Type Heaven vs Ultimate Hacking Keyboard

Type Heaven's Topre switches have a much quieter, softer sound than the Cherry MX Browns.

No LEDs, no USB hubs and no detachable cables: to Topre, that's just hype. They clearly feel that, with the right product in your hand, there is no need for all those "sideshow features", as they refers to them.

Each of the 104 keys is dark grey with a white, laser engraved inscription. The frame of the keyboard is black, but is slightly textured to give it a matte finish without the "gritty" feel. The keyboard has some hard lines and sharply turned corners, but also has some round surfaces. This combinations makes it quite elegant.

Topre has an extensive line of keyboards, all featuring the company's custom switches. However, the Type Heaven is the first Topre keyboard to be offered at a price this low.

The UHK has a split design, since two keyboard halves result in a more natural typing posture. The halves are connected by a bridge cable, which expands and contracts as needed, occupying minimal desk space. The halves can be merged together as one, which is useful for transportation purposes or if you happen to prefer a one-piece keyboard.

Through the use of an app called Agent, users can configure the UHK to their liking.

You can attach trackpoint, trackball, trackpad and additional key clusters to the board. This allows for extensive feature customization, for increased productivity and convenience.

For maximum touch-typing productivity, one's hands should not leave the home row frequently. With conventional keyboards, this is not the case when navigation and function keys need to be used. On the HKB, via a thumb key press, several function layers can be activated, turning the home row keys into function keys.

The UHK is modular and has disassembly instructions embossed onto components and even printed on the circuit board. It records use data, so when key switches have reached the end of its lifespan, users can replace them.