Question for all HHKB Pro 2 owners

[kansas city shuffle]

How is the transition going from TKL to a Happy Hacking Professional 2 keyboard when it comes to using the arrow keys and home/end etc. buttons where you need to press the function button in conjunction with the key?

Thinking about going HHKB Pro 2 but without sacrificing the convenience and functionality of having dedicated keys for these actions on a TKL.

Main concern, is it going to be a pain in the ass on a MAC OSX where you have to press a couple keys (cmd + shift + left/right arrow key) as it is to hight light sentences or go the end of sentences etc.

Opinions from you Happy Hacking Professional 2 owners? Any drawbacks?

[exitfire401]

Only took me about 2 hours to get used to the layout, and a week to memorize the Fn layer. Been using mine on a mac at work, and have had no problems whatsoever.

[Polymer]

Well, the question you're asking is what everyone asks when going to 60% which is, will they get used to the FN layer.  For most, it is really all about the arrow keys...either you get used to using them on the HHKB or you don't.  Personally I would rather the arrows be IJKL but I can see why they're not.  The right fn key being used by your pinky puts your fingers in the right spot for the arrow keys...but I would have preferred left fn + IJKL just because you don't have to move your hands (it would actually be better than a normal TKL for me). 

In any case, either you will get used to the FN layer or you won't....I know that doesn't answer your question but some people will adjust to the changes and be fine with it...and be able to go back and forth and some won't...

[demik]

your biggest hurdle will be the backspace placement (and that takes you like 20 minutes to adjust to). everything else is easy.

[epzy]

Took me around 1 day to fully adjust to my HHKB, and at the time I had 104F fever.

[SpAmRaY]

I gave up and sold my hhkb. I hate change.

[nubbinator]

your biggest hurdle will be the backspace placement (and that takes you like 20 minutes to adjust to). everything else is easy.

I still haven't figured out how to make delete act like BS and act like delete when you hold Fn.  Once I figure that out, the layout will be perfect.

[HoffmanMyster]

your biggest hurdle will be the backspace placement (and that takes you like 20 minutes to adjust to). everything else is easy.

The backspace placement is amaaazing. Took me two minutes to get used to and now I type /// a bunch on other boards...and I reprogram all my boards to use that key placement now.


And to answer the question about arrows, they are actually really intuitive. It is not conducive to playing games that require the arrow cluster (TrackMania, StepMania, Tetris), but it's great for general use.

[Sagii]

Honestly.. the layout was very easy to get used to, and as everyone else has said, the backspace placement is just meant to be. Same with L-CTRL. I did, however, not get used to the arrowkeys, which honestly was a dealbreaker for me :/ It was very annoying having up and down so close to left and right (in the horizontal direction), 'cause my fingers kept "rubbing" (not the right word, but couldn't come up with anything else) against each other when using for example up and right in quick succession. I believe the arrowcluster is a hit or miss, really.

I've however bought a poker 2, which came in the mail yesterday, and I love it ^_^

[Polymer]

your biggest hurdle will be the backspace placement (and that takes you like 20 minutes to adjust to). everything else is easy.

The backspace placement is amaaazing. Took me two minutes to get used to and now I type /// a bunch on other boards...and I reprogram all my boards to use that key placement now.


And to answer the question about arrows, they are actually really intuitive. It is not conducive to playing games that require the arrow cluster (TrackMania, StepMania, Tetris), but it's great for general use.

I agree..the backspace placement is fantastic...The frustrating part was moving back and forth to other keyboards, I kept hitting \\\\\...after awhile though, I got used to switching back and forth...it is a non issue...

One thing I can't explain is the CTRL on my HHKB was very natural to use...so on my RF I moved CTRL to the same position.....but for whatever reason, it isn't as natural to do on my RF even though the hand position is identical...

[SpAmRaY]

your biggest hurdle will be the backspace placement (and that takes you like 20 minutes to adjust to). everything else is easy.

I still haven't figured out how to make delete act like BS and act like delete when you hold Fn.  Once I figure that out, the layout will be perfect.

There's a thread somewhere about dip switch settings that would help with that. I forget what mine were.

[dustinhxc]

I didn't like it, had to go JP for the arrows!

[Puddsy]

couldn't handle not having arrow keys

[salcan]

your biggest hurdle will be the backspace placement (and that takes you like 20 minutes to adjust to). everything else is easy.

This. And I was highly resistant to the lack of arrow keys.

[lookitdisnub]

your biggest hurdle will be the backspace placement (and that takes you like 20 minutes to adjust to). everything else is easy.

I still haven't figured out how to make delete act like BS and act like delete when you hold Fn.  Once I figure that out, the layout will be perfect.

You can't do that with dip switches. You can make switch it to BS by default, but delete will still be fn + `

[SpAmRaY]

your biggest hurdle will be the backspace placement (and that takes you like 20 minutes to adjust to). everything else is easy.

I still haven't figured out how to make delete act like BS and act like delete when you hold Fn.  Once I figure that out, the layout will be perfect.

You can't do that with dip switches. You can make switch it to BS by default, but delete will still be fn + `

Isn't that exactly what he said he wanted?

[tjcaustin]

your biggest hurdle will be the backspace placement (and that takes you like 20 minutes to adjust to). everything else is easy.

I still haven't figured out how to make delete act like BS and act like delete when you hold Fn.  Once I figure that out, the layout will be perfect.

You can't do that with dip switches. You can make switch it to BS by default, but delete will still be fn + `

Isn't that exactly what he said he wanted?

Sounds to me like he wants the same key to do backspace as layer one and delete as fn layer

[SpAmRaY]

your biggest hurdle will be the backspace placement (and that takes you like 20 minutes to adjust to). everything else is easy.

I still haven't figured out how to make delete act like BS and act like delete when you hold Fn.  Once I figure that out, the layout will be perfect.

You can't do that with dip switches. You can make switch it to BS by default, but delete will still be fn + `

Isn't that exactly what he said he wanted?

Sounds to me like he wants the same key to do backspace as layer one and delete as fn layer

Right and isn't that one of the dip switch changes?

[tjcaustin]

your biggest hurdle will be the backspace placement (and that takes you like 20 minutes to adjust to). everything else is easy.

I still haven't figured out how to make delete act like BS and act like delete when you hold Fn.  Once I figure that out, the layout will be perfect.

You can't do that with dip switches. You can make switch it to BS by default, but delete will still be fn + `

Isn't that exactly what he said he wanted?

Sounds to me like he wants the same key to do backspace as layer one and delete as fn layer

Right and isn't that one of the dip switch changes?

Not that I've done.

[SpAmRaY]

I guess I'm just confused.

Edit: Ok so that just swaps delete to backspace and delete is fn plus ~

[demik]

your biggest hurdle will be the backspace placement (and that takes you like 20 minutes to adjust to). everything else is easy.

The backspace placement is amaaazing. Took me two minutes to get used to and now I type /// a bunch on other boards...and I reprogram all my boards to use that key placement now.


And to answer the question about arrows, they are actually really intuitive. It is not conducive to playing games that require the arrow cluster (TrackMania, StepMania, Tetris), but it's great for general use.

yup, i love the bs placement.

[rowdy]

It took me a while to get used to the pseudo-arrow key placement, but then I use only one HHKB, and more conventional layouts everywhere else.

Under Windows I was lost using the HHKB - arrow keys, home, end, page up/down.

But on my Mac you can use Ctrl sequences for many, if not most, of the cursor positioning key strokes.  Ctrl-A for beginning of line, Ctrl-E for end of line and so on.  Sometimes I find myself using those instead of Cmd-Left when I use a TKL keyboard, or like now on my Model M.

[kansas city shuffle]

Typing this now on my HHKB Pro 2 keyboard, it's great!!! Will need to take some time to get adjusted to the function layer but other than that, awesome keyboard worthy of all the praise! 

[demik]

welcome to the dark side

[Sagii]

Typing this now on my HHKB Pro 2 keyboard, it's great!!! Will need to take some time to get adjusted to the function layer but other than that, awesome keyboard worthy of all the praise! 

Congratulations!
Good to hear you enjoy your new topre ^.^ It's a great board.. I just don't like topre )

[Fragil1ty]

your biggest hurdle will be the backspace placement (and that takes you like 20 minutes to adjust to). everything else is easy.

#truth, this was the biggest annoyance for me. I had to constantly adjust to this, it doesn't take too long, but it does make it a little bit awkward when you're going to and from a 60% - laptop keyboard or whatever.

[Cherry1990]

Is it possible to type these characters:

à é è ì ò ù

with this keyboard?
I type them with Alt+Numeric Pad on normal ANSI layout. They are compulsory for me.

Thank you!

[esoomenona]

.

[Cherry1990]

@esoomenona: Thank you for the reply. If I need an external numerical keypad, I keep my normal keyboard. I am also to old to start to write my own firmware... This keyboard is not for me!

[esoomenona]

.

[johndavis33]

TBH, I switch between about 4-6 different keyboards a week, and all of them with slightly different layouts.

I barely notice the transition to the HHKB. I mostly use it for typing up papers and such.

Honestly, I wish I could program the diamond arrow key cluster in all my keyboards. I did use sharpkeys to make capslock into control on all my keyboards, though

[Cherry1990]

Do you mean this one:

http://www.tmk-kbd.com/tmk_keyboard/editor/hhkb/

Yes, you are correct, probably this keyboard has too few keys for my needs... Pity because it is so small...

[esoomenona]

.

[deci]

I thought the switch was pretty easy and the arrows didn't bother me as much as I thought they would.
But I still decided to mod it with a teensy so that I can use a custom layout.

As some other people have already mentioned the backspace position is really nice. The problem is switching back to other keyboards that have the normal position.
Still it only takes a minute to switch back and forth.

I love the HHKB but honestly I think the layout and functional layer of the FC660 is better so I usually recommend that instead (I dunno if it's just me but the new sub dyed version domes feel like 50g instead of 45g, it's really nice).

[Hordak]

Is it possible to type these characters:

à é è ì ò ù

with this keyboard?

You could try using the EurKey layout. I use it for the german umlauts and it works quite well:

http://eurkey.steffen.bruentjen.eu/layout.html

[ynrozturk]

The backspace ruins it for me. Could never get used to it.