deskthority

Wow, now I'm already being thanked in this thread. It's not like that stuff is hidden. But I'm glad you got that cherry and it's all you hope for! MX blues are loud, that's for sure. I know someone who likes the feel but hates the sound...that's life my friends.

They should try buckling spring! More to love and more to hate.

yeah sure but you know it´s all a matter of taste so to speak. Luxury is changing your keyboard / switch 3-5 times a week or however often you feel like. I´m back on blue ALPS right now and lovin´it

Indeed. I've been on clicky NMB space invaders for a couple of weeks, but now I'm back on the Model F Kishsaver. Two great clicks are better than one.

Different switches are still the main thing I seek out in keyboards, along with different compact layouts.

late Model M IBM 1996 QWERTZ

http://www.ebay.de/itm/IBM-Computer-Tas ... 43cbfac506

Apple Extended Keyboard II

http://www.ebay.de/itm/Apple-Extended-K ... 43cbd54314

Atari 800 XL

http://www.ebay.de/itm/Atari-800-XL-/12 ... 1c42daafb5

ATARI PC-Keyboard 8088/80286 (Atari PC 286)

http://www.ebay.de/itm/Ultra-Rare-ATARI ... 1e8e37e330

The Atari's layout lies right on the border between genius and madness…



That key to the right of right shift! Yay. But that Caps Lock where Return should be! Wtf.

back then nobody questioned that, at least not atari users...

It's just the upper half of ISO return -- why not?

maxrunner wrote:

shreebles wrote:

crunch wrote: Mechanical keyboard. fake blue alps

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mechanical-Ga ... 19f0243b5f

Tai-Hao probably?

Are these decent?

I was considering buying a Tai-Hao keyboard for research purposes (since there aren't any in ISO layout that I know of), but I was concerned by the amount of reviews that reported key failures. I don't know whether this is down to switch failure (the switch samples I've got look well-made), soldering, controller, or something else.

At least one person here has bought one and seemed pleased with it, but so few people use them that it's hard to get a clear idea on their feel and longevity, and this is the only sort of place where the owner of a failed keyboard is likely to identify the fault for themselves and report back what went wrong.

For some reason, APC switches are not used by other companies, e.g. Strong Man, Costar, Ducky's OEM, etc. APC also have a wider range of stock switches than Xiang Min and Himake and they already do offer lighter weights akin to Ducky's customised Xiang Min switches.

For US readers, there are also a couple of Alps-keyboard Atari 800XLs on US ebay:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/231277528318
http://www.ebay.com/itm/181448566296

What's the give-away that they're Alps — the keycaps?

Yep, the Alps keycaps look slightly different than the various other types.

2 auctions for Model Fs XT have surfaced on ebay.de, by the same seller. It's a nice vintage keyboard/weapon.

The XT's value is unbeatable. The best Model F buckling spring, a whole lot of heavy metal, and at a price that's typically quite appealing. Learn the layout, and it's a must-have daily workhorse of a board.

Not that I've seen the price of these two…

I would also encourage keyboard enthusiasts to get an XT when they have the chance. The XT has become my all-time favorite, and I am typing on one now. Superb!

Hypersphere wrote: I would also encourage keyboard enthusiasts to get an XT when they have the chance. The XT has become my all-time favorite, and I am typing on one now. Superb!

What's the going rate on them?

About half as much in America as over here. Something like $50 / £50. Although I could be wrong, as I didn't buy mine and haven't been hunting for another.

alinh wrote:

Hypersphere wrote: I would also encourage keyboard enthusiasts to get an XT when they have the chance. The XT has become my all-time favorite, and I am typing on one now. Superb!

What's the going rate on them?

Prices on US eBay have been climbing. Looks like word has spread about the value of the XT. Nevertheless, it is still possible to find bargains, and even if the XT looks rather bad, I have yet to find one that does not work well. I have two that I have restored and configured for my use. One of these was a very lucky find at $19, and the other was $51. However, most of them now seem to be running between $70 and $130.

seebart wrote: Wow, now I'm already being thanked in this thread. It's not like that stuff is hidden.

True, but not all of us find the time and leisure to scour eBay every day of the week. There is some weird stuff there to sort through, such as this:

http://www.ebay.de/itm/VINTAGE-AT-XT-ME ... 484ce70abe

^ Guys? What is this? Random unkown board with fake yellow alps? Why is it so expensive? ^

seebart wrote: But I'm glad you got that cherry and it's all you hope for! MX blues are loud, that's for sure. I know someone who likes the feel but hates the sound...that's life my friends.

After trying the Model M for a few weeks I'd like to have something tactile and clicky, but lighter than the Model M.
I'm really looking forward to it (hasn't arrived yet). With their noise the blues are probably best enjoyed alone. But it's a Cherry switch and I need to check it out then check it off my list. I may not even love blues in the end, but I just really enjoy taking the boards apart and cleaning them before testing the switches. Next up will be clears (or maybe even ergo-clears if I can find a way).

Muirium wrote: They should try buckling spring! More to love and more to hate.

So true! To me, the Model M is the keyboard of contradictions:

- I love the click, but hate the clack sound (when the key comes back up and the spring reverberates)
- Keycaps look and feel like crap on the sides, but superb texture on the top
- Gorgeous contrast of the dye sub printing, about 100 times nicer than laser etched cherrys. I have a feeling they will never fade
- Huge and heavy duty, yet still the case creaks and twists after tightening all the screws
- Cable seems really weak and is unfortunately not removable on my version
- It has nice tactility, but the keys are just to heavy. I use MX Blacks every day but the BS are just too heavy for me. No fast double tapping. I actually prefer Cherry MX over buckling spring. Please don't ban me

Hypersphere wrote:

alinh wrote:

Hypersphere wrote: I would also encourage keyboard enthusiasts to get an XT when they have the chance. The XT has become my all-time favorite, and I am typing on one now. Superb!

What's the going rate on them?

Prices on US eBay have been climbing. Looks like word has spread about the value of the XT. Nevertheless, it is still possible to find bargains, and even if the XT looks rather bad, I have yet to find one that does not work well. I have two that I have restored and configured for my use. One of these was a very lucky find at $19, and the other was $51. However, most of them now seem to be running between $70 and $130.

shipping+taxes make US source not cool for me. Need to find one in .eu.

shreebles wrote:

seebart wrote: Wow, now I'm already being thanked in this thread. It's not like that stuff is hidden.

True, but not all of us find the time and leisure to scour eBay every day of the week. There is some weird stuff there to sort through, such as this:

http://www.ebay.de/itm/VINTAGE-AT-XT-ME ... 484ce70abe

^ Guys? What is this? Random unkown board with fake yellow alps? Why is it so expensive? ^

Some sort of wannabe Wyse, by the look of it. Quite a nice look, but I know nothing of the price. There's always chancers out there!

shreebles wrote:

Muirium wrote: They should try buckling spring! More to love and more to hate.

So true! To me, the Model M is the keyboard of contradictions…

Please don't ban me

Well, if you had said any of that about the Model F, I might have been tempted…

True, but not all of us find the time and leisure to scour eBay every day of the week. There is some weird stuff there to sort through, such as this:

http://www.ebay.de/itm/VINTAGE-AT-XT-ME ... 484ce70abe

^ Guys? What is this? Random unkown board with fake yellow alps? Why is it so expensive?

that seller has had that keyboard in there off and on for the last year or so. It looks like a Focus FK clone with (fake) yellow! clone ALPS...the yellow of that switch is quite bright but that may be Photoshop. I would NOT buy that. I´d like to see it in real life, but I would not buy it! TOPTECK? Anyone ever heard of them?

I found this though...http://www.pcwinner.com.tw/about.asp

but that says little.

Well, if you had said any of that about the Model F, I might have been tempted…

ha I know you would not ban him mr.Muirium

I may not even love blues in the end, but I just really enjoy taking the boards apart and cleaning them before testing the switches.

yeah I can relate to that...put in some work and enjoy that "cheap" find.

True, but not all of us find the time and leisure to scour eBay every day of the week.

trust me 2-3 times a week is max even for me, apart from the fact that there are not that many new auctions within every week.

btw. I scored that KB6151 for 1 euro, can´t wait to see what that switch really is...

http://www.ebay.de/itm/291180459564?ssP ... 1439.l2649

That thing looks like a TEC/KPT switch to me. http://deskthority.net/wiki/TEC_switch

ok if you say so I will find out soon anyway...TEC : "Yellow and white sliders, instead of blue" ?

The slider on the pic is definitly not white or yellow.

I think jacobolus meant this one: http://www.ebay.de/itm/310527855294
I don't know, the switch int the Ebay auctions seems to be a brighter yellow than the TEC switch. Maybe thats just lighting.
The hole, where the slider goes through is different, too. It's not just square but has some little tabs and notches.

whops I thought he meant the KB6151 I bought, sorry about that.

I don't know, the switch int the Ebay auctions seems to be a brighter yellow than the TEC switch. Maybe thats just lighting.The hole, where the slider goes through is different, too. It's not just square but has some little tabs and notches.

like I wrote earlier, that whole auction seems strange. Just look at how clean that keyboard is. Yet it is described as "refurbished" by the seller. BUT it could be true, besids it´s too expenseive. If he had real yellow ALPS, that would be a different story.

shreebles wrote: http://www.ebay.de/itm/VINTAGE-AT-XT-ME ... 484ce70abe

^ Guys? What is this? Random unkown board with fake yellow alps? Why is it so expensive? :o ^

Nobody knows.

The KPT keyboard I just got from lowpoly has what appear to be Hua-Jie switches, which is new: it's supposed to have KPT and APC switches.

This makes me suspicious of whether KPT ever made switches at all. It's possible they simply found it cheaper to buy them in than make their own. I don't know.

It's just that there are so many switches that are very similar to KPT switches. There's the "TEC" ones, and several other unbranded types. That one seems to be marked "OTC" (as in Oriental Tech) but I can't be sure from the photo.

I don't know enough (anything, really) about Far East business practices, but I have to wonder if one factory was churning all these switches out.

KPT/TEC etc is a whole vortex unto itself that we may never unravel.