deskthority

Posted: **23 Feb 2016, 02:43**

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 4060 times

: TRS-80 1 Alps - key caps removed; TRS-80 1 Alps - key caps removed.JPG (256.69 KiB) Viewed 4060 times

: TRS-80 1 Alps - top cover removed; TRS-80 1 Alps - keyboard in place.JPG (326.22 KiB) Viewed 4060 times

: TRS-80 1 Alps - keyboard back (top); TRS-80 1 Alps - keyboard back (top).JPG (443.45 KiB) Viewed 4060 times

: TRS-80 1 Alps - keyboard marked with ink stamp; TRS-80 1 Alps - keyboard marked with ink stamp.JPG (387.59 KiB) Viewed 4060 times

: TRS-80 1 Alps - keyboard components to date it; TRS-80 1 Alps - keyboard components to date it.JPG (306.24 KiB) Viewed 4060 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 4060 times

: TRS-80 1 Hi-Tek - top cover removed; TRS-80 1 Hi-Tek - keyboard in place.JPG (292.13 KiB) Viewed 4060 times

: TRS-80 1 Hi-Tek - keyboard PCB markings; TRS-80 1 Hi-Tek - keyboard PCB markings .JPG (424.61 KiB) Viewed 4060 times

: TRS-80 1 Hi-Tek - more keyboard markings; TRS-80 1 Hi-Tek - more keyboard markings.JPG (269.07 KiB) Viewed 4060 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 4060 times

Posted: **23 Feb 2016, 02:55**

Very cool, really nice! Pretty badass-looking board, it looks like it means business

. How do the switches compare?

Posted: **23 Feb 2016, 03:24**

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.

Posted: **23 Feb 2016, 10:17**

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

Posted: **24 Feb 2016, 00:06**

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 3972 times

: TRS-80 1 Alps - key switches and cap profile; TRS-80 1 Alps - key switches and cap profile.JPG (297.21 KiB) Viewed 3972 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 3972 times

: TRS-80 1 - key caps profile; TRS-80 1 - key caps profile.JPG (175.18 KiB) Viewed 3972 times

: TRS-80 1 - key caps top and bottom; TRS-80 1 - key caps top and bottom.JPG (284.51 KiB) Viewed 3972 times

Posted: **24 Feb 2016, 00:40**

Nice, the font is obviously a major giveaway when you show it like that

. Good to know for the future, maybe wikification?

Posted: **24 Feb 2016, 00:48**

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

Posted: **25 Feb 2016, 01:34**

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

Posted: **25 Feb 2016, 01:53**

jacobolus wrote: 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?

deskthority

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

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