Transparent Alps keycaps

abrahamstechnology · 26 Nov 2018, 22:28

A while back, someone posted a custom SGI AT101 with transparent Alps mount keycaps with Mac OS legends. Does anyone know who makes them and where they can be found? Thanks.

Hak Foo · 27 Nov 2018, 01:34

The original transparent iMacs sort of coincided with the rundown of the original mechanical board era. I know there were a few boards obviously positioned towards the iMac audience with clear (but pad-printed) caps in transparent plastic.

flowerlandfilms · 27 Nov 2018, 01:38

A while back, someone posted a custom SGI AT101 with transparent Alps mount keycaps with Mac OS legends.

That would be me!
I've done a lot of research into this so hold onto your hat.

The set I am using comes from the Sanwa SKB-M109UH. I'm not sure if it was released anywhere other than Japan.
The two I have were sourced from there. It's not ANSI so I had to adapt a few keys from a Cherry MX set to make it work, and the caps lock didn't fit the AT-101 either, which is a common problem. I fixed that by melting it a bit on the side, but i don't think it would be a problem with other boards.

http://kakaku.com/item/01506510449/images/

Next is the Filco Skeleton. These caps come in different colours including clear, pink and blue and I have even seen a Windows version with a non-hideous non-apple font, which I would very much like to find.
I've not found one of these for sale yet but I'm always looking. Again I am unsure if this was ever released outside Japan, so you may be stuck with Japanese sub legends unless you can find the non Apple version which appears to be just english lettering. "Skeleton" "スケルトン" by the way is a common description of clear plastic in Japan so if you are searching the Auction sites it's a good keyword to find this kind of stuff.

https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=76488.0

And finally is my personal holy grail, the Matias Half Qwerty. These are available, and are ANSI but are ridiculously expensive. I just can't justify paying $600 just to use the keycaps. I've followed up multiple leads trying to get my hands on one of these second hand but nobody ever came through. I have also had a lot of frustration dealing with Matias in trying to get hold of just the caps from them directly. At first they said they didn't even make the board, then when I finally got them to admit that they did, they said they don't make it anymore, and they wanted a proof of purchase to sell me a replacement set. So i found a guy on reddit to take photos of his so I could pretend it was mine, but he stopped replying to me. They have the molds so I can't see why they don't just make translucent sets available to purchase directly, it's highly annoying. I'm always on the lookout so maybe one day.

http://half-qwerty.com/#

There must be others out there as well. The best source for them seems to be third party boards from the iMac era when everyone was copying their translucent plastic styling. Companies that specialised in Mac peripherals had already adopted Alps or Alps clones to mimic apples stuff, but even though Apple themselves moved on from Alps by that point, they continued to use them into the late 90's early 00's. I think possibly Macally might have made a few. Anyone who knows of any other boards please feel free to chime in.

abrahamstechnology · 27 Nov 2018, 02:14

flowerlandfilms wrote:
A while back, someone posted a custom SGI AT101 with transparent Alps mount keycaps with Mac OS legends.
That would be me!
I've done a lot of research into this so hold onto your hat.

The set I am using comes from the Sanwa SKB-M109UH. I'm not sure if it was released anywhere other than Japan.
The two I have were sourced from there. It's not ANSI so I had to adapt a few keys from a Cherry MX set to make it work, and the caps lock didn't fit the AT-101 either, which is a common problem. I fixed that by melting it a bit on the side, but i don't think it would be a problem with other boards.

http://kakaku.com/item/01506510449/images/

Next is the Filco Skeleton. These caps come in different colours including clear, pink and blue and I have even seen a Windows version with a non-hideous non-apple font, which I would very much like to find.
I've not found one of these for sale yet but I'm always looking. Again I am unsure if this was ever released outside Japan, so you may be stuck with Japanese sub legends unless you can find the non Apple version which appears to be just english lettering. "Skeleton" "スケルトン" by the way is a common description of clear plastic in Japan so if you are searching the Auction sites it's a good keyword to find this kind of stuff.

https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=76488.0

And finally is my personal holy grail, the Matias Half Qwerty. These are available, and are ANSI but are ridiculously expensive. I just can't justify paying $600 just to use the keycaps. I've followed up multiple leads trying to get my hands on one of these second hand but nobody ever came through. I have also had a lot of frustration dealing with Matias in trying to get hold of just the caps from them directly. At first they said they didn't even make the board, then when I finally got them to admit that they did, they said they don't make it anymore, and they wanted a proof of purchase to sell me a replacement set. So i found a guy on reddit to take photos of his so I could pretend it was mine, but he stopped replying to me. They have the molds so I can't see why they don't just make translucent sets available to purchase directly, it's highly annoying. I'm always on the lookout so maybe one day.

http://half-qwerty.com/#

There must be others out there as well. The best source for them seems to be third party boards from the iMac era when everyone was copying their translucent plastic styling. Companies that specialised in Mac peripherals had already adopted Alps or Alps clones to mimic apples stuff, but even though Apple themselves moved on from Alps by that point, they continued to use them into the late 90's early 00's. I think possibly Macally might have made a few. Anyone who knows of any other boards please feel free to chime in.

Thanks for the reply! Wouldn't be that interested in tearing down one of those old iMac themed boards just for caps though.

flowerlandfilms · 27 Nov 2018, 02:41

Thanks for the reply! Wouldn't be that interested in tearing down one of those old iMac themed boards just for caps though.

I would. It makes me happy.

abrahamstechnology · 27 Nov 2018, 03:36

flowerlandfilms wrote:
Thanks for the reply! Wouldn't be that interested in tearing down one of those old iMac themed boards just for caps though.
I would. It makes me happy.

Well I was just going to make some generic Alps clone 60% boards anyway with them, I'd best leave them be.

abrahamstechnology · 27 Nov 2018, 03:37

Is there a similar set that's MX mount?

Polecat · 27 Nov 2018, 05:18

There was also a Macway keyboard with transparent caps:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Macway-Datacom ... 7675.l2557

abrahamstechnology wrote: A while back, someone posted a custom SGI AT101 with transparent Alps mount keycaps with Mac OS legends. Does anyone know who makes them and where they can be found? Thanks.

flowerlandfilms · 27 Nov 2018, 13:19

Polecat wrote: There was also a Macway keyboard with transparent caps:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Macway-Datacom ... 7675.l2557

Thanks for the tip.
Seems to be a rebrand of the Filco, or vice versa. Good to have another name to search for.
I've currently got two more leads I'm following up for other boards.

EnthusiastDude · 29 Oct 2019, 10:36

Take a look at this: https://imgur.com/a/tfdUF2o
It seems to be quite similar to the others mentioned and if someone is interested I am willing to sell it.
And the dome with slider underneath feel quite good as well - it is a qtronix scorpius board.