Happy Hacking Keyboard
The Happy Hacking Keyboard is a small computer keyboard produced by PFU Limited of Japan, co-developed with Japanese computer pioneer Eiiti Wada.[1] Its reduction of keys from the common 104-key layout down to 60 keys in the professional series is the basis for its smaller size while retaining full key size. It returns the control key to its original position as on the early 84-key PC AT and XT layouts. The current models[2] in production are the Happy Hacking Keyboard Professional 2,[3] Professional JP,[4] both in either dark or light colorways, Type-S silenced variants and blank key cap variants, and the Happy Hacking Keyboard Lite 2 with an additional Macintosh-specific variant and a blank variant for each.
Happy Hacking Keyboard | |
---|---|
A white Happy Hacking Keyboard Professional 2 with 60 blank keys | |
Part no. | PD-KB02/S
PD-KB02/P PD-KB02/M |
Manufacturer | PFU |
Keyswitches | Membrane, Capacitive |
Interface | PD-KB02/S - SUN Connector
PD-KB02/P - PS/2 Connector PD-KB02/M - ADB Connector |
Weight | 520g |
Introduced | Dec 20, 1996 |
Discontinued | Dec 10, 2006 (original version) |
Website | hhkeyboard |
Common features
Some of the Happy Hacking Keyboard design tenets, as dictated by Wada, include a minimal 60-key design, no cursor or function keys, and standard keyboard pitch, all optimized for use in UNIX environments.[5]
Happy Hacking Keyboards lack a numeric keypad, and keys outside the typewriter key area are mainly accessible through the Fn key. The keys are arranged in a layout resembling the Sun Type 3 keyboard. Specifically:
- The control key is found where most keyboards place the caps lock. This is the only control key on the keyboard.
- The esc key is located to the left of the 1 key; the tilde key normally found there is at the right end of the same row.
- The delete key is located directly above the enter key; the key normally found there is the second-rightmost key on the row above it. Furthermore, this is an actual delete key, not a historically named backspace. Backspace is accessible through Fn+Delete though its function can be interchanged with the backspace key using a DIP switch, using this setting, the delete key is accessed via Fn+`
- The meta keys are located between the space bar and the alt keys.
On the far side of the keyboard there are DIP switches. These may be used to:[6]
- Turn the delete key into a backspace. Fn+Delete remains backspace, and Fn+` (top-right key) remains delete.
- Swap the alt and meta keys.
- Enable/disable downstream USB ports on USB models.
Features by model
Model Name | Model # | Color | Switch Type | Interface | Blank Keycaps | Introduced | EOL | Other Features |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Happy Hacking Keyboard | PD-KB02 | White | Membrane | PS/2, Sun, ADB | No | Dec 20, 1996 | Dec 10, 2006[7] | Buzzer (Sun), Power supply switch (Sun/Mac) |
PD-KB02N | ||||||||
Happy Hacking Keyboard Lite | PD-KB100W | White | PS/2 | Jun 7, 1999[8] | Unknown | Was also available in black and white non-labeled versions[9] | ||
Happy Hacking Keyboard Lite 2 | PD-KB200W/P | White | Mar 15, 2001[10] | Dec 19, 2008 | Arrow keys, 2-port USB hub. Available in Japanese and English layouts. | |||
PD-KB200B/P | Black | |||||||
PD-KB200W/U | White | USB | ||||||
PD-KB200B/U | Black | |||||||
PD-KB210W/U | White | |||||||
PD-KB210B/U | Black | |||||||
PD-KB220W/U | White | |||||||
PD-KB220B/U | Black | |||||||
PD-KB220MKW | White | Mac version, has command and option keys in addition to the other Lite 2 features.[11] | ||||||
PD-KB200MKB | Black | |||||||
PD-KB200MA | White | |||||||
PD-KB220MA | White | |||||||
Happy Hacking Keyboard Professional | PD-KB300 | White | Capacitive[12] | Apr 24, 2003 | Dec 10, 2006[7] | |||
PD-KB300B | Charcoal Gray | |||||||
PD-KB300NL | White | Yes | ||||||
PD-KB300BN | Charcoal Gray | |||||||
Happy Hacking Keyboard Professional 2 | PD-KB400W | White | No | Mar 24, 2006[13] | 2-port USB hub | |||
PD-KB400B | Charcoal Gray | |||||||
PD-KB400WN | White | Yes | ||||||
PD-KB400BN | Charcoal Gray | |||||||
Happy Hacking Keyboard Professional JP | PD-KB420W | White | No | Nov 10, 2008 | HHKB Professional 2 with Japanese layout and arrow keys | |||
PD-KB420B | Charcoal Gray | |||||||
Happy Hacking Keyboard Professional HG[14] | PD-KB500W | White | No | Oct 12, 2006 | Special 10-year anniversary models[15] | |||
PD-KB500B | Black | |||||||
PD-KB500WN | White | Yes | ||||||
PD-KB500BN | Black | |||||||
Happy Hacking Keyboard Professional HG JAPAN[16] | PD-KB500J | Wajima-style lacquer | ||||||
Happy Hacking Keyboard Professional 2 Type-S | PD-KB400WS | White | No | June 29, 2011 | with Silencing[17] | |||
PD-KB400WNS | White | Yes | ||||||
Happy Hacking Keyboard Professional JP Type-S | PD-KB420WS | White | No | |||||
Happy Hacking Keyboard Professional BT[18] | PD-KB600B | Black | Bluetooth | No | Apr 12, 2016 | |||
PD-KB600BN | Black | Yes | ||||||
PD-KB620B | Black | No | ||||||
Happy Hacking Keyboard Professional Classic | CG01000-296201 | White, white keycaps (printed) | Capacitive | USB-C | No | January, 2020 | 3rd generation |
See also
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Happy Hacking Keyboards. |
References
- "IIJ Research Laboratory - Researchers". Internet Initiative Japan. Archived from the original on 2016-03-05. Retrieved 2011-04-27.
- "Happy Hacking Keyboard (Japanese manufacturer's site)". PFU Limited. Retrieved 2013-01-16.
- "HHKB Professional2 (Japanese site)". PFU Limited. Archived from the original on 2015-09-10. Retrieved 2008-02-19.
- "HHKB Professional JP (Japanese site)". PFU Limited. Archived from the original on 2009-03-02. Retrieved 2009-04-22.
- "Wada Eiiti-Computer Museum". Information Processing Society of Japan. Retrieved 2011-04-27.
- "DIP switch functions". PFU Limited. Archived from the original on 2010-08-20. Retrieved 2007-05-08.
- "Happy Hacking Keyboard Specifications". PFU Limited. Archived from the original on 2013-01-07. Retrieved 2008-07-31.
- "PFU America releases "Happy Hacking Keyboard Lite" for all PC/Linux users and power users". PFU Limited. 1999-06-01. Archived from the original on 2000-01-23. Retrieved 2008-07-31.
- "Happy Hacking Keyboard Lite". PFU Limited. Archived from the original on 2001-10-24. Retrieved 2008-07-31.
- "PFU America Releases "Happy Hacking Keyboard Lite 2"". AllBusiness. 2001-03-15. Archived from the original on 2010-10-12. Retrieved 2008-07-31.
- Murph, Darren (2007-01-26). "Happy Hacking Keyboard Lite 2 for Mac touts Apple Key, demotes Caps Lock". Engadget. Retrieved 2008-07-31.
- "HHKB/Features/High quality keys". PFU Limited. Archived from the original on 2010-08-03. Retrieved 2007-08-19.
- "Happy Hacking Keyboard Professional 2". AkibaLive. 2006-03-16. Archived from the original on 2008-06-16. Retrieved 2008-07-31.
- "HHKB Professional HG Specs". PFU Limited. Retrieved 2008-08-12.
- "The 3300 euros keyboard for PC". Akihabaranews. 2006-10-12. Archived from the original on 2009-12-16. Retrieved 2008-08-12.
- "HHKB Professional HG JAPAN Specs". PFU Limited. Retrieved 2008-08-12.
- "HHKB Professional 2 and JP Type-S press release". PFU Limited. Retrieved 2011-09-11.
- "Happy Hacking Keyboard | HHKB Professional BT | PFU". PFU Limited. Retrieved 2016-04-12.
External links
- HHKB firmware, tools and manuals
- Eiiti Wada Mechanical Keyboard Community Interview
- Verge celebrates the Happy Hacking Keyboard as a status symbol
- engadget review of the Happy Hacking Keyboard Lite 2
- Linux Journal review of the Happy Hacking Keyboard Professional
- Review & spec of the Happy Hacking Keyboard Pro 2
- Linux Journal review of the original Happy Hacking Keyboard