Finding a good keyboard outside of gaming keyboards can sometimes be complex. However, some brands consider giving the comfort of our little fingers, mainly because we do not all want gaming keyboards. This is the case of HHKB, which offers this Professional Hybrid, a keyboard intended for professionals in the industry.
Japanese company Fujitsu has unveiled updates to its iconic 90s Happy Hacking Keyboard. Although the layout remained unchanged, the new items were modernized to suit modern realities. They are equipped with USB-C ports, and the two older models have a Bluetooth module.
| PROS | CONS |
| Comfortable 60-key design | No 2.4GHz RF wireless connectivity |
| Topre switches | Pricey |
| Good typing feel |
First of all, “HHKB Professional HYBRID Type-S” will be a tool for increasing productivity as long as it matches the normal usage environment, and if it does not match, it may be challenging to use.
It may be a keyboard with different tastes.
- Quiet keystroke sound
- Deep keystrokes
- No numeric keypad
- No arrow keys (in Japanese layout)
- Need to get used to keyboard layout
- Keymap can be customized (Windows only)
- Simple and stylish design
The key pitch of “HHKB Professional HYBRID Type-S” is about 2 cm (official spec is 19.05 mm), and the keystroke is 3.8 mm (pressing pressure 45 g), which is standard if you look only at the numerical values.
However, it uses a “cylindrical step sculpture” structure, which provides a comfortable typing environment for easy high-speed input.
Cyrindrical step sculpture is a specification that combines three structures, a cylindrical step sculpture.
Unlike the keyboard of a regular desktop computer, it is easy to move between keys and has a structure that prevents accidental touches.
Specification
| HHKB PFU Professional Hybrid | |
| $ | CHECK PRICE |
| Brand | HHKB |
| Released | June 2011 |
| Dimensions | 294 x 120 x 40 mm |
| Size | 60% |
| Weight | 540 g (Excluding Batteries) |
| Colour | Black |
| Connectivity | USB Type-C |
| Mechanical | Yes |
| Key Switches | Topre switches |
| Keycap Material | PBT |
| Backlighting | No |
| Multimedia Keys | No |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 4.2 |
| Numpad | No |
| Battery | 2 x AA Batteries |
| Software | No |
Design
This keyboard is quite simple; it is a 60% keyboard of excellent quality. Indeed, the HHKB is remarkably sober in its very dark anthracite gray, which fits perfectly into a setup by its size and appearance.
It is made of excellent quality PBT plastic with a charming feel. The keyboard is also very symmetrical. On the top of the keyboard, you will find the HHKB logo with the model name in black.
You will find a compartment for the batteries. In addition, you will have a USB Type-C port to connect it by USB to your PC or Mac and, on the other side, the power button and Bluetooth connection.
On the underside of the keyboard, you will have four notched rubber pads with excellent keyboard support; moreover, you will have two adjustment clips at two levels to raise the keyboard to your liking and according to your tastes. You will also have the DIP switch adjustment hatch change according to your OS.
A compact keyboard and effortless design will fit anywhere and be very easily movable.
Typing comfort
The “HHKB Professional HYBRID Type-S” can be adjusted in 3 steps, so you can flexibly set the angle you like according to the place of use.
The heavyweight of the keyboard and the solid anti-slip rubber pads on the four corners of the back make it a good impression that the keyboard position does not shift quickly.
The feedback is excellent, and thanks to the Topre switches, the typing is precise and perfectly balanced, no chance of having Key Chatter, all the pressures are recorded, and everything is designed so that there is no problem. Interpretation.
The switches are proprietary; they are composed of a conical spring, a rubber dome, and an electrostatic capacitive sensor; the Topre key switches eliminate the clicking of the keys while offering a pleasant touch and a very characteristic thump.
In addition, the sculpted cylindrical key structure offers better typing ergonomics, and the layout of the keys, like the Control next to the A, allows to reduce the movement of the fingers; the system is compliant with Sun Sys 3 UNIX and allows to adapt the keyboard for each operating system such as macOS, Window, Linux (all distributions) thanks to the DIP switches, no longer worry about whether your keyboard is UNIX / XNU or Windows compatible, it is in all cases.
Connectivity
To connect your HHKB Professional Hybrid keyboard, it’s simple; you have to either connect it via a USB Type-C cable or then connect it via Bluetooth as follows:
- Turn on the keyboard
- Go to your Bluetooth preferences and press and hold Fn and Q to bring it into connection mode
- Pair the keyboard from the settings, and that’s it
In addition, you will be able to adjust the DIPs using the switches on the back of the keyboard to adapt it to your OS, no need for software, everything is already programmed in the keyboard, practical, other manufacturers should take an example. Also, consider that the keyboard works on batteries and does not have backlighting, so it has an extremely long battery life of several months.
Battery
The power supply uses two AA batteries. You may think that the built-in battery declines little by little with each power supply, like a smartphone, so the battery type is better considering that you will use it for an extended period.
The operating time is about 3 months. Instead of using disposable AA batteries, we recommend purchasing a battery that can be recharged repeatedly, such as Panasonic’s Eneloop AA batteries.
Conclusion!
HHKB Professional HYBRID Type-S is not a keyboard for everyone because of its pricing, unique keyboard layout/customizability. The keyboard is a great keyboard aimed at developers. With its sober design and compact size coupled with its very advanced operation, it perfectly fulfills the tasks asked of it.
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