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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: Classic on Fri, 23 February 2018, 16:15:25

Title: Happy Hacking Keyboard Professional JP
Post by: Classic on Fri, 23 February 2018, 16:15:25
Hello.

Has anyone tried the JP version of the HHKP? Like the looks of the layout vs the US version.

I live in the US and curious about combability as well. Even where to purchase this particular model.

Thank you for your time.

Classic
Title: Re: Happy Hacking Keyboard Professional JP
Post by: Puddsy on Fri, 23 February 2018, 16:31:54
Hello.

Has anyone tried the JP version of the HHKP? Like the looks of the layout vs the US version.

I live in the US and curious about combability as well. Even where to purchase this particular model.

Thank you for your time.

Classic

i know it's fairly popular among some groups

it will work on american PCs, i used one for a bit but layout was a bit too cramped for me

can buy em from smartimports: http://www.smartimports.net/happy-hacking-keyboard-professional-jp-japanese-layout/
Title: Re: Happy Hacking Keyboard Professional JP
Post by: losing_ctrl on Sat, 24 February 2018, 15:24:26
These are good little keyboards - I've owned both the JP version and the ANSI, both were Type-S. The JP version was good to go, just plug it in and start typing, basically. I think I told my Mac to treat it as if it were an ANSI KB. At first it would be good to familiarize yourself with what keys work and what keys don't do anything. As you can see, there's lots of extra keys in the JP version, and some of them won't do anything when pressed. Overall I really like this cute KB, especially the dedicated arrow keys and the Type-S Topre switches mounted on the PCB - just super!  However for me the non-standard layout eventually turned me off and I sold it. If you've got the $$ I say give it a try!

[attachimg=1]
Title: Re: Happy Hacking Keyboard Professional JP
Post by: monkt on Sat, 24 February 2018, 21:35:20
These are good little keyboards - I've owned both the JP version and the ANSI, both were Type-S. The JP version was good to go, just plug it in and start typing, basically. I think I told my Mac to treat it as if it were an ANSI KB. At first it would be good to familiarize yourself with what keys work and what keys don't do anything. As you can see, there's lots of extra keys in the JP version, and some of them won't do anything when pressed. Overall I really like this cute KB, especially the dedicated arrow keys and the Type-S Topre switches mounted on the PCB - just super!  However for me the non-standard layout eventually turned me off and I sold it. If you've got the $$ I say give it a try!

(Attachment Link)

In what ways is this version's layout most objectionable to you relative to the layout of the standard HHKB? I haven't used either one yet, but I'm considering the HHKB, so I'd like to understand better in what ways they are functionally most different apart from the arrow keys, bigger enter key, and busier bottom row w. smaller space-bar (those differences I can see right away, at least).
Title: Re: Happy Hacking Keyboard Professional JP
Post by: suicidal_orange on Sun, 25 February 2018, 03:23:22
The bottom row of letters is non-standard stagger - to fit the arrows they are all shifted 1/4 space to the left.  Also the main draw of the HHKB is the layout which includes ANSI /| being backspace and the big enter prevents this.  Instead you have a tiny backspace further away from the letters which makes it worse ergonomically than a standard board.  Finally right shift is on the edge of the board so if you use that while typing that's not very convenient.  Could be swapped with \| using a Hasu controller but will still be small...

Never tried to use one but those are what I see, I may have missed some.
Title: Re: Happy Hacking Keyboard Professional JP
Post by: losing_ctrl on Sun, 25 February 2018, 09:27:53
These are good little keyboards - I've owned both the JP version and the ANSI, both were Type-S. The JP version was good to go, just plug it in and start typing, basically. I think I told my Mac to treat it as if it were an ANSI KB. At first it would be good to familiarize yourself with what keys work and what keys don't do anything. As you can see, there's lots of extra keys in the JP version, and some of them won't do anything when pressed. Overall I really like this cute KB, especially the dedicated arrow keys and the Type-S Topre switches mounted on the PCB - just super!  However for me the non-standard layout eventually turned me off and I sold it. If you've got the $$ I say give it a try!

(Attachment Link)

In what ways is this version's layout most objectionable to you relative to the layout of the standard HHKB? I haven't used either one yet, but I'm considering the HHKB, so I'd like to understand better in what ways they are functionally most different apart from the arrow keys, bigger enter key, and busier bottom row w. smaller space-bar (those differences I can see right away, at least).

Ha, let me state that both versions have layout issues for me, just in different ways. For me, the JP version offers up the challenge of the backspace/delete key being further away, along with the ISO Enter key placement vs. ANSI Enter. Also, strangly, the delete key would act like a backspace key in some programs but not others, no matter how I configured the dip switches.  Since I like to use different keyboards throughout the week or even day, going back and forth between the HHKB and standard layouts was just too annoying to me.