Timothy
Parker Consulting Incorporated
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PFU Happy Hacking keyboard Do you remember the old ASCII terminals
like the Wyse 50? Remember the
small keyboards with no function keys, cursor keys, or numeric keypads?
How about trying to find someplace to jam a full-size keyboard next to
your main system console, only to find out the keyboard is a couple of inches
too long to fit conveniently? Maybe
you’re a vi user and don’t care about numeric keypads or special keys on
your keypad. For all these people and a bunch more, there is a small
solution: the Happy Hacking Keyboard Lite. The Happy Hacking Keyboard Lite is a
very trimmed down keyboard. Take a
standard PC keyboard and use a hacksaw to cut around the basic QWERTY keys,
eliminate everything else, and you have a good idea of what the Happy Hacking
Keyboard Lite looks like. According
to the manufacturer, PFU, the Happy Hacking Keyboard Lite was designed for Linux
and UNIX developers. It has a
standard QWERTY layout except for a Ctrl key where the Caps Lock usually is, and
a Fn key to give the function key combinations with standard numeric keys.
The entire keyboard is 11.5 inches by 4.5 inches, and quite light.
The PS/2 interface works with most current PCs and UNIX boxes (we tested
it on a SparcStation with no problems), but you can buy an adapter to the older
5-pin DIN connector and use the Happy Hacking Keyboard Lite quite easily on
older machines. What’s to say about a keyboard?
Well, it’s available in two colors: beige and black.
It’s designed for easy use of both vi and Emacs with the Ctrl key
properly positioned. The keys feel good, with a positive depression tactile
feedback. It’s a lot smaller than a standard PC keyboard and gives you some
desktop back. All these are good
things. Bad things?
Since most Linux and UNIX systems are going GUI these days, the lack of
easily accessible cursor keys and function keys could be a problem. Plus, it
takes a while to retrain your fingers to use the Happy Hacking Keyboard Lite
keyboard layout. However, for those
of us who remember the old character terminals days fondly, this is a nice
return to fast keyboard usage. The two-page “manual” accompanying
the Happy Hacking Keyboard Lite covers connecting the keyboard to the computer
(duh!) as well as showing how to reassign some of the keys such as the backspace
key. The CapsLock can also be deactivated. Other then a few trivial settings
toggled with DIPs, there’s nothing to do with the keyboard (although those who
don’t read the User’s Guide first will find the backspace key causing
unpredictable results on some systems). I worked with the Happy Hacking Keyboard
Lite for a couple of weeks. After
getting over the “toy” feeling, I found I was enjoying using the older
editors (Emacs and vi) with this keyboard much more than a PC keyboard, but
switching between Happy Hacking Keyboard Lite and regular PC keyboard did drive
me nuts at times. Where the Happy
Hacking Keyboard Lite really shone, though, was on my system administration
rack, fitting in perfectly with a rack of SCO and Linux servers.
Toggling through the rackmounted servers with a switch box, the Happy
Hacking Keyboard Lite keyboard sat on a small tray and gave me excellent access
to the character-based consoles of each server.
The small size let the Happy Hacking Keyboard Lite keyboard sit easily on
a shelf next to a mouse, instead of being squeezed by a PC keyboard. The Happy Hacking Keyboard Lite is not
inexpensive compared to some keyboards on the market (the higher-end model is
almost twice as much again) and some will find it hard to justify the cost for a
keyboard. However, for those
dedicated UNIX editor users, as well as those with tight real estate, the Happy
Hacking Keyboard Lite may be a worthwhile solution. With an optional cradle, the Happy Hacking Keyboard Lite can
also be used with PDAs, which may be attractive for the Palm-addicted who want a
real keyboard. Happy Hacking Keyboard Lite Summary: A cute, Emacs and vi friendly keyboard with minimal real estate. |
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tparker@tpci.com with
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