Happy Hacking, My Keyboard

Originally written one afternoon on June 19, 2024.

Leer el artículo original en español

Some time ago, I bought a keyboard, and the truth is that I'm in love with it. That may be a little too much, but I really like it. Along with my Akai MPC, it is one of the best things I have bought in recent years.

My keyboard is a Happy Hacking Keyboard. At some point, somewhere, I read that it was particularly good for Emacs and that it had been designed for programmers. I honestly don't remember where.

One of the first things I loved when I saw it was its retro look. I have the white version, and it reminds me of the days when I used a 486 PC. Those are lovely memories. The keys are also quiet, which matters to me because I am somewhat sensitive to noise.

It has a reduced set of keys, keeping only the important ones, which makes it a minimalist keyboard. If you know me, you know that I am a fan of minimalism. The Control key sits to the left of the A key, making the layout excellent for Unix systems and, of course, for Emacs users like me.

In short, all of this makes it a very productive keyboard. Every key is close at hand, allowing you to type faster.

Isn't it beautiful?

I took the liberty of translating this passage from keyboard designer Eiiti Wada, which I found in the keyboard's official history:

Cowboys in the American West leave their horses behind when they die, but they always carry their saddles, no matter how far they must travel across the desert. Saddles are interfaces carefully adapted to our bodies, while horses are consumable goods. We should remember that computers are consumable today, while keyboards are interfaces we can use throughout our lives.

Until next time,
Gastón Ramos

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