The Ultimate Hacking Keyboard Review: A Truly Unique, Truly Expensive Keyboard for Pros
by E. Fylladitakis on March 12, 2020 10:00 AM ESTConclusion
Unlike the vast majority of mechanical keyboards nowadays, the Ultimate Hacking Keyboard truly is a unique product - a wholly unique design that is being marketed almost exclusively towards IT professionals. The developer of the keyboard designed it to be reliable and easily customizable, without the extraneous bells and whistles that would be unnecessary for a professional.
As a keyboard targeted towards professionals, the UHK is based on a 60% layout in order to maximize productivity and reduce fatigue. However, this is going to actually work only with professionals who use a single keyboard every day and will tailor the UHK to their specific work needs. For everyone else, having to result to multi-key combinations for virtually anything else but basic input will probably have a negative impact.
The customizability of the UHK is its greatest selling point. Its Agent software initially seems simple but can be used to create very complex layouts and layers, making it a true weapon at the hands of an experienced professional. Users can also expand/customize their keyboards with additional modules that are available from the manufacturer for about $60 each, allowing the tailoring of the UHK to their specific needs.
The only real issue with the UHK is its unreasonably high price tag. It is currently retailing at $275 plus shipping, and this is without any of its accessories. The palm rest alone costs an additional $75, which is more than a whole mechanical keyboards using Kailh switches retails for nowadays. And the complete price tag for the UHK system can go higher still, as the future expansion modules will another $60.
Meanwhile, although the pricey keyboard is appropriately extravagant in some ways, it's also not very impressive in others; at it's core you're still looking at a keyboard built using Kailh switches, and lacks even basic backlighting. While we cannot deny the excellent quality and customizability of the UHK, it lacks enough features to fully justify such a price tag.
To summarize, we believe that the market potential of the UHK is significantly limited. It is, at the same time, both the smallest mechanical keyboard and the most expensive mechanical keyboard that we have ever reviewed. But its feature set, while impressive at times, just can't justify such a humongous price tag. The UHK is a product designed strictly for a small percentage of IT professionals and experts – it may be a real toolbox at the hands of an IT expert, but also is an unreasonably expensive choice for practically everyone else.
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mgulick - Friday, March 13, 2020 - link
Oh yeah, I forgot one major point, which was probably the biggest reason I didn't keep the ErgoDox. I tent the keyboard inward (so it is angled up toward the center). Oh the UHK, the wrist rests are attached to the keyboard, so they move with it. On the ErgoDox EZ, they are separate. I tried all manner of jury-rigging the EZ's wrist rest and it was never comfortable. I did see a few builds of the ErgoDox Infinity which had full wrist rests, but you couldn't "just buy" one. They were always group buys which had ended.mode_13h - Friday, March 13, 2020 - link
If you're willing to spend this kind of money on a keyboard and are really serious about typing, I think a better option would be to spend a bit more and go with Kinesis' Advantage 2.This has too many gimmicks. If it didn't have the whole business with the modifiers and alternate key functions, I think the reviewer's preoccupation with backlighting would be almost silly. However, they kind of painted themselves into a corner, by adding so much complexity that it'd be hard to use its full capabilities *without* being able to clearly see the keycaps.
yetanotherhuman - Friday, March 13, 2020 - link
It's not that unique though, is it?When I think of unique, I think of boards that have gone out of their way to be better in some unique manner.. Truly Ergonomic, for example, Kinesis and so on. This is just a small split keyboard with programmable functionality.
ender8282 - Friday, March 13, 2020 - link
In future reviews like it would be great to know what OSs the configuration software supports. I'm pretty unlikely to get a keyboard that I can't configure without buying into e.g. Windows.sygreenblum - Friday, March 13, 2020 - link
I always wanted a keyboard that lacks all special keys but takes up just as much room as a more useful keyboard.Forexdied - Saturday, March 14, 2020 - link
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I tried these when they first started popping up years ago. Never really got why people like them. It messes with my touch typing.mhb - Monday, March 16, 2020 - link
Great keyboard. I have one for office and one for home. Sturdy as. Pleasure to type on. Took some learning to get used to. But worth it. The suppliers are good to deal with. Agent software to customize keyboard is pretty functional.This review by Brett Terpstra is what got me interested
https://brettterpstra.com/2018/08/17/i-wrote-a-rev...
tty4 - Thursday, March 19, 2020 - link
I pre-ordered one and am really happy with it, I don’t get why so many people are so negative?The build-quality is great and the materials are of much higher quality than the HHKB, which is not cheap either.
If you are not into high-end keyboards, fine, but no reason to specifically pick on this one.
Maybe Anandtech should have more keyboard reviews, so people learn about it. Maybe a review of the new HHKB would be a nice start. (hint, hint)
CorbaTheGeek - Thursday, March 19, 2020 - link
This keyboard reminds me of my favorite programming keyboard, the GoldTouch Ergonomic Series.https://shop.goldtouch.com/collections/ergonomic-k...
Not only do they split, like the UHK, but they are "tilt-able" for better typing comfort.
And the price is more around the $100-$150 range.