Typing on my Happy Hacking keyboard is like playing a piano. The caps have a powdery texture and make a satisfying, wooden-like thock when struck. Most non-mechanical boards are mushy in comparison, and feel more like cheap plastic buttons than the keys of an analog typing instrument.

The HHKB’s design has remained mostly unchanged since its introduction in 1996. The keyboard comes in white or black, with printed or blank caps. I chose the black version because its minimal, 60-percent form reminded me of a John McCracken slab.

Such compactness means the HHKB lacks dedicated function, arrow, and delete keys, which I miss when leaving emacs or vim. But the size makes long typing sessions more comfortable, and I like how elegant the keyboard looks atop my desk.