IDENTIFY THE KEYBOARD thread

seebart · 06 Sep 2016, 23:09

alh84001 wrote: These seem like beamsprings, but I'm not aware of any in that layout.

Series 1 console beamspring:

: ibm-100662981-primary.idge.jpg (48.57 KiB) Viewed 6789 times

https://www-03.ibm.com/ibm/history/exhi ... V4024.html

emdude · 06 Sep 2016, 23:25

seebart wrote:
alh84001 wrote: These seem like beamsprings, but I'm not aware of any in that layout.
Series 1 console beamspring:

ibm-100662981-primary.idge.jpg
https://www-03.ibm.com/ibm/history/exhi ... V4024.html

Man, how did we go from that to this:

Spoiler:

seebart · 06 Sep 2016, 23:31

emdude wrote: Man, how did we go from that to this:

Well for one thing there is 40 years between those two. What "most" people like and want will be successfully sold today. 1970s personal and professional computing was a different situation.

emdude · 06 Sep 2016, 23:39

Of course, times change, costs are cut, etc., etc. Just my personal opinion though that those IBM computers were far classier and more aesthetically-pleasing pieces of tech.

But if RGB Everything™ is what the market wants..

Chyros · 06 Sep 2016, 23:40

seebart wrote:
alh84001 wrote: These seem like beamsprings, but I'm not aware of any in that layout.
Series 1 console beamspring:

ibm-100662981-primary.idge.jpg
https://www-03.ibm.com/ibm/history/exhi ... V4024.html

What a beauty. I mean the keyboard.

seebart · 06 Sep 2016, 23:44

90% of all people just use any RD they like without even thinking about it. Then there's the gamer market. That's where the $$$ is. Even Topre can't ignore it. And we mech-freaks are a very rare species. Especially the ones who like vintage mechs the most. People were throwing them out before they found out they could sell them on ebay.

Chyros wrote: What a beauty. I mean the keyboard.

Haha very good, I like both actually. That chick is kinda hot.

E TwentyNine · 07 Sep 2016, 00:34

We know you want to make some joke about her handling eight inches. Refrain.

This message brought to you by your friendly neighborhood taste squad.

emdude · 07 Sep 2016, 00:43

Hah, eight inches is like 60%-sized, now this on the other hand...

fohat · 07 Sep 2016, 01:46

seebart wrote:
emdude wrote:
Man, how did we go from that to this
Well for one thing there is 40 years between those two. What "most" people like and want will be successfully sold today.

Yes, that 1970s crap was definitely clunky and unsophisticated.

y11971alex · 07 Sep 2016, 02:09

fohat wrote:
seebart wrote:
emdude wrote:
Man, how did we go from that to this
Well for one thing there is 40 years between those two. What "most" people like and want will be successfully sold today.
Yes, that 1970s crap was definitely clunky and unsophisticated.

They didn't even have flat-screen TVs in the '70s.

fohat · 07 Sep 2016, 02:44

You cheat. That is a mid-1950s TV set. Even by the 1960s they were plastic rather than wood.

y11971alex · 07 Sep 2016, 02:50

fohat wrote: You cheat. That is a mid-1950s TV set. Even by the 1960s they were plastic rather than wood.

Grrr, only fohat could tell 1955 apart from 1976.

terrycherry · 07 Sep 2016, 05:39

rymut wrote:
terrycherry wrote: Oak foam and foil?? That's a new switch. If the price is not expensive, I must buy it.
Hope you take more shots if you brought it.
Thanks man.
I bought it for half price outside the auction (still delivery cost is equal to price of the board).
I will try to get hold of some camera and shoot some pictures of this board and my others weirder keyboard like Polish hack job clone of IBM model F and board with switches similar to KPT Blue (without KPT logo). Sadly my smart phone is under warranty and my DSLR camera is currently in Africa with my brother.

Waiting for the DSLR back to you if you can. The DC camera quality is better than cell phone, I don't think the cell phone is a good to shot.

rymut · 08 Sep 2016, 16:54

Chyros wrote:
terrycherry wrote: Oak foam and foil?? That's a new switch. If the price is not expensive, I must buy it.
Hope you take more shots if you brought it.
Thanks man.
Why Oak?

Today I received the keyboard in question. I can verify that the board uses detachable square foam and foil switches (only about 3 foils are not totally rotten).
Some interesting things:
* Switch consists of spring, slider, base. Slider is attached to piece of metal with glued foam - when the key is pressed the foam will not be compressed fully (slider hit the base before foam is fully compressed)
* Shift lock is cleverly illuminated - red led goes through center the switch all the way to the keycap that has red transparent plastic on top.
* Keycaps are quite thick double shots (compared to keycaps on my coolermaster keyboard) and have mount very similar to cherry mx, but are bit to tight to fit on cherry mx switch. Keycaps foot stamp are the same size as keycaps from Coolermaster keyboard, so after expanding the slits keycaps should be able to fit mx mount (but switch would not work because of 'cross ties' holding the mount in keycap).
* Board name "GENERAL INSTRUMENT | Keyboard Devision" and model "S-890 Series" is visible after removing front panel.
* Only space have a additional support so bigger keys (enter and 0) are not very well stabilized.

On the weekend I will try to post images and sound of this keyboard somewhere on this forum ( I still don't know under what category exacly ).

elecplus · 11 Sep 2016, 04:56

Some sort of Model Fs. No other info available. Does not appear to be XT. Any firm ideas? Feet like XT or AT, but does not seem to be either one.

: Model_f_IMG_1143.JPG (2.82 MiB) Viewed 6533 times

emdude · 11 Sep 2016, 08:24

Those appear to be IBM 5291 "Bigfoot" keyboards: wiki/IBM_Model_F#IBM_5291_Keyboard

Wodan · 11 Sep 2016, 08:48

The vertical one could be an XT I believe.

Hey IBM pros ... Don't you all agree that the wiki content regarding Model F keyboards kinda lacks?
Who's with me for Operation F-iki? I can only write about three Model-F keyboards and make up most of the facts

Darkshado · 13 Sep 2016, 07:47

Wodan wrote: The vertical one could be an XT I believe.

Or an AT? Either way, it's shorter than the ones on the right.

ohaimark · 13 Sep 2016, 15:22

The vertical one is an XT. AT keyboards have a centered cable hole.

rootwyrm · 13 Sep 2016, 22:26

Did nobody notice the PC3270 M on the bottom shelf?

rymut · 16 Sep 2016, 15:26

Hello, another question I found auction (price ~45 EUR) with keyboards PICKER EKT-101 MODEL 171932 / 174932 made in USA. Do anybody have any information about switch mechanism used in those keyboards ? I'm mostly interested in track ball, but some knowledge about the board would be nice.

: 155a08804786a03cad502b61780b.jpg (264.66 KiB) Viewed 6396 times

src: https://goo.gl/bjuI4e

ohaimark · 16 Sep 2016, 17:13

Based on the caps lock LED location I'd guess Foam & Foil, but the font on the keycaps is different from typical F&F switches.

You'd be gambling if you purchased them.

Wodan · 18 Sep 2016, 21:10

Anyone ever seen these keycaps:
https://www.ebay.de/itm/282181883441

alh84001 · 18 Sep 2016, 21:20

Those would be APL keycaps I believe.

Wodan · 18 Sep 2016, 21:48

alh84001 wrote: Those would be APL keycaps I believe.

Oh sweet, looks like it. Very sweet

seebart · 18 Sep 2016, 21:56

alh84001 wrote: Those would be APL keycaps I believe.

That's correct, looks like APL. Beautify any M/SSK with those.

alh84001 · 23 Sep 2016, 13:56

What kind of swithces are this?

Looks like some kind of foam and foil to me.

Chyros · 23 Sep 2016, 21:36

Key Tronic foam and foil or very similar.

milestone5077 · 23 Sep 2016, 22:03

acolombo wrote: Does someone recognize this keyboard?

No idea brother

seebart · 23 Sep 2016, 22:03

Chyros wrote: Key Tronic foam and foil or very similar.

Agreed, and they're not the "crowd pleaser". Those keycaps look pretty nice though. I did recently find these replacement foam pads for KeyTronic Keyboards:

http://www.ebay.de/itm/121266887970?_tr ... EBIDX%3AIT