PFU Happy Hacking Keyboard Lite2 English array USB keyboard white PD-KB200W / U (japan import)

To preface this review, I used to own a HHKB Pro 2, but ultimately decided to sell it and used a fraction of the money to buy one of these.I think the Pro 2 is a great keyboard, the layout and features are fantastic for a portable keyboard, and I particularly love the inclusion of a pinky fn for the right hand to easily access all the navigation functions.In my opinion this keyboard has (nearly) all the aspects of the HHKB Pro 2 but at a 1/4 - 1/3 of the price of a HHKB Pro 2. It has a USB hub (both models have a crappy USB 1.1 interface, but they are fine for mice and other things, and great to have with use with a Macbook Pro with it's limited UBS ports), it has the small size and nice layout of the pro, and even has extra keys! On the Lite 2 there is an extra function key and an arrow cluster with navigation function layer, a feature I wish the Pro 2 had (from what I understand they couldn't implement it this way due to the Topre switch design).So the main reason I see people recommending the Pro 2 is the inclusion of the Topre key switches, something that I would normally agree with but not in the case of the HHKB. The Pro 2 has 45g Topre key switches with a plastic plate and an overall 'meh' ABS plastic construction, this makes the Topre key switches feel mushy and the whole keyboard feel much cheaper then the retail price would suggest. To put to rest any criticism of my view of Topre key switches, my opinion is just that; my opinion. FWIW I do own a number of Topre based keyboards and the HHKB Pro 2 was by far my least favourite, I currently own a Novatouch (second least favourite), Realforce 104UB HiPro (third least favourite), Realforce 87u 55g (second favourite), and a Leopold FC660C pad printed edition (my favourite, and in my opinion the best Topre keyboard available in terms of typing and layout).The Lite 2 has really pretty good membrane switches, they are 'lite' and give me a nicer tactile feel then my Pro 2 did. They also have pretty good travel (3.8mm vs 4mm of Topre), and they aren't actually too mushy when bottoming out. The stabilizers are also well lubed and have a nice tight fit meaning there is no off putting horrible rattle from the stabilized keys. One thing which would be nice would be if it sounded a bit more pleasant, with the taller thin abs keys, it makes the keyboard quite loud as the sound seems to reverberate under the key caps (all the sound comes from the upstroke).The Lite 2 isn't completely perfect though, I wish it had better keycaps; they are abs with some texture but wear fast and don't compare to any of the PBT keycaps available for Topre keyboards. They are laser etched, so they should last some time (mine is a number of years old and still looks good), but they don't come in the cool dual colour like the white Pro 2 did (I really did like the legends and key caps on that board). Also the Pro 2 has a couple of media keys (volume up, volume down, and mute), which I wish they would include on this model, and what's more the Pro 2 also does have a removable usb cable meaning that it's easier to transport and you can easily buy angled cables to easily route the usb cable in a desired direction. Honestly, I can live without these things again for the price that I paid for this keyboard.All in all, if you're looking for a hardy travel friendly keyboard in a very usable layout, try this Lite 2. If you really dislike the membrane switches, then at least you can then move up to the Torpe version without shelling out £150-200 just to find out that you don't like the 60% layout.