HHKB Pro Japan with Alt Layout?

[didjamatic]

Does anyone know if the HHKB Pro 2 Japanese version has a dip switch to change it's symbol layout from this:



To this:





I'm not talking about modifier keys, only the symbols like @ and \ because i like where they are on ANSI layouts and I actually like \ next to the vertical enter key on the Ortek MCK-84 and Cherry G80-8200HPDUS-2 or similar.  (What IS this layout called anyway?  When I sold a stack of those 8200's people were all over them for the layout but no one knew it's name)

Basically make it like a regular HHKB Pro 2 except for the keys on the far right.  So you get the regular HHKB Pro 2 layout while gaining a vertical enter key and arrow keys.

[Superfluous Parentheses]

I suspect it'll work just as you like it out of the box, as long as you've got your OS's keyboard layout set to UK or whatever that layout is. Hell, it might even work with the bog-standard US layout selected. On USB, characters like ( are send as SHIFT+9 (or actually, SHIFT+whatever key number "9" gets) normally; the keyboard doesn't send any information on whatever "MODIFIER+some key" is supposed to produce.*

But I haven't tried this, since I don't own a japanese-layout HHKB.

* The Fn key is special, since it DOES translate and doesn't count as a modifier - AFAIK, pressing Fn alone does not send ANYTHING to the computer. At least not according to xev on my HHBK Pro 2 ("iso" version)

[didjamatic]

So if you had English/American region settings, you think:

shift 2 would generate @ instead of "
shift ; would generate : instead of +
] would generate \    (this last one is a stretch)

You'd think they'd have a dip switch for ANSI layout on that sucker.  What was it you called it Ripster, Udeepusweetchu?

[Superfluous Parentheses]

So if you had English/American region settings, you think:

shift 2 would generate @ instead of "
shift ; would generate : instead of +

Yes.

] would generate \    (this last one is a stretch)

It would probably generate }, since that's what US layout does. EDIT: oh I thought you meant "SHIFT ]"

You'd think they'd have a dip switch for ANSI layout on that sucker.

[MORBO]LAYOUTS DO NOT WORK THAT WAY![/MORBO]

[washuai]

Overall that's a good news for me, because the non US layout of symbols on a 91U bothers me, enough not to buy it.  I'm aware I can fix whatever I want with autohotkey, but for that price it isn't worth it to me to buy a keyboard that I'm making compromises on.  I'd rather have embedded number pad, than low noise, but the cost difference between 87U and 91U, leaves the 91UBK-S the winner.

[washuai]

The theory or question was does the HHKB with a Japanese layout, when hooked up to a  computer set to US layout send the US expected key.

Ripster, your answer was well at least the Japanese layout Filco Zero, hooked up to computer set to US layout sends the expected US layout key, therefore so should the HHKB with Japanese layout.

Using that reasoning, then the 91UBK-S with a Japanese layout should send the US expected key, when the pc is set to US layout.  If this is so, then aside from wishing it had an embedded numberpad - I should be able to not have an issue, with the 91U.  Haata has Japanese realforce . . maybe I should go hunt for his comments on the all 30g Realforce.  Being full sized shouldn't make a difference.

[pang0011]

I'm not talking about modifier keys, but the non-alphanumeric symbols like@ and \ because i like where they are on ANSI layouts and I actually like \ next to the vertical enter key on the Ortek MCK-84 and Cherry G80-8200HPDUS-2 or similar. (What IS this layout called anyway? When I sold a stack of those 8200's people were all over them for the layout but no one knew it's name)

From what I tried with my RF91, the "]" key next to the vertical enter key did output "\", when I used EN as input method of my windows.  Unless I change the input method to JP, it remains standard EN layout.

There is a tool on PFU's site called HHKB Key Array Selection Tool, it may be of help to US JP-HHKB users

when running, it appears like this:
The two choices on the top are:
英語配列 English Key Array
日本語配列 JP Key Array

[pang0011]

The PFU "Key array selection tool" sounds just like the little keyboard language selector that sits in the Windows taskbar tray.

I'll try to find more info about it, but it seems like it allows HHKBJP to switch between JP and EN layout.

BTW, do you need to install MicrosoftFixit50311 for your Filco JP?  I need this hotfix to make my English windows recognized the RF91, so that I could choose JP IME.  I don't know Japanese nor Kana but I want to use the characters.