If you
a) don't like light keyboards
b) don't enjoy topre
c) don't like the HHKB layout and
d) want to customize your keyboard
.... don't buy a goddman HHKB. Easy as that.
It's personal preference. If the board doesn't meet your preference - don't buy it.
EDIT: What's true however is: It's overpriced for what it is. Sadly, there is no competitor to this keyboard, nothing else like it, that's why the price is so high.
If you
a) don't like light keyboards
b) don't enjoy topre
c) don't like the HHKB layout and
d) want to customize your keyboard
.... don't buy a goddman HHKB. Easy as that.
It's personal preference. If the board doesn't meet your preference - don't buy it.
EDIT: What's true however is: It's overpriced for what it is. Sadly, there is no competitor to this keyboard, nothing else like it, that's why the price is so high.
A, C, D for me. Thank for your suggestion cause I'm thinking about buying a HHKB to experience torpe switch. Probably I should change to realforce.
If you
a) don't like light keyboards
b) don't enjoy topre
c) don't like the HHKB layout and
d) want to customize your keyboard
.... don't buy a goddman HHKB. Easy as that.
It's personal preference. If the board doesn't meet your preference - don't buy it.
EDIT: What's true however is: It's overpriced for what it is. Sadly, there is no competitor to this keyboard, nothing else like it, that's why the price is so high.
If you
a) don't like light keyboards
b) don't enjoy topre
c) don't like the HHKB layout and
d) want to customize your keyboard
.... don't buy a goddman HHKB. Easy as that.
It's personal preference. If the board doesn't meet your preference - don't buy it.
EDIT: What's true however is: It's overpriced for what it is. Sadly, there is no competitor to this keyboard, nothing else like it, that's why the price is so high.
Maybe he didn't know that...
A. He didn't like light keyboards
B. He didn't prefer Topre
C. He didn't prefer the HHKB layout
D. He wanted to customize his keyboard
...before he bought the board? I mean isn't the point of trying different things to see if you like them or not? And in this case the user didn't care for some aspects of the HHKB while he liked others?
+1MoreIf you
a) don't like light keyboards
b) don't enjoy topre
c) don't like the HHKB layout and
d) want to customize your keyboard
.... don't buy a goddman HHKB. Easy as that.
It's personal preference. If the board doesn't meet your preference - don't buy it.
EDIT: What's true however is: It's overpriced for what it is. Sadly, there is no competitor to this keyboard, nothing else like it, that's why the price is so high.
Maybe he didn't know that...
A. He didn't like light keyboards
B. He didn't prefer Topre
C. He didn't prefer the HHKB layout
D. He wanted to customize his keyboard
...before he bought the board? I mean isn't the point of trying different things to see if you like them or not? And in this case the user didn't care for some aspects of the HHKB while he liked others?
Yeah, I'm thinking this is the most likely case. The HHKB is held in such high regard, so when somebody new to mechs in general starts poking around, they want to experience what all the hype is about. I'm sure there are many people out there who just ordered a HHKB without hunting down a topre switch tester, or seeing one in person beforehand. Naturally, some people will end up with buyer's remorse.
OP, if there's a bright side to all this, you will easily find a buyer for your HHKB if you're looking to get some of your money back.
My problem with HHKBs is their build quality as well. But RAMA is going to fix that with an aluminum case this year, apparently. Customization has always been a 3D print of stems or adapters away. Lots of examples on shapeways.
As long as a HHKB2 is properly cared for (no scratch, no ding, no crack) and with original box, after 3 years of use, one can still get back around $200 easily. It's definitely a plus side of getting an iconic product, which can also be true for IBM Model M SSK. I'm not sure about the resale values of some of those custom boards with metal cases - many of them are nice, but there's a zoo of them out there.
My problem with HHKBs is their build quality as well. But RAMA is going to fix that with an aluminum case this year, apparently. Customization has always been a 3D print of stems or adapters away. Lots of examples on shapeways.
Sure, but then we're paying $250 for a fixer-upper ? hahahaha..
As long as a HHKB2 is properly cared for (no scratch, no ding, no crack) and with original box, after 3 years of use, one can still get back around $200 easily. It's definitely a plus side of getting an iconic product, which can also be true for IBM Model M SSK. I'm not sure about the resale values of some of those custom boards with metal cases - many of them are nice, but there's a zoo of them out there.
The fact that it's resellable, doesn't make it any LESS of a crap keyboard..
So, you get to push this crummy thing onto some one else ?
It's STILL crummy.. hahahahahaha
What made you go for an unusual layout with topre switches and an OP price tag in the first place?
It isn't going to be for everyone...but what I think is odd is that with all of your complaints about it, you've been using it for THREE YEARS.
What I also think is odd is you've said these are just your personal opinions but you've called out others for why THEY must like it...obviously because you don't like it other people must be wrong and have justified their purchases in other ways. Not only that but it isn't the most expensive or exclusive keyboard....
Topre is not for everyone...but the lower cost Topre keyboards out there have shown that people actually do like it NOT based on price..that whole argument has been debunked a long time ago..
The talk about other people having issues using your keyboard is, frankly, obvious and rather silly...Of course people not used to using it will be completely confused...Is that not completely obvious?
Yeah, sorry if what I said came across that way, I didn't mean it to. I was trying to say that i feel it's possible a lot of the hype comes from confirmation bias. I only said that because I felt that way at first. It was just such an expensive board I thought it was truly perfect. Then as time went on the rose tinted glass wore off. Still a great board like I keep saying, just think it's overhyped. So far it's still one of my favourite boards so i wasn't trying to say that if it's other peoples favourites it's not justified.
Here in Australia the board cost me 2.5x what a filco costs. I have a filco too, and it feels like it will outlast me. I don't get that impression from the HHKB2. After 3 years of babying it, it creaks when i pick it up and apply even the slightest pressure. It's super light and doesn't feel as sturdy as a lot of reviewers imply. This is probably my biggest gripe with the board, at the price i paid, frankly I feel ripped off. Good keycaps though.
This is personal preference, but I feel like topre is overrated too. I enjoy blues more. But yeah that's not a knock against the board.
The layout is a pain in the ass. Don't get me wrong, I really like it, but when I had it at work (programmer), colleagues trying to do something on my PC weren't able to use the keyboard. We jump on each others computers a lot and in the end I had a second keyboard plugged in for when they were using my pc. Also some people don't seem to have an issue with jumping between layouts, but I do. I've been touch typing since I was 13 but I can never get used to switching between hhkb2 and other layouts. I can do it of course, but I make typing errors. And that annoys the hell out of me. I type on laptops, at work and at home and on colleagues PC's etc, so I can't have a HHKB2 everywhere i type. I just find it annoying switching.
And lastly, you can't do much customisation of the board. There are so many beautiful keycaps and cases etc, but not for the HHKB2. For me thats a big part of the fun of being into keyboards and it's gone with the hhkb2.
Just for clarification: the new Topre board is called the RealForce RGB, and the CM NovaTouch has been discontinued and the last of the remaining stock appears to be depleted now.
As an HHKB2 owner, I can attest to the fact that the keyboard feels a bit too light (bordering on cheap) in terms of case quality, the layout isn't ideal, and the lack of programmability out of the box makes it inferior to the pok3r I was using at work before being laid off.
But I knew all of that before buying the HHKB. I keep it as an option because the HHKB excels in one key area: feel. It feels better than any MX or Gateron based board I've used. And the lack of a metal backplate feels better to me than the RF topre implementation.
If I were in a situation where I was the only person using keyboards both in work and personal situations, I'd likely standardize on hasu-HHKB2s everywhere and deal with the substandard layout. The feel is that important to me. But I'm not so it will be TKLs for me as main drivers and pok3r/HHKB as travel boards.
Just for clarification: the new Topre board is called the RealForce RGB, and the CM NovaTouch has been discontinued and the last of the remaining stock appears to be depleted now.
Good. The RealForce RGB is hideous IMHO. Why did they make that in the first place? It's really beyond me. I can see the appeal for like 5 minutes "ooh shiny". But once you go back to work, do you REALLY want that?
You're not judging the keyboard objectively. All you do is whining about how it doesn't fit your needs and therefore it's bad.
As an HHKB2 owner, I can attest to the fact that the keyboard feels a bit too light (bordering on cheap) in terms of case quality, the layout isn't ideal, and the lack of programmability out of the box makes it inferior to the pok3r I was using at work before being laid off.
But I knew all of that before buying the HHKB. I keep it as an option because the HHKB excels in one key area: feel. It feels better than any MX or Gateron based board I've used. And the lack of a metal backplate feels better to me than the RF topre implementation.
If I were in a situation where I was the only person using keyboards both in work and personal situations, I'd likely standardize on hasu-HHKB2s everywhere and deal with the substandard layout. The feel is that important to me. But I'm not so it will be TKLs for me as main drivers and pok3r/HHKB as travel boards.
Funny you say that about the feel. I haven't been at my office as of recently and at home I have the 87U 55G which I decided is endgame. I disliked the HHKB after trying out Clears beacuse it felt too light and too mushy.
But then the HHKB won my heart over. I was at office the other day and I start pecking away and immediately I thought "man... this feel is unique." HHKB is not only Topre-feel, it is HHKB-feel. I don't know whether it is the case mounting, the lubing, or something else. But the feel (and the sound) is really unique.
Just for clarification: the new Topre board is called the RealForce RGB, and the CM NovaTouch has been discontinued and the last of the remaining stock appears to be depleted now.
Good. The RealForce RGB is hideous IMHO. Why did they make that in the first place? It's really beyond me. I can see the appeal for like 5 minutes "ooh shiny". But once you go back to work, do you REALLY want that?
I love the RealForce RGB. It delivers something no other keyboard in the world does: an ANSI-108 layout with MX-compatible Topre switches. I leave the LED lighting off and I don't play with the variant actuation points. I didn't buy it for that. I bought it to put Round 6 keycaps on it. It is a fantastic keyboard and I'm not quite sure why anyone would take issue with it.
Preach iLLucionistShow Image(https://media.giphy.com/media/l3UcFYeOkjUdB7xao/giphy.gif)
This happens to me, I use my 55g 87U at home and my HHKB type-s at the office. Just when I am thinking 55g is end-game, I will sit down at the office after being away for a bit and start typing on the type-s and I'm immediately not so sure anymore. The HHKB is just something else and a lot of that comes from the plastic case. Being light is also a huge plus for a board that's made to travel, that being said my personal preference is a heavy board so I will be trying out one of RAMA's cases when they come out. I know he is working on keeping the feel of the HHKB intact.
And then they come out with this RGB keyboard WITHOUT PBT CAPS ALL ABS. Yes, you can replace them. But the board is still really expensive. At that price, I DEMAND PBT. Yes I know it is difficult to manufacture see-through / transparent PBT caps. But it can be done.
Preach iLLucionistShow Image(https://media.giphy.com/media/l3UcFYeOkjUdB7xao/giphy.gif)
This happens to me, I use my 55g 87U at home and my HHKB type-s at the office. Just when I am thinking 55g is end-game, I will sit down at the office after being away for a bit and start typing on the type-s and I'm immediately not so sure anymore. The HHKB is just something else and a lot of that comes from the plastic case. Being light is also a huge plus for a board that's made to travel, that being said my personal preference is a heavy board so I will be trying out one of RAMA's cases when they come out. I know he is working on keeping the feel of the HHKB intact.
Yeah it's weird... it almost feels like the whole switch on the HHKB is different. Interesting that you share the same opinion. It feels more like I'm touching a piano key, like you really dig in.
What are RAMA's cases? I'm unaware of them.
Layout-wise, I also have a little trouble switching between HHKB, TKL and various full size boards, mostly Model M, but I put that down to mostly psychological issues or conditioning.
And then they come out with this RGB keyboard WITHOUT PBT CAPS ALL ABS. Yes, you can replace them. But the board is still really expensive. At that price, I DEMAND PBT. Yes I know it is difficult to manufacture see-through / transparent PBT caps. But it can be done.
Well I'm glad they didn't put sub-par double-shot PBT keycaps (because above-par don't really exist yet) on and charge even more for it since I was never going to keep the stock keycaps anyway. I submit that the whole point of the MX-compatible sliders is that owners who care about keycaps can swap out the stock keycaps for their own. If that was not their intention, Topre would have just stuck with normal Topre switches and not bothered with MX compatibility.
Preach iLLucionistShow Image(https://media.giphy.com/media/l3UcFYeOkjUdB7xao/giphy.gif)
This happens to me, I use my 55g 87U at home and my HHKB type-s at the office. Just when I am thinking 55g is end-game, I will sit down at the office after being away for a bit and start typing on the type-s and I'm immediately not so sure anymore. The HHKB is just something else and a lot of that comes from the plastic case. Being light is also a huge plus for a board that's made to travel, that being said my personal preference is a heavy board so I will be trying out one of RAMA's cases when they come out. I know he is working on keeping the feel of the HHKB intact.
Yeah it's weird... it almost feels like the whole switch on the HHKB is different. Interesting that you share the same opinion. It feels more like I'm touching a piano key, like you really dig in.
What are RAMA's cases? I'm unaware of them.
A piano key is one of best ways of describing the HHKB feel. It's not mentioned enough when people talk about what HHKB to buy but the type-s feels even more like a piano key (slightly more precise travel IMO). https://rama.works/ (https://rama.works/) has been teasing some alu HHKB cases (check his instagram), will be a while still as he is currently working on the M65 but he has indicated this year.
Layout-wise, I also have a little trouble switching between HHKB, TKL and various full size boards, mostly Model M, but I put that down to mostly psychological issues or conditioning.
Indeed. We call it muscle memory, and it is biomechanically inefficient (and frustrating) to try to consciously override it.
... 1. is the keyboard as heavy as other RF's. 2. Backplate strong? 3. Case sturdy? Etc.
Haven't tried a HHKB Type S, but as a musician I can say it feels nothing like playing the piano, which is fortunate, or else you'd all have RSI :D piano felt a lot heavier, and doesn't not have a thock haha
Preach iLLucionistShow Image(https://media.giphy.com/media/l3UcFYeOkjUdB7xao/giphy.gif)
This happens to me, I use my 55g 87U at home and my HHKB type-s at the office. Just when I am thinking 55g is end-game, I will sit down at the office after being away for a bit and start typing on the type-s and I'm immediately not so sure anymore. The HHKB is just something else and a lot of that comes from the plastic case. Being light is also a huge plus for a board that's made to travel, that being said my personal preference is a heavy board so I will be trying out one of RAMA's cases when they come out. I know he is working on keeping the feel of the HHKB intact.
Yeah it's weird... it almost feels like the whole switch on the HHKB is different. Interesting that you share the same opinion. It feels more like I'm touching a piano key, like you really dig in.
What are RAMA's cases? I'm unaware of them.
A piano key is one of best ways of describing the HHKB feel. It's not mentioned enough when people talk about what HHKB to buy but the type-s feels even more like a piano key (slightly more precise travel IMO). https://rama.works/ (https://rama.works/) has been teasing some alu HHKB cases (check his instagram), will be a while still as he is currently working on the M65 but he has indicated this year.
I want a Type-S... but so expensive. For me it's closer to 500$ because I have to pay shipping costs to the Netherlands AND import tax. FML...
Layout-wise, I also have a little trouble switching between HHKB, TKL and various full size boards, mostly Model M, but I put that down to mostly psychological issues or conditioning.
Indeed. We call it muscle memory, and it is biomechanically inefficient (and frustrating) to try to consciously override it.
Haven't tried a HHKB Type S, but as a musician I can say it feels nothing like playing the piano, which is fortunate, or else you'd all have RSI :D piano felt a lot heavier, and doesn't not have a thock haha
Preach iLLucionistShow Image(https://media.giphy.com/media/l3UcFYeOkjUdB7xao/giphy.gif)
This happens to me, I use my 55g 87U at home and my HHKB type-s at the office. Just when I am thinking 55g is end-game, I will sit down at the office after being away for a bit and start typing on the type-s and I'm immediately not so sure anymore. The HHKB is just something else and a lot of that comes from the plastic case. Being light is also a huge plus for a board that's made to travel, that being said my personal preference is a heavy board so I will be trying out one of RAMA's cases when they come out. I know he is working on keeping the feel of the HHKB intact.
Yeah it's weird... it almost feels like the whole switch on the HHKB is different. Interesting that you share the same opinion. It feels more like I'm touching a piano key, like you really dig in.
What are RAMA's cases? I'm unaware of them.
A piano key is one of best ways of describing the HHKB feel. It's not mentioned enough when people talk about what HHKB to buy but the type-s feels even more like a piano key (slightly more precise travel IMO). https://rama.works/ (https://rama.works/) has been teasing some alu HHKB cases (check his instagram), will be a while still as he is currently working on the M65 but he has indicated this year.
I want a Type-S... but so expensive. For me it's closer to 500$ because I have to pay shipping costs to the Netherlands AND import tax. FML...
Haven't tried a HHKB Type S, but as a musician I can say it feels nothing like playing the piano, which is fortunate, or else you'd all have RSI :D piano felt a lot heavier, and doesn't not have a thock haha
Preach iLLucionistShow Image(https://media.giphy.com/media/l3UcFYeOkjUdB7xao/giphy.gif)
This happens to me, I use my 55g 87U at home and my HHKB type-s at the office. Just when I am thinking 55g is end-game, I will sit down at the office after being away for a bit and start typing on the type-s and I'm immediately not so sure anymore. The HHKB is just something else and a lot of that comes from the plastic case. Being light is also a huge plus for a board that's made to travel, that being said my personal preference is a heavy board so I will be trying out one of RAMA's cases when they come out. I know he is working on keeping the feel of the HHKB intact.
Yeah it's weird... it almost feels like the whole switch on the HHKB is different. Interesting that you share the same opinion. It feels more like I'm touching a piano key, like you really dig in.
What are RAMA's cases? I'm unaware of them.
A piano key is one of best ways of describing the HHKB feel. It's not mentioned enough when people talk about what HHKB to buy but the type-s feels even more like a piano key (slightly more precise travel IMO). https://rama.works/ (https://rama.works/) has been teasing some alu HHKB cases (check his instagram), will be a while still as he is currently working on the M65 but he has indicated this year.
I want a Type-S... but so expensive. For me it's closer to 500$ because I have to pay shipping costs to the Netherlands AND import tax. FML...
Layout-wise, I also have a little trouble switching between HHKB, TKL and various full size boards, mostly Model M, but I put that down to mostly psychological issues or conditioning.
Indeed. We call it muscle memory, and it is biomechanically inefficient (and frustrating) to try to consciously override it.
Biggest issue for me has been finding the Backspace-key, switching back and forth between the HHKB and the 87U. But now after a year with the HHKB at the office and the 87U at home, it has become effortless.
I have been using HHKB, Realforce 87U 45g and 55g, and Leopold FC 660C for a long time now.. I think I would have agreed with the OP had I only used HHKB.
After using my Realforce 45g only (my first "mech" keyboard) for four straight years, it felt so plain to me. I clearly remember being amazed by how good it felt to type on it. As expected, I loved the HHKB Type-S when I got it. I even loved its lightness. At least for me, HHKB being lighter and more plasticky didn't necessarily mean "less sturdy". In fact, its plastic housing added something else to the typing experience; it felt more bouncy and sporty than my tanky and snappy Realforce. The two keyboards complemented each other so much that I was willing to overlook the hassle of getting used to HHKB's layout.
I know a lot of the people that like their ultra compact minimalist keyboard to be super heavy, tanky, and made out of some kind of metal. I do too, and that's why I loved Realforce and used nothing but for 4 years. But HHKB was an exception for me. It being light and plasticky were the reasons why I kept it at all.
I have been using HHKB, Realforce 87U 45g and 55g, and Leopold FC 660C for a long time now.. I think I would have agreed with the OP had I only used HHKB.
After using my Realforce 45g only (my first "mech" keyboard) for four straight years, it felt so plain to me. I clearly remember being amazed by how good it felt to type on it. As expected, I loved the HHKB Type-S when I got it. I even loved its lightness. At least for me, HHKB being lighter and more plasticky didn't necessarily mean "less sturdy". In fact, its plastic housing added something else to the typing experience; it felt more bouncy and sporty than my tanky and snappy Realforce. The two keyboards complemented each other so much that I was willing to overlook the hassle of getting used to HHKB's layout.
I know a lot of the people that like their ultra compact minimalist keyboard to be super heavy, tanky, and made out of some kind of metal. I do too, and that's why I loved Realforce and used nothing but for 4 years. But HHKB was an exception for me. It being light and plasticky were the reasons why I kept it at all.
How is the feeling after 4 years? Has the rubber become more stiffer?
H
The layout is sometimes cumbersome on Windows (maybe switching back and forth so much is messing with me) but I think if I was using Windows exclusively, I'd probably get the Japanese layout or get a different Topre board. That said, I find it hard to enjoy other key switches as much now. I had to sell my Filco with browns because they felt so sandy after I got used to my HHKB. Ergo Clears aren't bad, but they need to be well lubed, and even then, Topre switches still feel much smoother.
Tightening the screws at the back made my board less creaky.
The quality itself isn't bad by any means, I'd say it's not any different from my Filco except that it's not plate mounted, which I appreciate as I carry my HHKB a lot (until I get a keyboard for home).
The layout though - I bought my HHKB knowing exactly how the layout would fit me. I can really only use it when I have it hooked up to my Mac, where the command key is used for nearly all of the shortcuts. I've also switched to VIM-mode on XCode which has further enhanced the experience for me (no longer need arrow keys when typing in the main editor, but still need them to navigate IDE).
The layout is sometimes cumbersome on Windows (maybe switching back and forth so much is messing with me) but I think if I was using Windows exclusively, I'd probably get the Japanese layout or get a different Topre board. That said, I find it hard to enjoy other key switches as much now. I had to sell my Filco with browns because they felt so sandy after I got used to my HHKB. Ergo Clears aren't bad, but they need to be well lubed, and even then, Topre switches still feel much smoother.
I'm thinking of getting the FC660C/FC980C for home now.
That is my experience as well. I have a RF 55g 87U and a HHKB. I keep switching between the two trying to see which is better. Really just depends on the day... and sometimes to what I am working on / doing.As an HHKB2 owner, I can attest to the fact that the keyboard feels a bit too light (bordering on cheap) in terms of case quality, the layout isn't ideal, and the lack of programmability out of the box makes it inferior to the pok3r I was using at work before being laid off.
But I knew all of that before buying the HHKB. I keep it as an option because the HHKB excels in one key area: feel. It feels better than any MX or Gateron based board I've used. And the lack of a metal backplate feels better to me than the RF topre implementation.
If I were in a situation where I was the only person using keyboards both in work and personal situations, I'd likely standardize on hasu-HHKB2s everywhere and deal with the substandard layout. The feel is that important to me. But I'm not so it will be TKLs for me as main drivers and pok3r/HHKB as travel boards.
Funny you say that about the feel. I haven't been at my office as of recently and at home I have the 87U 55G which I decided is endgame. I disliked the HHKB after trying out Clears beacuse it felt too light and too mushy.
But then the HHKB won my heart over. I was at office the other day and I start pecking away and immediately I thought "man... this feel is unique." HHKB is not only Topre-feel, it is HHKB-feel. I don't know whether it is the case mounting, the lubing, or something else. But the feel (and the sound) is really unique.
Preach iLLucionistShow Image(https://media.giphy.com/media/l3UcFYeOkjUdB7xao/giphy.gif)
This happens to me, I use my 55g 87U at home and my HHKB type-s at the office. Just when I am thinking 55g is end-game, I will sit down at the office after being away for a bit and start typing on the type-s and I'm immediately not so sure anymore. The HHKB is just something else and a lot of that comes from the plastic case. Being light is also a huge plus for a board that's made to travel, that being said my personal preference is a heavy board so I will be trying out one of RAMA's cases when they come out. I know he is working on keeping the feel of the HHKB intact.
Topre isn't the endgame, and also mx isn't the endgame because there is no end in this game ;D
Once I realised Topre is not my endgame, life took a dark turn... :(
No, it turned off by itself since I'm so brokeOnce I realised Topre is not my endgame, life took a dark turn... :(
You turned the lights off?
Topre isn't the endgame, and also mx isn't the endgame because there is no end in this game ;D
Topre isn't the endgame, and also mx isn't the endgame because there is no end in this game ;D
There is always an endgame. Bankruptcy, the wife leaving and taking the kids, etc...
Oh, and to the OP's point. I have only had the FC660C a littel over a month but I feel similar about it (perhaps) that you feel about the HHKB. I really like it and it is a great keyboard, but if I had it and my HHKB and my RF 55g 87U in front of me, I would pick it last.
As always, it boils down to personal preference of course. I have read a ton of terrific FC660C reviews and I agree with a lot of them. That said, I pull it out a few times a week to try it and I just can't seem to love it like my other two boards.
I would have loved to see Topre spend their production budget for the RGB on a heavier, sturdier case (like other RealForce boards) rather than LED backlighting and variable actuation.
The thing about the HHKB is that it pretty much owns its market niche: the 60% Topre niche. Topre themselves stubbornly refuse to offer their own product, leaving users with only one awkward (in my view) option. It's not as heavy or sturdy as a genuine Topre model would probably be, but it does prove that given no other options, people can get used to (and become fans of) anything.
Seems like that RGB board is marketed to gamers, so that would explain the terrible aesthetic and emphasis on actuation point. The marketing copy specifically refers to actuation points relative to which type of gaming one does. Not that one can't use it to type, but god knows gamers love to have ugly **** like this on their desk.
To be fair, I do find that RGB can be really useful for RTS gaming where my fingers aren't static like they are in FPS.
:( Three weeks with HHKB, not my endgame...3 months with HHKB, endgame doesn't exist.
To be fair, I do find that RGB can be really useful for RTS gaming where my fingers aren't static like they are in FPS.
I'm not averse to a little backlighting for regular non-gaming use in darker rooms -- but like on the scale that Apple laptops use, just enough to read the legends. The gaming keyboards all seem to be 10x too bright, like most LEDs used in electronics these days.