Happy Hacking Keyboard

The Happy Hacking Keyboard (HHKB) is a small computer keyboard produced by PFU Limited of Japan, codeveloped with Japanese computer scientist and pioneer Eiiti Wada. Its reduction of keys from the common 104-key layout down to 60 keys in the professional series is the basis for it having smaller overall proportions, yet full-sized keys. It returns the control key to its original position as on the early 84-key IBM Personal Computer/AT and XT layouts. The current models in production are the Happy Hacking Keyboard Professional Classic, Professional Hybrid (wired/wireless dual connectivity), Professional Hybrid Type-S (silenced variant of Hybrid), and Professional Classic Type-S (silenced variant of Classic) all in either dark or light colorschemes, and either blank or printed keycaps. Professional Hybrid models are also available in Japanese layout.

History

Beginnings Frustrated that each new computer system came with a new keyboard layout that became increasingly complex, Wada sought to create his own keyboard that he could continue to use with various different computer systems. Inspired by the original Macintosh keyboard, Professor Wada and PFU collaborated to design the Happy Hacking Keyboard with the following philosophy:

During the design process, Wada had mock-ups of the keyboard both with printed and blank keycaps; he found that his students quite liked blank keycaps and the tradition of HHKBs with blank keycaps continues to this day.

The first Happy Hacking keyboard (HHKB) was released in 1996 and used membrane keyswitches. It used PS/2, Sun, and ADB interfaces to connect to a computer with a detachable cable and is only available in white. The first HHKB was followed by the release of the HHKB Lite and HHKB Lite2 in 1999 and 2001 respectively. The HHKB Lite models also used membrane keyswitches but have a slightly different layout than the standard HHKB. The HHKB Lite is the first HHKB model to be available in black and the HHKB Lite2 is the first HHKB model to use the USB interface.

HHKB Professional Series

First-generation The first HHKB Professional (not to be confused with the previously mentioned first HHKB) was released in December 2003 and is available in either white or charcoal (black) colorways with either blank or printed keycaps. Retroactively known as the HHKB Professional 1, this is the first HHKB model to use the famous Topre electrostatic capacitive keyswitches that all subsequent models use to this day. It also features a detachable mini-USB cable which is used to connect the keyboard to a computer.

Second-generation The HHKB Professional 2 was released in March 2006 and is also available in either white or charcoal (black) with either blank or printed keycaps. Its main feature is a built-in 2-port USB hub for connecting mice and other peripherals.

In 2011, PFU released the HHKB Professional 2 Type-S. Only available in white (but with either blank or printed keycaps), the HHKB Professional 2 Type-S is a silenced variant of the HHKB Professional 2 containing silenced Topre keyswitches.

Another variant of the HHKB Professional 2 called the HHKB Professional BT, was released in 2016. This is the first HHKB to feature Bluetooth connectivity. HHKB Professional BT models run on AA batteries housed in a "battery bump" on the rear of the keyboard and can only be connected using Bluetooth (although these models have a micro-USB port, it can only be used to power the keyboard in place of batteries and not for data transmission).

Third-generation

The third-generation models of HHKB Professional: Classic, Hybrid, and Hybrid Type-S – were released in December 2019. These third-generation models feature 100% PBT keycaps, where previous models used ABS for the space bar. Furthermore, the third-generation models feature USB-C connectivity instead of mini-USB. HHKB Professional Hybrid models run on AA batteries housed in a "battery bump", similar to the previous HHKB Professional BT. However, unlike the HHKB Professional BT, these models can also be used with a wired connection via the USB-C port. HHKB Professional Hybrid models also support PFU's official key remapping software.

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.

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 placed 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. Further, this is a true delete key, not a historically named backspace. Backspace is accessible via though its function can be interchanged with the backspace key using a DIP switch, using this setting, the delete key is accessed via 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: Turn the delete key into a backspace. remains backspace, and (top-right key) remains delete. Swap the alt and meta keys. Enable/disable downstream USB ports on USB models. Set the OS Enable/disable power-saving mode on HHKB Hybrid models

It is roughly the size of A5 paper.

Model overview Model names with JP denote a Japanese layout variant. Model name Model # Color Switch type Interface Blank keycaps Introduced EOL Notes Happy Hacking Keyboard PD-KB02 White Membrane PS/2, Sun, ADB rowspan="17" Dec 20, 1996 Dec 10, 2006 Buzzer (Sun), Power supply switch (Sun/Mac) PD-KB02N Happy Hacking Keyboard Lite PD-KB100W White PS/2 Jun 7, 1999 Was also available in black and white unlabeled versions Happy Hacking Keyboard Lite 2 PD-KB200W/P White Mar 15, 2001 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. PD-KB200MKB Black PD-KB200MA White PD-KB220MA White Happy Hacking Keyboard Professional PD-KB300 White Topre capacitive Apr 24, 2003 Dec 10, 2006First HHKB to use Topre keyswitches PD-KB300B Charcoal PD-KB300NL White rowspan="2" PD-KB300BN Charcoal Happy Hacking Keyboard Professional 2 PD-KB400W White rowspan="2" Mar 24, 2006Dec 10, 2019 PD-KB400B Charcoal PD-KB400WN White rowspan="2" PD-KB400BN Charcoal Happy Hacking Keyboard Professional 2 JP PD-KB420W White rowspan="2" Nov 10, 2008 PD-KB420B Charcoal Happy Hacking Keyboard Professional HG PD-KB500W White rowspan="2" Oct 12, 2006 Special 10-year anniversary models PD-KB500B Black PD-KB500WN White rowspan="3" PD-KB500BN Black Happy Hacking Keyboard Professional HG JAPAN PD-KB500J Wajima-style lacquer Happy Hacking Keyboard Professional 2 Type-S PD-KB400WS White rowspan="1" Jun 29, 2011 Silenced variant PD-KB400WNS rowspan="1" Happy Hacking Keyboard Professional 2 Type-S JP PD-KB420WS rowspan="1" Happy Hacking Keyboard Professional BTPD-KB600BCharcoalBluetooth rowspan="1" Apr 12, 2016First HHKB to use BluetoothPD-KB600BNrowspan="1" PD-KB600WWhiterowspan="1" PD-KB600WNrowspan="1" Happy Hacking Keyboard Professional BT JPPD-KB620BCharcoalrowspan="2" PD-KB620WWhiteHappy Hacking Keyboard Professional ClassicPD-KB401WWhiteUSB-CDec 10, 2019PD-KB401WNPD-KB401BCharcoalPD-KB401BNHappy Hacking Keyboard Professional HybridPD-KB800WWhiteDual mode USB-C or BluetoothPD-KB800WNPD-KB800BCharcoalPD-KB800BNHappy Hacking Keyboard Professional Hybrid JPPD-KB820WWhitePD-KB820BCharcoalHappy Hacking Keyboard Professional Hybrid Type-SPD-KB800WSWhiteSilenced variantPD-KB800WNSPD-KB800BSCharcoalPD-KB800BNSHappy Hacking Keyboard Professional Hybrid Type-S JPPD-KB820WSWhitePD-KB820BSCharcoal Happy Hacking Keyboard Professional Classic Type-S PD-KB401WSC White Topre capacitive USB rowspan="3" Oct 21, 2025 Silenced variant PD-KB401BSC Charcoal PD-KB401YSC Snow

Happy Hacking Keyboard

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