyboard Pro 2 what would be a fair price?

http://cgi.ebay.com/Happy-Hacking-Keyboard-Professional-2-HHKB-Pro-2-PRO2-/160458796576?cmd=ViewItem&pt=PCA_Mice_Trackballs&hash=item255c16ee20#ht_500wt_931

patrickgeekhack · « **Reply #22 on:** Sun, 25 July 2010, 19:31:22 »

Quote from: exia;206352

If one were to make an offer on this Happy Hacking Keyboard Pro 2 what would be a fair price?

http://cgi.ebay.com/Happy-Hacking-Keyboard-Professional-2-HHKB-Pro-2-PRO2-/160458796576?cmd=ViewItem&pt=PCA_Mice_Trackballs&hash=item255c16ee20#ht_500wt_931

I cannot speak for you, but US$250-270 is pretty good if the keyboard is indeed still new. It would cost around CDN $330 to get a new one from Elitekeyboards to my door in Canada. If you can meet the guy in Toronto to check the keyboard, it's even better.

microsoft windows · « **Reply #23 on:** Sun, 25 July 2010, 19:45:09 »

Quote from: ch_123;206295

That's true. Thing is that the white Alps are nothing special. They occupy a sort of unnecessary middle ground between the Blue Cherry and Buckling Spring. If you have a strong preference for one of those, the white Alps will just seem mediocre.

White ALPS switches are actually much different. They require less force than buckling springs, but still have a very strong tactile bump.

patrickgeekhack · « **Reply #24 on:** Sun, 25 July 2010, 19:46:52 »

Quote from: microsoft windows;206387

White ALPS switches are actually much different. They require less force than buckling springs, but still have a very strong tactile bump.

I like the sound of the Northgate. I may not wan to use one as a daily driver, but it would be nice to try one someday.

microsoft windows · « **Reply #25 on:** Sun, 25 July 2010, 19:48:23 »

Now that you reminded me, white ALPS also have a different sound.

kriminal · « **Reply #26 on:** Sun, 25 July 2010, 21:39:16 »

i have some white alps switches.. in jar.. waiting to be used for my Belkin nostromo project.
it has a definite tactile bump with a soft click, but not as "scratchy" as my GHSS with fake alps...

exia · « **Reply #27 on:** Sun, 25 July 2010, 22:01:07 »

The HHKP2 has the backspace at a non-standard location (why?), how does that affect usage? Do people get used to it?

Admiral Mudkipz · « **Reply #28 on:** Sun, 25 July 2010, 22:12:19 »

I'm just about buy my first mechanical keyboard and that Geekhack Spacesaving keyboard looks quite appealing. My other alternative was going to be the Das Ultimate Model S, but seeing as the Geekhack is pretty rare, and is being offered at a damn good price, which one would you guys rate over the other? I am buying the Das with a student discount, so it should come out $98 including shipping, which is what the Geekhack is going for also, minus shipping.

ironman31 · « **Reply #29 on:** Sun, 25 July 2010, 22:39:04 »

You should make a new thread regarding your dilemma.

hyperlinked · « **Reply #30 on:** Sun, 25 July 2010, 22:45:29 »

Mudkipz, I don't own either so I can't tell you anything from first hand experience, but it should be obvious that the two keyboards you're comparing, the Das Ultimate Model S and the GHSS (SIIG Minitouch) are two vastly different keyboards.

Besides the obvious size differences, the GHSS has an L shaped enter key so the \ (backslash) key is placed below the / (forward slash) key. That should be no big deal to most people. I do a lot of programming so the transposed \ key is an issue for me.

Read the review on the SIIG Minitouch for an idea of how the GHSS feels:
http://geekhack.org/showwiki.php?title=Island:6945

Both the GHSS and the Das are clicky, but through different click mechanisms and the Das's Cherry Blue switches should be lighter feeling than the White ALPS of the GHSS.

They're really not that similar to each other so there should be many different ways you can make this decision.

Admiral Mudkipz · « **Reply #31 on:** Sun, 25 July 2010, 22:55:42 »

Well considering that I am coming from a rubber dome keyboard (which I've heard requires 60g+ of force), I don't think heavier keys are of no concern.

The only reason why the GHSS appeals to me is because of its smaller size. And the only reason why the Das Keyboard appeals to me is because it has blank keys. BTW, do the Geekhack keys come with the GHSS (the green ones)...because I think those are pretty sweet.

hyperlinked · « **Reply #32 on:** Sun, 25 July 2010, 23:03:11 »

Quote from: Admiral Mudkipz;206444

The only reason why the GHSS appeals to me is because of its smaller size. And the only reason why the Das Keyboard appeals to me is because it has blank keys. BTW, do the Geekhack keys come with the GHSS (the green ones)...because I think those are pretty sweet.

Yup, the GHSS has those sweet looking green keys and they're double shot keys to boot! If you read the GHSS site, you'll see that Didjamatic got his hands on a bunch of mint SIIG Minitouches and had some special keys made for it.

Admiral Mudkipz · « **Reply #33 on:** Sun, 25 July 2010, 23:07:20 »

Neat. Well I just learned that the board doesn't actually have any NKRO abilities. Unfortunately, considering that I am also a gamer, a board without NKRO isn't going to work out too well in the end.

Brodie337 · « **Reply #34 on:** Mon, 26 July 2010, 00:02:29 »

Hey!

It's me from OCN!

News:

Author Topic: Happy Hacking Keyboard Professional 2 - Alternatives? (Read 18922 times)