After
weeks
of
incredibly
obvious
teasers,
PFU
America
has
revealed
the
HHKB
Studio
Snow,
a
white
version
of
one
of
the
best
and
strangest
keyboards
I’ve
used.
A
new
color
might
seem
like
a
minor
thing,
and
it
is.
But
it
does
answer
one
of
the
common
complaints
about
the
HHKB
Studio,
which
until
now
was
only
available
in
black
with
black
legends.
The
Snow
edition
is
available
today
for
$329
at
PFU’s
website
and
mechanicalkeyboards.com.
The
HHKB
Studio,
which
I
reviewed
last
year,
takes
the
layout
from
the
cult
classic
Happy
Hacking
Keyboard,
adds
a
ThinkPad-style
trackpoint
and
mouse
buttons,
swaps
the
Topre
electrocapacitive
dome
switches
that
are
in
the
Professional
series
for
standard
Cherry
MX-compatible
mechanical
ones,
and
adds
four
reprogrammable
“gesture
pads”
to
the
sides
of
the
keyboard.
It
also
has
Bluetooth.
It
sounds
like
an
unholy
mess,
but
it’s
great.
The
trackpoint
is
good
enough
that
you
don’t
have
to
bring
a
mouse
with
you
when
you
travel,
the
gesture
pads
are...
fine,
and
the
custom
MX
switches
somehow
feel
right
for
a
Happy
Hacking
Keyboard
despite
being
linear.
(Switch
nerd
side
note:
the
switches
in
the
Studio
are
similar
to
Kailh
Silent
Islets,
with
a
long
spring
that
frontloads
the
actuation
force;
this
gives
it
a
feeling
weirdly
like
the
all-top
tactility
of
a
Topre
dome.
Since
testing
the
HHKB
Studio,
I’ve
swapped
the
switches
in
one
of
my
personal
boards
to
Islets.
You
can
get
the
Studio’s
switches
on
the
HHKB
web
store,
but
they’re
$2.50
each;
Islets
are
under
$.70
each.)
The
HHKB
Studio
Snow.Photo:
PFU
America
The
HHKB
Studio
in
charcoal.Photo
by
Nathan
Edwards
/
The
Verge
It
might
sound
silly,
but
even
one
more
color
broadens
the
appeal
of
the
HHKB
Studio.
The
Studio
launched
last
year
in
charcoal
only,
and
in
that
color,
it’s
not
exactly
as
beautiful
as
the
HHKB
Professional
(the
Topre
version),
which
comes
in
charcoal,
the
classic
gray-beige,
and
snow.
The
HHKB
Studio
Snow’s
white
and
silver
chassis
and
white
keycaps
with
light
grey
legends
are
a
step
in
the
right
direction.
(No
word
on
a
beige
version;
I
asked.)
Blank
keycaps,
as
well
as
those
with
black
legends
for
better
visibility,
will
be
available
for
$70
each
in
early
November.
It’s
too
bad
you
can’t
buy
the
Snow
edition
with
either
of
those
alternate
keycap
sets
off
the
bat
because
the
official
caps
are
basically
your
only
options.
The
HHKB
Studio
doesn’t
work
with
most
keycap
sets
because
the
G,
H,
and
B
keys
are
molded
to
fit
around
the
trackpoint,
and
the
spacebar
uses
nonstandard
stabilizer
spacing.
Keyreative
has
some
compatibility
kits
coming
for
their
KAT
profile
keycaps,
but
that’s
about
it
for
third-party
options.
For
$329,
it’d
be
nice
if
you
could
pick
your
keycaps
when
you
buy.
Keycap
limitations
aside,
the
HHKB
Studio
is
a
great
keyboard,
and
I’m
glad
to
see
another
color
option
for
it.
You
still
do
have
to
want
the
trackpoint,
though.
(Originally posted by Nathan Edwards)
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