Radio Shack TRS-80 Model I - Alps vs Hi-Tek keyboards

[snuci]

With all the "Alps Appreciation" going on here, I figured I'd post two of my TRS-80 Model 1s, each with different keyboards. I need to take more comparison pictures so more pics to come. Key caps, for example are different with the Alps caps being high profile and the Hi-tek not. The keyboards do not have much components on them because the main computer board handles the keyboard logic.

The first is a tall cream SKCC Alps board from early 1979.

TRS-80 1 Alps - keyboard

TRS-80 1 Alps - keyboard.JPG (208.44 KiB) Viewed 4057 times

TRS-80 1 Alps - key caps removed

TRS-80 1 Alps - key caps removed.JPG (256.69 KiB) Viewed 4057 times

TRS-80 1 Alps - top cover removed

TRS-80 1 Alps - keyboard in place.JPG (326.22 KiB) Viewed 4057 times

TRS-80 1 Alps - keyboard back (top)

TRS-80 1 Alps - keyboard back (top).JPG (443.45 KiB) Viewed 4057 times

TRS-80 1 Alps - keyboard marked with ink stamp

TRS-80 1 Alps - keyboard marked with ink stamp.JPG (387.59 KiB) Viewed 4057 times

TRS-80 1 Alps - keyboard components to date it

TRS-80 1 Alps - keyboard components to date it.JPG (306.24 KiB) Viewed 4057 times

The Hi-Tek keyboard. Note that the key pad is actually taped on. This was an add-on to later model I TRS-80s and this may have been done after with the top case being replaced to fit the numeric key pad. The numeric keypad (as noted in the Alps version) was permanently included in later runs:

TRS-80 1 Hi-Tek - key caps removed

TRS-80 1 Hi-Tek - key caps removed.JPG (246.54 KiB) Viewed 4057 times

TRS-80 1 Hi-Tek - top cover removed

TRS-80 1 Hi-Tek - keyboard in place.JPG (292.13 KiB) Viewed 4057 times

TRS-80 1 Hi-Tek - keyboard PCB markings

TRS-80 1 Hi-Tek - keyboard PCB markings .JPG (424.61 KiB) Viewed 4057 times

TRS-80 1 Hi-Tek - more keyboard markings

TRS-80 1 Hi-Tek - more keyboard markings.JPG (269.07 KiB) Viewed 4057 times

TRS-80 1 Hi-Tek - keyboard components to date it

TRS-80 1 Hi-Tek - keyboard components to date it.JPG (270.34 KiB) Viewed 4057 times

[Chyros]

Very cool, really nice! Pretty badass-looking board, it looks like it means business . How do the switches compare?

[snuci]

I have two Alps versions and one has dirty switches while the other is almost new. There is a remarkable difference. The Hi-Tek are a little heavier and as a "hunt and peck" typer, it's pretty good but I would really need to actually use them to see what my preference would be. I would go Alps at first try but I do like the wider Hi-Tek caps. I'll post some key cap pics tomorrow.

[Chyros]

Even heavier than SKCCs! I knew Hi-Teks were heavy, but I'm quite curious about the weighting now xD .

[snuci]

More pics, as promised. These pics will show you the font difference and close-ups of key switch and key cap profiles. Looks like these may NOT be tall cream SKCC Alps but normal ones?

TRS-80 1- both keyboards

TRS-80 1- both keyboards .JPG (271.39 KiB) Viewed 3969 times

TRS-80 1 Alps - key switches and cap profile

TRS-80 1 Alps - key switches and cap profile.JPG (297.21 KiB) Viewed 3969 times

TRS-80 1 Hi-Tek - key switches and cap profile

TRS-80 1 Hi-Tek - key switches and cap profile.JPG (255.13 KiB) Viewed 3969 times

TRS-80 1 - key caps profile

TRS-80 1 - key caps profile.JPG (175.18 KiB) Viewed 3969 times

TRS-80 1 - key caps top and bottom

TRS-80 1 - key caps top and bottom.JPG (284.51 KiB) Viewed 3969 times

[Chyros]

Nice, the font is obviously a major giveaway when you show it like that . Good to know for the future, maybe wikification?

[snuci]

Absolutely going in the Wiki. I am preparing to put up all of my boards soon.

[jacobolus]

I really don’t like these old Hi-Tek switches. Shame, because the keycaps are amazing.

[Chyros]

I really don’t like these old Hi-Tek switches. Shame, because the keycaps are amazing.

I've heard they are very stiff, presumably even stiffer than the later NMB switches which are already quite hefty. Is it because of that?