"Windows 97 Ready" Cheapo rubber dome board

[keycap]

This is a fairly generic and cheaply-rubber dome keyboard with a twist. I found this a while ago and the box art really stood out to me...

Yep. Windows 97. I don't know what the folks at PC Concepts were thinking at the time, but really?
I highly doubt that this was a typo. I'm actually convinced that they were anticipating for the release of Windows 97, but of course it never happened. Just a little interesting "feature" about this keyboard that I felt like sharing. Not to mention the so-called extra large backspace key!

Other than the crazily inaccurate details, this keyboard is really generic. Cheap, pad printed ABS caps, rubber domes, no metal plate or anything. However, the key feel is really good. It's very smooth, light and tactile. Now typically I don't defend rubber domes but these really are my favorite domes as of late.

It uses discrete pressure domes over a membrane. I'm not sure if the fact that they're discrete makes them better, but they still feel great regardless. They also have a slightly rattly *thock* sound.

But the stabs are nothing too special. Wait, or should I say the lack of stabs? Yes, this doesn't use a single stabilizing mechanism, with an exception of the stabilizing bar on the spacebar. The big-ass enter only uses a barrel as a guide! But even without proper stabs, the larger keys go down without binding. The big-ass enter has trouble with depressing if you press it at the very top, but it still goes down somewhat smoothly. Impressive for a board lacking stabilizers!

This keyboard overall is a complete oddity. I'm still not sure what the turbo button is for. But it's still fun to mess around with every now and then. And I'm half-tempted to call the PC Concepts phone number and ask for information on the Windows 97 compatibility of this keyboard and if it supports Windows 99...

[Ratfink]

"Turbo" was (correct me if I'm wrong on some details—I'm too young to have lived through the era) a feature where PCs could be underclocked for use with software that required a particular clock speed for timing. Pressing the Turbo key changed clock speeds between low and normal, making "turbo" a bit of a misnomer.

[emdude]

"Extra large" Backspace key?

I would like to have known what their idea of a normal-sized backspace key was.. And what a silly layout, split right shift and 1u backspace, you should only have one or the other, in my opinion.

I wonder how much software actually utilized that "Turbo" key.

[y11971alex]

"Extra large" Backspace key?

I would like to have known what their idea of a normal-sized backspace key was.. And what a silly layout, split right shift and 1u backspace, you should only have one or the other, in my opinion.

I wonder how much software actually utilized that "Turbo" key.

I think it was primarily for software that presumed that you had a 4.77 mHz Intel 8086 inside.

If the program presumed wanted to wait for, say 10 cycles, for you to make a choice, and you ran it on a 8 mHz 80286, you'd get only about half as much time as the programmer actually wanted you to have, which is frustrating in some games.

[terrycherry]

Can I say that it should be a nice replacement case for some lacking case mechanical PCB?
Many dome keyboard have the stabilizer plastic tab but without the wire.
Never seen the red dome.

[y11971alex]

Can I say that it should be a nice replacement case for some lacking case mechanical PCB?
Many dome keyboard have the stabilizer plastic tab but without the wire.
Never seen the red dome.

Topre may have met its match.

[Halvar]

It has a "lifetime warranty"! You should return it now for not having the "extra large backspace key" advertised on the box.

[seebart]

"Turbo" was (correct me if I'm wrong on some details—I'm too young to have lived through the era) a feature where PCs could be underclocked for use with software that required a particular clock speed for timing. Pressing the Turbo key changed clock speeds between low and normal, making "turbo" a bit of a misnomer.

The Focus FK-2000 Plus also has a "turbo" key in the center of the arrow keys which in combination with the function keys modifies the repeat rate of the keyboard.

wiki/Focus_FK-2000_Plus

[Touch_It]

"Turbo" was (correct me if I'm wrong on some details—I'm too young to have lived through the era) a feature where PCs could be underclocked for use with software that required a particular clock speed for timing. Pressing the Turbo key changed clock speeds between low and normal, making "turbo" a bit of a misnomer.

You are correct to my knowledge, though I don't quite understand why a turbo button underclocks vs overclocks.

[Halvar]

The logic is: You have an IBM PC compatible PC, and an original IBM PC has a speed of 4.77 MHz, so a fully compatible PC (in respect to games that rely on processor speed) has 4.77 MHz, too. You can have your fabulous compatible PC run faster though by pressing the "Turbo" key.

My first personal IBM compatible PC was a Highscreen from 1992 with 25 MHz, and it still had a "Turbo" key and a jumper on the mainboard that told it whether to start in "turbo mode" by default.

[keycap]

I understand the function of a turbo button, and I originally thought that the turbo key was for throttling the CPU clockspeed for older DOS program compatibility (as this keyboard is certainly from the Intel 486/Pentium era), but I don't think that this implementation would work correctly through a keyboard, due to many different motherboard configurations in this era. We are talking about a time of which AT was being phased out for the brand-new ATX form factor. Then again, the turbo button involves mainly the CPU and not exactly the motherboard, so it might work depending on the CPU. I think that, even if the turbo key works as it should, it will only work with CPUs prior to the Netburst architecture era. I'll have to test this out with my old Pentium 166MHz machine to see just what the turbo key does.

As for the manufacturer of this board, I think that it's Syncan/Can Tech. I own a very similar Syncan keyboard with the exact same turbo key, discrete rubber domes, controller location and lack of stabs. But it seems to be newer, with Windows XP-style logos on the Windows keys. It also uses an entirely different case design, keycap mount and layout.

[Halvar]

I found seebart's theory that the turbo key changes the keyboard's autorepeat compelling.

And yes, autorepeat is something that's going on in the keyboard, not in the OS, for PS/2 keyboards:
https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/oldnew ... 0/?p=15503

[keycap]

That makes much more sense. Interesting how they didn't use this feature as a selling point..