Texas Instruments 914 terminal keyboard

seebart · 09 Jul 2015, 16:39

XMIT wrote: I forgot to mention earlier that the case plastics on this keyboard - much like Muirium's Honeywell board - are surprisingly flimsy. The internals are solid, the case is surprisingly flexy.

Inside and out, beam spring keyboards are the most robust I've seen.

Hmm I would not have thought that! Regardless, a wonderful keyboard. Goes to show that even in the 1970's different companies went for different case materials. My Micro Switch SW-10591 from 1976 is metal all around.

Muirium · 09 Jul 2015, 16:59

Aha! I was thinking about asking that, but thought why rain on a good thread? Ah well, I don't know what they were thinking either. IBM's contemporary keyboards must have made a better impression on the government procurement types who were buying these. Seems the daftest possible place to choose to be cheap. Like slapping a bendy plastic steering wheel on a walnut interior limousine!

seebart · 09 Jul 2015, 17:12

But remember as how progressive plastics were seen in those times.

Muirium · 09 Jul 2015, 17:14

Sure. Like their plastic cars and plastic jets… waitaminute!

seebart · 09 Jul 2015, 17:20

Muirium wrote: Sure. Like their plastic cars and plastic jets… waitaminute!

Nope not like that. If they were able to build cars and planes from other materials back then they would have tried for sure. With planes Boeing just now got around to that with the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. It's not made of plastic but some carbon composite. With cars that's been around long. I know you like to bike Mr. Stuntman! Ever ride a Carbon frame? No metal either.

Muirium · 09 Jul 2015, 17:24

I like my bikes heavy, actually. Like my keyboards!

seebart · 09 Jul 2015, 17:27

OK fine that's your preference. But your Topre ain't metal.

Muirium · 09 Jul 2015, 17:31

I know. I really do need some metal aftermarket cases. And caps.

seebart · 09 Jul 2015, 17:33

Metal caps also?

Seems you are one heavy metal rocker!

Muirium · 09 Jul 2015, 17:40

I'd get a metal cable too. But I hate them. Death to wires!

Touch_It · 09 Jul 2015, 18:30

That layout looks surprisingly usable. The height looks crazy though. Someone should design a desk with a sucken part just for keyboards like this (and beamsprings obviously).

nourathar · 13 Jul 2015, 22:52

what a beauty this is !

rsbseb · 16 Jul 2015, 08:29

I remember a variant of this keyboard in my past. I think it may have been in school. The case is almost certainly vacuum formed. As I recall I didn't much care for it. I considered bidding on it just because of it's obscurity until you announced you interest in it. I'm glad it found a good home.

legalize · 29 Jul 2015, 23:56

Lovely photos. Is there any objection to me adding them to the terminals wiki?

http://terminals.classiccmp.org/wiki/in ... _Model_914

XMIT · 30 Jul 2015, 00:01

No objection at all!

In fact I'll give blanket permission here for anyone who wants to use my keyboard, key cap, key switch, or any other photos posted by me to this forum for improving a knowledge base, wiki, or what have you. Please provide attribution when you do (and maybe PM me a link to the article).