Hacking Happily, More Room On Your Desk, and a Shorter Reach
Written: Mar 31 '04 (Updated Mar 31 '04)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Reduced size means less reaching, more desktop space.
Cons: Keycap labeling is awkward until you learn where the keys are.
The Bottom Line: This is a smaller keyboard, designed for the "hardcore" user. If you don't need the frou-frou "launch mail" or "surf the web" buttons, it's a solid piece of hardware.
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| caradoc's Full Review: PFU Systems Happy Hacking Lite2 PD-KB200B/P |
In the early days of electronics, computers, ham radio, and other esoteric hobbies, a "hacker" was someone who could cobble together amazing things with a paperclip, a linear amplifier, an IBM Selectric serial printer, and a piece of bubble gum. Today, the "real" old-school hackers call the ones that get on the news for defacing websites "crackers," not hackers!
Since I'm right-handed, I'd noticed over the years that it was rather silly to keep reaching past the 10-key pad on the right side of my keyboard to get to the trackball or mouse - moreso because I rarely use the 10-key pad at at all to type numbers.
My original computer was an Apple ][. The keyboard had no 10-key pad, and so I simply got used to typing the numbers across the top of the keyboard. As I worked my way through things like the C-64, TRS-80, and other models, I only got a keyboard with a 10-key pad when I got into the IBM and other "big iron" hardware.
If I wasn't using the pad, then why should I waste the extra 16+ square inches of desktop, and straighten my elbow out even more to get to the trackball?
The Happy Hacking Keyboard Lite 2 USB (an equivalent model is available with a PS/2 connector on it) comes in light grey or black, and eliminates the 10-key pad from the right side of the keyboard as well as eliminating the function keys at the top of the keyboard. Never fear, the function keys are still available for use. Just press the "Fn" key at the bottom left or bottom right of the keyboard, and the number keys (and -, and =) become F1 through F11.
The rest of the "special" keys are embedded in the area roughly bounded by I, [, M, and ?. These include Page Up, Page Down, Home, End, Scroll Lock, Print Screen, Pause/Break, Insert, Delete, and some extra cursor arrow keys. The "Inverted T" layout at the bottom right of the keyboard for the "real" cursor controls includes another set of Page Up, Page Down, Home, and End.
Unfortunately, these "special" keys are labeled on the side of the keycap (not on the top in a smaller font, like some laptop keyboards) that faces your stomach as you're typing. In a poorly lit room, or on a keyboard drawer, they're very hard to read.
The Tab button doubles as the Caps Lock when the "Fn" button is pressed, making room for the Control key just above the left Shift key, where I'm used to having it while I work on Sun hardware. The ~/` key is also where it should be, at the top right corner. THERE IS NO CAPS LOCK INDICATOR LIGHT. THIS CAN CAUSE PROBLEMS FOR PASSWORD ENTRY WHEN YOU CAN'T SEE WHAT YOU'RE TYPING. Or when you're typing an Epinion...
Forcing so many keys to perform double duty reduces the keyboard's overall size to 11.6" x 4.7", or approximately the size of one sheet of regular paper folded in half lengthwise. This reduced size means that I can reach my Nostromo SpeedPad n50 or my Kensington Turbo Pro by moving my hands barely one hand-width to the side, instead of having to reach all the way past the 10-key pad on the right. If one needed a keyboard to put into a rack to work with rack-mounted server hardware, the Happy Hacking keyboard is perfect, with room to put in a pointing device, too.
The function key layout is somewhat biased to a right-handed user. Most of the functions are obtained via left-hand-Fn and right-hand-target. Lefties might get used to this, depending on how much time one spends on the keyboard.
Inside a tiny panel on the back of the keyboard are four DIP switches, easily changed on or off with the tip of a ballpoint pen.
Switch 1: USB downstream ports on/off (there are two USB 1 downstream ports on the back of the keyboard. They won't reach USB 2 speeds, but USB 2 devices will function at the lower speed if plugged into them. The SpeedPad and Turbo Pro do just fine in them.)
Switch 2: Unused. I'm not sure why it's here.
Switch 3: Changes the functionality of the Backspace key to Delete, or vice versa. Depending on whether you're plugging the keyboard into a Mac, PC, or Sun device, you may need to redefine the Backspace to Delete, or Delete to Backspace (the key is labeled "Delete" with the function labeled as "BS.") You can also hold the function key down to reverse the behavior temporarily.
Switch 4: Changes the "diamond" key and the "Alt" key behavior. On a Windows machine, the "diamond" key is the "Windows" key. On a Mac, it's the "Command" key. Some people prefer the Windows/Command key to be nearest the spacebar, while others prefer it farther away and keeping the Alt key nearest the spacebar.
The spacebar is a little shorter than a "normal" one, but either thumb easily activates it. My old wrist pad is far too wide, too - but PFU sells one that matches the shorter keyboard via their website, too.
The keys all have a very nice moderate tactile response, without the hard clickiness that the old IBM standard keyboards had (the ones that could throw a penny off the keyboard as the key popped back up past the "clicky" part.)
They're also nowhere near as "mushy" as the average laptop keyboard.
It's probably not as good for me as a nice "ergonomic" keyboard would be, but I also don't have to relearn a typing pattern, nor do I need to get used to yet another keyboard layout.
Yes, this entire Epinion was typed on a Happy Hacking keyboard on a Macintosh Dual 2GHz G5 - and now that I'm done, please excuse me...
I've got some hacking to do...
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 65
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Epinions.com ID:
caradoc
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 - Top 500 |
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Member: John Groseclose
Location: Scottsdale, AZ
Reviews written: 182
Trusted by: 133 members
About Me:
System admin, technology addict, knife thrower, and dog "caregiver."
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