deskthority

removed.

Oh boy, that APL set (which i'm convinced is original) went for over 100 dollarydoos.

I guess it's unicomp for me then!

The DC-3014 was apparently white Alps. I contacted the seller before it was marked sold. He sent me a pic. The slider was white and the switch housing said "Alps". If someone bought this expecting blue Alps, s/he will be in for a shock. I hope the buyer checked first, but white Alps boards, even in an ANSI layout, can be found in reasonably good shape for much less (I am typing on one now that was $60 shipped).

Hypersphere wrote: The DC-3014 was apparently white Alps. I contacted the seller before it was marked sold. He sent me a pic. The slider was white and the switch housing said "Alps". If someone bought this expecting blue Alps, s/he will be in for a shock. I hope the buyer checked first, but white Alps boards, even in an ANSI layout, can be found in reasonably good shape for much less (I am typing on one now that was $60 shipped).

It's funny how even NIB white Alps get met with seemingly no enthusiasm while blue Alps are like the God switch. I really want to try them side by side in good boards.

At around the same price you paid I have a NIB 101(?) key board with white complicated Alps, but I probably overpaid at $60 since the board isn't very good.

Plus, they could have bought this for less: http://www.ebay.com/itm/191942269762

I love the $13.37 offer. Skilled trolling

OH NO GUYS IT'S HAPPENING AGAIN. THE BLUE ALPS ATOMIC INFLATION IS RESTARTING AFTER A SHORT HIATUS.

I'm really beginning to loathe ebay. So many ways to do shady business.

chiptea wrote:
I'm really beginning to loathe ebay.

Don't blame ebay or sellers. If buyers are willing to pay super-premium prices, a supply will materialize.

A wee bit unusual since it's in Polish and whatnot, but still interesting. A refurbished early model Amiga 500 with white linear invaders (I asked the seller to confirm that):
http://allegro.pl/amiga-500-rock-lobste ... 64483.html

For what it's worth guys, I'm bidding on that ^ so I'd appreciate if people would not increase the price.

fohat wrote:

chiptea wrote:
I'm really beginning to loathe ebay.

Don't blame ebay or sellers. If buyers are willing to pay super-premium prices, a supply will materialize.

Hard not to blame them when they artificially inflate prices and make this hobby more expensive for us. I was at an electronics recycling centre two weeks ago digging through some boxes. I found an at101 in one and brought it up to the manager/head there to get a quote. The guy looked at the label for the name of the board, looked it up on ebay, and priced the thing at $200. I went to another place that priced ultra banana aek IIs without a cable at $100. Got a mildly yellowed II the year before without cable at the same place for $20.

Anywhere I go I can't get a decent deal on boards anymore. It sucks.

chiptea wrote: I found an at101 in one and brought it up to the manager/head there to get a quote. The guy looked at the label for the name of the board, looked it up on ebay, and priced the thing at $200.

Wow, the guy probably saw some open listing that was sitting untouched for months, ridiculous.

They need to learn to check the "sold" box if they're looking to eBay for anything close to a market price.

well lookie here: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rare-Vintage-NE ... 1934093404

Never used an NEC oval switch before so if someone buys it please tell me how it feels

I've always wanted to try nec ovals.


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looneyperson wrote: well lookie here: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rare-Vintage-NE ... 1934093404

Never used an NEC oval switch before so if someone buys it please tell me how it feels

Check my review on it .

looneyperson wrote: well lookie here: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rare-Vintage-NE ... 1934093404

Never used an NEC oval switch before so if someone buys it please tell me how it feels

I briefly had one of these boards (got for $40 USD and in much better shape). Kind of feels like a subdued MX Blue, pretty refined. I should get to uploading the typing video I made for it, sole reason I picked it up

looneyperson wrote: well lookie here: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rare-Vintage-NE ... 1934093404

Never used an NEC oval switch before so if someone buys it please tell me how it feels

I've got lots of info about NEC Blue Ovals, including tear downs, here:
keyboards-f2/nec-blue-ovals-t10861.html

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1974-RARE-Histo ... 2299075807
So, this is fantastically expensive, but if anyone has the money and the inclination, here's something that you could theoretically make into a Selectric keyboard.

atrere wrote: http://www.ebay.com/itm/1974-RARE-Histo ... 2299075807
So, this is fantastically expensive, but if anyone has the money and the inclination, here's something that you could theoretically make into a Selectric keyboard.

I thought all Selectrics share the same mechanism.

According to my observation, each pressed key causes a number of levers to poke forwards, which differs from key to key. This could be interpreted as binary information by a sensor.

http://www.robotdialogs.com/2012/05/typ ... art-2.html

The owner of this website used computer output to drive the selectric; I assume the reverse is also possible.

y11971alex wrote: I thought all Selectrics share the same mechanism.

According to my observation, each pressed key causes a number of levers to poke forwards, which differs from key to key. This could be interpreted as binary information by a sensor.

Not exactly. It called a whiffletree mechanism and it's a mechanical digital to analog converter.

It's damn ingenious tech, even today.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_SC7oWL78A

atrere wrote: http://www.ebay.com/itm/1974-RARE-Histo ... 2299075807
So, this is fantastically expensive, but if anyone has the money and the inclination, here's something that you could theoretically make into a Selectric keyboard.

You'd have to be off your rocker to convert that thing in any way.

It's not even the rarest of the selectric variants. I give you, The Composer:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/IBM-Selectric-C ... 1791985973

E TwentyNine wrote:

y11971alex wrote: I thought all Selectrics share the same mechanism.

According to my observation, each pressed key causes a number of levers to poke forwards, which differs from key to key. This could be interpreted as binary information by a sensor.

Not exactly. It called a whiffletree mechanism and it's a mechanical digital to analog converter.

It's damn ingenious tech, even today.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_SC7oWL78A

Not the wiffletree. It's the mechanism that triggers the whiffletree.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LZvDpbrVGM

2:14. As you can see, each key triggers a unique binary combination of keys. It's mechanical, but it's also digital/binary, which means a switch can sense it.

All of this is of course hypothetical, and I don't have the means to test it. I do understand that the USSR had key loggers installed in Selectrics in the US embassy in Moscow, so it's definitely doable.

I'm was clarifying that the whole mechanism is more than just simple levers.

I recall someone trying to convert a selectric to a computer input device a few years back. Forget what came of it, it did seem doable. But I believe he was trying to tap into at the tilt/rotate mechanism and build from there rather than at a point prior to that.

E TwentyNine wrote: I'm was clarifying that the whole mechanism is more than just simple levers.

I recall someone trying to convert a selectric to a computer input device a few years back. Forget what came of it, it did seem doable. But I believe he was trying to tap into at the tilt/rotate mechanism and build from there rather than at a point prior to that.

But it has been done!

So according to the wiki (wiki/Cherry_MX_Dark_Blue) this is the only keyboard to have cherry mx dark blue switches. And what do you know here it is on ebay http://www.ebay.com/itm/Bondwell-B-310- ... SwubRXJdWo
If someone does buy it can you please send me a key . I live in the conUS so I can't get it

looneyperson wrote: So according to the wiki (wiki/Cherry_MX_Dark_Blue) this is the only keyboard to have cherry mx dark blue switches. And what do you know here it is on ebay http://www.ebay.com/itm/Bondwell-B-310- ... SwubRXJdWo
If someone does buy it can you please send me a key . I live in the conUS so I can't get it

It can have those MX Navy switches, but I bought a B310+ and it was regular vintage mx blues. I think this seller will actually just ship you the keyboard if you don't need the rest. Think I contacted him a while ago about the possibility, but shipping was too much to the USA still IIRC.

looneyperson wrote: So according to the wiki (wiki/Cherry_MX_Dark_Blue) this is the only keyboard to have cherry mx dark blue switches. And what do you know here it is on ebay http://www.ebay.com/itm/Bondwell-B-310- ... SwubRXJdWo
If someone does buy it can you please send me a key . I live in the conUS so I can't get it

The seller charges 120€ for US shipping
For your information, DHL rates for the US are approx. 35€ up to 5kg, 50€ up to 10kg, 70€ up to 20kg and 100€ up to 31.5kg.
Considering the seller ships to Germany for 7.50€, parcel should be under 5kg (otherwise he would ship at a loss).
Nice mark-up

Not sure what these are, but they look(ed) nice
http://www.ebay.com/itm/XEROX-TRW-KEYBO ... SwMtxXq6Vj

looneyperson wrote: So according to the wiki (wiki/Cherry_MX_Dark_Blue) this is the only keyboard to have cherry mx dark blue switches. And what do you know here it is on ebay http://www.ebay.com/itm/Bondwell-B-310- ... SwubRXJdWo
If someone does buy it can you please send me a key . I live in the conUS so I can't get it

Yeah I was the finder of the one with MX Navy switches. I still haven't gotten around to comparing them to regular MX Blues yet, but once I have the time I will. They feel nicer imo. I'd send one but I will likely need them all for the TKL I'm planning to use them with.

Blaise170 wrote: Yeah I was the finder of the one with MX Navy switches. I still haven't gotten around to comparing them to regular MX Blues yet, but once I have the time I will. They feel nicer imo. I'd send one but I will likely need them all for the TKL I'm planning to use them with.

Funny thing is I want to do the same thing too