HHKB Pro 2 Love

[Flyersfan1]

Mine's been posted a lot...but here it is again...

Do you use your HHKB when traveling IMav? I remember reading you're using your Kinesis pretty much exclusively now. 

[iMav]

Do you use your HHKB when traveling IMav? I remember reading you're using your Kinesis pretty much exclusively now. 

Yep.  It is always in my laptop bag.  I use it for all my portable keyboard needs (and use it half the time on my laptop when on the road)

I originally had a HHKB Pro (v.1), white.  When I purchased the Pro v.2, that is when I combined them (and sold off the inverse creation) 

The controller had died once, so I replaced it..otherwise, it is the same keyboard I've had since 2007. 

[demik]

imav hhkb user, we win cherry users!

[Air tree]

Another relevant time for this .gif 

[Agarito]

Hey guys,

Does anyone know if the "whistle" noise on the hhkb2 type-s has been fixed? If not, is PFU working on fixing it?

Looking to purchase a type s once the issue has been solved.


THanks

[SpAmRaY]

Just swapped the caps on my Type-S, it really is a sweet little board.

[Hypersphere]

@Agarito: The whistling issue with the Type-S HHKB Pro 2 seems to have been sporadic. Some reports say that the problem goes away after using the keyboard for a while. I installed silencing rings in my HHKB and RF87U, and I did not detect any whistling sounds after the mod.

[byker]

Just swapped the caps on my Type-S, it really is a sweet little board.

Hell yeah it is! 

[tararais]

Just swapped the caps on my Type-S, it really is a sweet little board.

 
Top notch board in terms of feel, only gripe is a slightly loose edge.

[Cafeine]

It was time to swap some keys around.




Still love the FC660C (I modded both) but the sexyness of the HHKB is forever.

[Sinzz]

I am now a proud owner of a HHKB Pro 2, and I am loving the board. Still getting used to the layout but damn does it sound good to type on. Now to scour the web for some topre keys, or 3D print some.

[Altis]

Been a week with the HHKB Pro 2 so far.

Here it is with some other Topre boards (and some not)...


Funny thing is that after two decades of the standard layout, the backspace key took me no time to get used to and now I struggle with it on other keyboards. I didn't expect to enjoy the layout very much but to my surprise I quite do, especially the arrow cluster. I'd prefer Control to be in the bottom-left corner, still, as I find it awkward to use the Ctrl+Z/X/C/V keys.dd

The only thing is that it's quite a bit louder and less smooth than the Realforce 87U. In particular, the central keys are very 'clackey' compared with the outer keys, making typing sound more noticeable to others. My left shift key is noticeably darker than the others, as is 'F' and 'J' and kind of '.'. The stabilizers are pretty much silent, which is quite rare for any board. The edges on the left and right side of the top case overhang the bottom a bit, feeling kind of sharp when you move it around from the sides.

The weighting is about just perfect for me, and it feels a touch heavier than the 45g uniform 87U. The typing angle is oddly steep (as you can kind of see in the photo above), though I haven't really found this to be an issue yet.

I'll keep breaking it in and seeing how it is. Despite some flaws, it's one of the only keyboards I'd describe as "fun" to type on. Perhaps some of that is for having to figure out some of the key combinations needed (such as Ctrl+Shift+Fn+K to highlight the line up to the cursor).

[Macsmasher]

The weighting is about just perfect for me, and it feels a touch heavier than the 45g uniform 87U. The typing angle is oddly steep (as you can kind of see in the photo above), though I haven't really found this to be an issue yet.

I found the typing angle a bit steep as well. So I went to Home Depot and bought some 1/2" cabinet door bumpers similar to these...

http://www.amazon.com/Shepherd-Hardware-9967-Surface-Adhesive/dp/B007ZUENG0/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1445637419&sr=8-2&keywords=cabinet+door+bumpers+1%2F2+inch

I put those on the front and 2mm bumpers on the back. It helped a lot. Also stays put on my desk better than the stock rubber strips.

[meow a cat]

This thread isn't helping me resist buying an HHKB.. I really want one, mainly for school, but I'm a bit afraid to go down the Topre rabbit hole.  )

Nice pictures guys.

[Altis]

I found the typing angle a bit steep as well. So I went to Home Depot and bought some 1/2" cabinet door bumpers similar to these...

http://www.amazon.com/Shepherd-Hardware-9967-Surface-Adhesive/dp/B007ZUENG0/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1445637419&sr=8-2&keywords=cabinet+door+bumpers+1%2F2+inch

I put those on the front and 2mm bumpers on the back. It helped a lot. Also stays put on my desk better than the stock rubber strips.

That's a good idea. I was thinking of adding some foam strips to the bottom to both reduce the angle slightly and to silence it more.

This thread isn't helping me resist buying an HHKB.. I really want one, mainly for school, but I'm a bit afraid to go down the Topre rabbit hole.  )

Nice pictures guys.

It might be a tad loud for classroom environment. The 87U is quite a bit quieter, though larger as well.

I'm going to experiment to see if sound deadening inside the case helps, and perhaps lubing the stems.

[Macsmasher]

That's a good idea. I was thinking of adding some foam strips to the bottom to both reduce the angle slightly and to silence it more.

The problem with foam is it's designed to compress. The rubber door bumpers provide a bit of give without compressing. The other nice thing is they're cheap and easy to peal off if you don't like them.

[Altis]

That's a good idea. I was thinking of adding some foam strips to the bottom to both reduce the angle slightly and to silence it more.

The problem with foam is it's designed to compress. The rubber door bumpers provide a bit of give without compressing. The other nice thing is they're cheap and easy to peal off if you don't like them.

What I mean by foam is yoga mat-like material. Not soft enough to compress while typing but soft enough to really dampen the sound.

[meow a cat]

This thread isn't helping me resist buying an HHKB.. I really want one, mainly for school, but I'm a bit afraid to go down the Topre rabbit hole.  )

Nice pictures guys.

It might be a tad loud for classroom environment. The 87U is quite a bit quieter, though larger as well.

I'm going to experiment to see if sound deadening inside the case helps, and perhaps lubing the stems.

I already have four TKL boards, so if I go for a Topre it will probably be the HHKB even though I love the look of the RealForce 87s. TKL is great with my laptop, but takes up a lot of space in my backpack. Do you think it's louder than an MX board? I've silenced my Phantom that I bring with me to school with lube/o-rings/shelf liner, and it's now quieter than the rubber domes on the computers in the classroom. Perhaps I can do some Topre silencing to get the noise down? Or spring for the Type-S maybe.

[Bucake]

It was time to swap some keys around.

the options..
nice collection!

Perhaps I can do some Topre silencing to get the noise down? Or spring for the Type-S maybe.

after using silenced topre, i don't think i can even go back to non-silenced topre :x
the difference is actually quite big between silenced and non-silenced.
(and silencing totally rocks with one of those PBT spacebars from massdrop!)

here's a good video that demonstrates the sound of a stock hhkb vs type-s hhkb vs dental band modded hhkb:

Here it is with some other Topre boards (and some not)...

i did the same thing where i swapped the cases
i think the black keycaps on white case looks pretty disgusting though ;p but i really dig the grey + white caps on the black case : )
i use the red esc as well, but also added a red spacebar. looks so sweet together!


my hhkb should be arriving next week.. : ) a type-s with white (blank) keycaps. already have my hasu controller ready!
also gonna slam on a blue PBT spacebar and blank blue LE esc.

[swimmingbird]

This thread isn't helping me resist buying an HHKB.. I really want one, mainly for school, but I'm a bit afraid to go down the Topre rabbit hole.  )

Nice pictures guys.

It might be a tad loud for classroom environment. The 87U is quite a bit quieter, though larger as well.

I'm going to experiment to see if sound deadening inside the case helps, and perhaps lubing the stems.

I already have four TKL boards, so if I go for a Topre it will probably be the HHKB even though I love the look of the RealForce 87s. TKL is great with my laptop, but takes up a lot of space in my backpack. Do you think it's louder than an MX board? I've silenced my Phantom that I bring with me to school with lube/o-rings/shelf liner, and it's now quieter than the rubber domes on the computers in the classroom. Perhaps I can do some Topre silencing to get the noise down? Or spring for the Type-S maybe.

I find my HHKB pretty noisy - nowhere near as noisy as an MX Blue board or anything like that though - but definitely louder than a regular membrane keyboard that most people use

[rowdy]

This thread isn't helping me resist buying an HHKB.. I really want one, mainly for school, but I'm a bit afraid to go down the Topre rabbit hole.  )

Nice pictures guys.

It might be a tad loud for classroom environment. The 87U is quite a bit quieter, though larger as well.

I'm going to experiment to see if sound deadening inside the case helps, and perhaps lubing the stems.

I already have four TKL boards, so if I go for a Topre it will probably be the HHKB even though I love the look of the RealForce 87s. TKL is great with my laptop, but takes up a lot of space in my backpack. Do you think it's louder than an MX board? I've silenced my Phantom that I bring with me to school with lube/o-rings/shelf liner, and it's now quieter than the rubber domes on the computers in the classroom. Perhaps I can do some Topre silencing to get the noise down? Or spring for the Type-S maybe.

I find my HHKB pretty noisy - nowhere near as noisy as an MX Blue board or anything like that though - but definitely louder than a regular membrane keyboard that most people use

Try sitting it on a folded sheet of drawer liner.  It makes a huge difference to the noise - removes nearly all the bottom out sound and you've just left with the lovely up-thock.

[swimmingbird]

This thread isn't helping me resist buying an HHKB.. I really want one, mainly for school, but I'm a bit afraid to go down the Topre rabbit hole.  )

Nice pictures guys.

It might be a tad loud for classroom environment. The 87U is quite a bit quieter, though larger as well.

I'm going to experiment to see if sound deadening inside the case helps, and perhaps lubing the stems.

I already have four TKL boards, so if I go for a Topre it will probably be the HHKB even though I love the look of the RealForce 87s. TKL is great with my laptop, but takes up a lot of space in my backpack. Do you think it's louder than an MX board? I've silenced my Phantom that I bring with me to school with lube/o-rings/shelf liner, and it's now quieter than the rubber domes on the computers in the classroom. Perhaps I can do some Topre silencing to get the noise down? Or spring for the Type-S maybe.

I find my HHKB pretty noisy - nowhere near as noisy as an MX Blue board or anything like that though - but definitely louder than a regular membrane keyboard that most people use

Try sitting it on a folded sheet of drawer liner.  It makes a huge difference to the noise - removes nearly all the bottom out sound and you've just left with the lovely up-thock.

I'll give it a try 

[tararais]

This thread isn't helping me resist buying an HHKB.. I really want one, mainly for school, but I'm a bit afraid to go down the Topre rabbit hole.  )

Nice pictures guys.

It might be a tad loud for classroom environment. The 87U is quite a bit quieter, though larger as well.

I'm going to experiment to see if sound deadening inside the case helps, and perhaps lubing the stems.

I already have four TKL boards, so if I go for a Topre it will probably be the HHKB even though I love the look of the RealForce 87s. TKL is great with my laptop, but takes up a lot of space in my backpack. Do you think it's louder than an MX board? I've silenced my Phantom that I bring with me to school with lube/o-rings/shelf liner, and it's now quieter than the rubber domes on the computers in the classroom. Perhaps I can do some Topre silencing to get the noise down? Or spring for the Type-S maybe.

I find my HHKB pretty noisy - nowhere near as noisy as an MX Blue board or anything like that though - but definitely louder than a regular membrane keyboard that most people use

Try sitting it on a folded sheet of drawer liner.  It makes a huge difference to the noise - removes nearly all the bottom out sound and you've just left with the lovely up-thock.

I'll give it a try 

   
Man, you guys are lucky. I gotta plop mine down on a fat metal laptop, but at least there's more thock, right? RIGHT?

[iss]

Hypersphere's rings + lube make the board absurdly quiet.

[Bucake]

my hhkb type-s switches feel and sound so much different from the 55g type-s switches of my RF87U.
in comparison, they're scratchy in sound and feel. i'll probably open some switches up to 'investigate' what the cause is, exactly.

i'm also wondering if different silencing material is used..?

[Altis]

my hhkb type-s switches feel and sound so much different from the 55g type-s switches of my RF87U.
in comparison, they're scratchy in sound and feel. i'll probably open some switches up to 'investigate' what the cause is, exactly.

i'm also wondering if different silencing material is used..?

Not sure about the type-S variants, but my regular HHKB P2 is scratchier in both feel and sound than either of my 87Us as well.

[Air tree]

my hhkb type-s switches feel and sound so much different from the 55g type-s switches of my RF87U.
in comparison, they're scratchy in sound and feel. i'll probably open some switches up to 'investigate' what the cause is, exactly.

i'm also wondering if different silencing material is used..?

Ask dustin what he thinks, he used realforce silenced sliders in his HHKB one upon a time and maybe he could shine some light on the subject.

[rowdy]

This thread isn't helping me resist buying an HHKB.. I really want one, mainly for school, but I'm a bit afraid to go down the Topre rabbit hole.  )

Nice pictures guys.

It might be a tad loud for classroom environment. The 87U is quite a bit quieter, though larger as well.

I'm going to experiment to see if sound deadening inside the case helps, and perhaps lubing the stems.

I already have four TKL boards, so if I go for a Topre it will probably be the HHKB even though I love the look of the RealForce 87s. TKL is great with my laptop, but takes up a lot of space in my backpack. Do you think it's louder than an MX board? I've silenced my Phantom that I bring with me to school with lube/o-rings/shelf liner, and it's now quieter than the rubber domes on the computers in the classroom. Perhaps I can do some Topre silencing to get the noise down? Or spring for the Type-S maybe.

I find my HHKB pretty noisy - nowhere near as noisy as an MX Blue board or anything like that though - but definitely louder than a regular membrane keyboard that most people use

Try sitting it on a folded sheet of drawer liner.  It makes a huge difference to the noise - removes nearly all the bottom out sound and you've just left with the lovely up-thock.

I'll give it a try 

I got mine from the Reject Shop, a small roll of it folded so I have actually 8 layers of drawer liner )

[absyrd]

Some dude I talk to all the time that is super famous says HHKBs hurt his poor little girly hands after an hour.

Should I unfriend him and cut off all communication?

[olijuice]

I have a HHKB Pro 2 I use at work. I have too many Topre come to think about it. My first ever Mech was a Leopold FC660C I got second hand at /r/mechmarket. Eventually I bought a HHKB Pro 2 from EK and I noticed how different the feel was between the two it was strange. They are both 45g but the Leopold felt heavier and a little bit springier, I liked the feel of it more than the HHKB, but I liked the design and look of the HHKB much better.

I then bought a 55g RF 87U with Mat3o's spacebars and a barebones Novatouch from Massdrop a few weeks ago. I swapped the domes on the RF and I put them on the HHKB and I am really really loving them right now. I haven't done a stem swap on the HHKB yet but I plan on doing that some day.

There is something really enjoyable at work when I am on a roll typing on a 55g HHKB and the keys just bounce right back; it's like typing on little tiny pogo sticks lol.

[Air tree]

55g HHKB best HHKB. 

[W_hinklebottom]

55g HHKB best HHKB. 

Indeed it is I just swapped mine out last week and it is like heaven. Type - S ftw.



All SnacKeyed up!

[Cicada88]

Some dude I talk to all the time that is super famous says HHKBs hurt his poor little girly hands after an hour.

Should I unfriend him and cut off all communication?

Not sure if you are serious or joking, but I would definitely unfriend him.  I'm not sure I would cut off all communication.

[absyrd]

Some dude I talk to all the time that is super famous says HHKBs hurt his poor little girly hands after an hour.

Should I unfriend him and cut off all communication?

Not sure if you are serious or joking, but I would definitely unfriend him.  I'm not sure I would cut off all communication.

Totally serious. This guy... he is like the knower of all things known about keyboards... and he can't even type on a HHKB.

I linked him my previous post and he has yet to contact me. He may have unfriended me for calling him out on being a ****. Oh well.

[ideus]

Small hands.

[Joey Quinn]

Some dude I talk to all the time that is super famous says HHKBs hurt his poor little girly hands after an hour.

Should I unfriend him and cut off all communication?

Not sure if you are serious or joking, but I would definitely unfriend him.  I'm not sure I would cut off all communication.

Totally serious. This guy... he is like the knower of all things known about keyboards... and he can't even type on a HHKB.

I linked him my previous post and he has yet to contact me. He may have unfriended me for calling him out on being a ****. Oh well.

I know the man you speak of, I think his Alps and IMB collections make up for his lack of enlightenment. But you could still unfriend him just to be safe.

[mszy52]

How do you feel about the lack of ctl and other keys being where they usually are on this board?

[W_hinklebottom]

How do you feel about the lack of ctl and other keys being where they usually are on this board?

Two weeks of using it and you will think other boards layout is weird and you will wonder why CapsLock exists on any keyboard.

[mszy52]

How do you feel about the lack of ctl and other keys being where they usually are on this board?

Two weeks of using it and you will think other boards layout is weird and you will wonder why CapsLock exists on any keyboard.

lol is it worth the learning curve for the new board?

[Bomble]

How do you feel about the lack of ctl and other keys being where they usually are on this board?

Two weeks of using it and you will think other boards layout is weird and you will wonder why CapsLock exists on any keyboard.

lol is it worth the learning curve for the new board?

Yes. If you can afford it and are interested, buy one. I got mine almost by accident because I came across a great deal while I was actually seaching for a Poker II, and it was my first topre board too. I haven't bought anything non-topre since that happened over a year ago.

[W_hinklebottom]

How do you feel about the lack of ctl and other keys being where they usually are on this board?

Two weeks of using it and you will think other boards layout is weird and you will wonder why CapsLock exists on any keyboard.

lol is it worth the learning curve for the new board?

Lol ) Is it worth it on a thread called HHKB Pro 2 Love? Yeah man, I think a lot of us would tell you it is but we all drank the Kool-aid. I got lucky as well and was able to pick mine up at a good deal. The nice thing if you don't care for it or can't get used to it is that you will usually just be out shipping as they hold their value and sell fast.

[mszy52]

How do you feel about the lack of ctl and other keys being where they usually are on this board?

Two weeks of using it and you will think other boards layout is weird and you will wonder why CapsLock exists on any keyboard.

lol is it worth the learning curve for the new board?

Lol ) Is it worth it on a thread called HHKB Pro 2 Love? Yeah man, I think a lot of us would tell you it is but we all drank the Kool-aid. I got lucky as well and was able to pick mine up at a good deal. The nice thing if you don't care for it or can't get used to it is that you will usually just be out shipping as they hold their value and sell fast.

Lol okay thanks bro, ill look into these boards soon

[agbockus]

How do you feel about the lack of ctl and other keys being where they usually are on this board?

Two weeks of using it and you will think other boards layout is weird and you will wonder why CapsLock exists on any keyboard.

lol is it worth the learning curve for the new board?

Lol ) Is it worth it on a thread called HHKB Pro 2 Love? Yeah man, I think a lot of us would tell you it is but we all drank the Kool-aid. I got lucky as well and was able to pick mine up at a good deal. The nice thing if you don't care for it or can't get used to it is that you will usually just be out shipping as they hold their value and sell fast.

Lol okay thanks bro, ill look into these boards soon

I'm in the same position as OP - except it's been around a month...and mines had a bunch of issues. But through all of the issues I have, I can't stand typing on anything else now. Which is extremely dangerous with how expensive these dang boards are...I'm thinking about saving up and buying one of the knock-offs to see how they fair...the RK TKL one to be precise...but I just can't get over that they're not real Topre and it's certainly not the amazing HHKB layout...

[keyboardia1]

I've got my Type-S last week and i'm lovin' it. It sounds (no whistling sound as far as i can tell) and feels perfect and the layout is just right . Bascially not having to leave the homerow to use the arrows is awesome.

[Bartlebum]

Just got my silenced HHKB in the mail today and it's easily my favorite board. Like, by a long shot. Even over my custom GON (maybe... I'm not sure. It's looking at me and I don't want to hurt its feelings). I wasn't sure how i'd like it given I was ambivalent over my Novatouch, but holy **** guys. This is a whole new ball game.

[Macsmasher]

I've got my Type-S last week and i'm lovin' it. It sounds (no whistling sound as far as i can tell) and feels perfect and the layout is just right . Bascially not having to leave the homerow to use the arrows is awesome.

You must have the left Win key set up as a Fn key. I almost sold my HHKB until I switched to Fn, which allowed my to use the nav keys without leaving home row. (I still occasionally use the right Fn key with my pinkie finger and navigate and have no problem switching between the two methods.) When highlighting text to copy / cut, I use my thumb on left Fn and toggle Shift and Control with index and middle fingers. Right hand stays on home row and operates Home / End / PgUp / PgDn / Arrows. Works great for me. I had to get used to not having a left Win key, but the trade off was worth it.

[MeltingTeeth]

Some dude I talk to all the time that is super famous says HHKBs hurt his poor little girly hands after an hour.

Should I unfriend him and cut off all communication?

Not sure if you are serious or joking, but I would definitely unfriend him.  I'm not sure I would cut off all communication.

Totally serious. This guy... he is like the knower of all things known about keyboards... and he can't even type on a HHKB.

I linked him my previous post and he has yet to contact me. He may have unfriended me for calling him out on being a ****. Oh well.

Well, I DO find I bottom out a lot.  That adds up to some discomfort.

[rowdy]

Some dude I talk to all the time that is super famous says HHKBs hurt his poor little girly hands after an hour.

Should I unfriend him and cut off all communication?

Not sure if you are serious or joking, but I would definitely unfriend him.  I'm not sure I would cut off all communication.

Totally serious. This guy... he is like the knower of all things known about keyboards... and he can't even type on a HHKB.

I linked him my previous post and he has yet to contact me. He may have unfriended me for calling him out on being a ****. Oh well.

Well, I DO find I bottom out a lot.  That adds up to some discomfort.

I bottom out all the time, and it feels so good

[meow a cat]

I have a white printed HHKB on the way! It's a bit of an oddball though, a Pro 2 in a Type-S case.

Excited to drink the kool-aid, I haven't tried Topre switches or HHKB layout yet.

[byker]

I have a white printed HHKB on the way! It's a bit of an oddball though, a Pro 2 in a Type-S case.

Excited to drink the kool-aid, I haven't tried Topre switches or HHKB layout yet.

Congrats! Just be sure to give it time. Topre is often an acquired taste I find, many friends have given up on it too soon.