Tell me your first keyboard!

[gogusrl]

My cousin was playing FRED on it (guy exploring pyramids with mummies & stuff) and he let play for a bit.

HC90 Clone

[Neil]

IBM 5155 Model F XT keyboard. The first during my hobby was an Acer 6312-TW.

[Mr.Nobody]

It's a Chinese version of NES with a rubber dome keyboard...at the time no ordinary Chinese family could afford a real computer...

[Stabilized]

How did people get games for it, does it play original Famicom/NES games?
Also, is that Jackie Chan on the box?

[vvp]

[Mr.Nobody]

How did people get games for it, does it play original Famicom/NES games?
Also, is that Jackie Chan on the box?

Yes, you can play original and bootlegged Famicom games on it, and yes, Jackie Chan.

[MrDuul]

How did people get games for it, does it play original Famicom/NES games?
Also, is that Jackie Chan on the box?

Yes, you can play original and bootlegged Famicom games on it, and yes, Jackie Chan.

That is really bad-ass !!

[Mr.Nobody]

It's called 学习机 (a literal translation is learning machine or machine for learning ), many people of my age learned and studied basic computer skills on this thing, eg.typing English, typing Chinese(at the time it's a skill and took a lot of effort to master because of the complicated nature of Chinese characters) how to program in BASIC etc. Many developers launched their own products and cartridges in early 90s, the thing got rather popular at the time.1 year Later, some models had floppy disk drive included and the thing worked more like a real computer, even some PC RPG games were ported for the thing, several years later, Chinese famlies could afford real computers and officially, the computer age arrived. The role of this thing resembles the Commodore 64 in US, but not as culturally influential...

[evoman]

The first one I actually remember ordering is a Northgate Omnikey. I bought it to use with a Mac LC (maybe an PC II?). I remember loving the ALPS switches and still have fond memories. But that might just be hazy memory of the first decent keyboard I used

[MrDuul]

It's called 学习机 (a literal translation is learning machine or machine for learning ), many people of my age learned and studied basic computer skills on this thing, eg.typing English, typing Chinese(at the time it's a skill and took a lot of effort to master because of the complicated nature of Chinese characters) how to program in BASIC etc. Many developers launched their own products and cartridges in early 90s, the thing got rather popular at the time.1 year Later, some models had floppy disk drive included and the thing worked more like a real computer, even some PC RPG games were ported for the thing, several years later, Chinese famlies could afford real computers and officially, the computer age arrived. The role of this thing resembles the Commodore 64 in US, but not as culturally influential...

Very jealous! Very cool.

Any videos of it in action?

[Mr.Nobody]

Here is how it looks like while running, although the video is recorded through an NES emulator called virtualNES.

Here is the FDD model from another famous brand, if my memory is right this brand "Yuxing" is the first company brought FDD model into the market. The machine has a parallel printer port and a standard mouse port...kind of real deal back in the day

[MrDuul]

Man dude what an upbringing! All built into the keyboard, impressive.

We had a typing game back in elementary school called Mario teaches Typing for the PC. Back in the early mid 90s.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-LxHUgI2W0

[vometia]

Man dude what an upbringing! All built into the keyboard, impressive.

It's the way most home computers were! I'm still not totally sure I like the three-box arrangement, though some of the "fat keyboard" style could be very fat. Such as the Apple II, but that's a bit of an obscure one.

[Game Theory]

Hi-Tek switches on my Atari 800 NTSC

IMG_20170524_235147.jpg (431.22 KiB) Viewed 7530 times

My first keyboard and computer, my only one for 13 years. Hi-Tek switches. My strong preference for center legends (thank you 7bit) must come from this.

This was back in the cassette tape drive storage home computer days. Then got a Gateway AnyKey which was a macro programmable Alps.

[emdude]

An Acer 6511 just like this one. A dome w/ slider board, but a pretty decent one still.



Mine had a cover/skin for its entire life so it's still pretty much pristine underneath!

[Chyros]

IMG_20170524_235147.jpg

My first keyboard and computer, my only one for 13 years. Hi-Tek switches. My strong preference for center legends (thank you 7bit) must come from this.

This was back in the cassette tape drive storage home computer days. Then got a Gateway AnyKey which was a macro programmable Alps.

The Gateway AnyKey is a rubber dome keyboard :p .

[Daniel Beardsmore]

Hi-Tek switches on my Atari 800 NTSC

Those look like Stackpole switches. The keyboard PCB should have Stackpole branding on it to confirm it.

[rsbseb]

Like many in my generation, my first mechanical keyboard was made by Brother

SAM_2587.jpg (194.05 KiB) Viewed 7486 times

My first "computer" keyboard was the VIC20

vic20.jpg (251.95 KiB) Viewed 7486 times

I miss the VIC20 but not the Brother.
I still have a few typewriters around although I've been getting rid of them or parting them out. I'm fairly sure there are no longer any non-electric typewriters in my possession. They remind me of late night book reports and research papers sitting in a hard wood chair at the kitchen table.

(pictures sourced from type-writers.org and sleepingelephant.com)

[Phenix]

I used rubberdomes for way to long. During beeing at a electronic store I typed on a Razer BlackWidow (old model, with genuine mx blues).

Read some articles, and got it.. somewhat 100€at that time.

Had to return it half year later, as Razer quality showed up.

Since then I fall in the rabbithole..

[Game Theory]

The attachment IMG_20170524_235147.jpg is no longer available

My first keyboard and computer, my only one for 13 years. Hi-Tek switches. My strong preference for center legends (thank you 7bit) must come from this.

This was back in the cassette tape drive storage home computer days. Then got a Gateway AnyKey which was a macro programmable Alps.

The Gateway AnyKey is a rubber dome keyboard :p .

My memory had indeed merged the Gateway Anykey with its successor Northgate OmniKey 101. Funny how memory works, or didn't work in this case:)

Northgate OmniKey 101 (that needs cleaning)

IMG_20170526_003923.jpg (275.37 KiB) Viewed 7424 times

[roxsteady]

My computer lab teacher Gave me an IBM model M5-2 as a gift since I had explained that I was anxiously waiting for my first PC to come in the mail.

[BPX-926]

My first was a Model M2 which came with the PC we had when I was a child. It set my deep love of Buckling Springs in motion. It is a love which continues to this day!

[MrDuul]

My computer lab teacher Gave me an IBM model M5-2 as a gift since I had explained that I was anxiously waiting for my first PC to come in the mail.

Wow how rare is this board?

[wobbled]

My computer lab teacher Gave me an IBM model M5-2 as a gift since I had explained that I was anxiously waiting for my first PC to come in the mail.

Wow how rare is this board?

Amazingly rare, but it's too expensive.

[PollandAkuma]

Here is how it looks like while running, although the video is recorded through an NES emulator called virtualNES.

Here is the FDD model from another famous brand, if my memory is right this brand "Yuxing" is the first company brought FDD model into the market. The machine has a parallel printer port and a standard mouse port...kind of real deal back in the day

Dude that's so quaint!

[PollandAkuma]

My first "keyboard" keyboard is Poker II MX clears from the Vanman himself.

[MrDuul]

My first "keyboard" keyboard is Poker II MX clears from the Vanman himself.

Yes Johan Liebert....I predicted as much.

[roxsteady]

My computer lab teacher Gave me an IBM model M5-2 as a gift since I had explained that I was anxiously waiting for my first PC to come in the mail.

Wow how rare is this board?

Amazingly rare, but it's too expensive.

My mom threw it out when I was in college. She was moving to a new place and tossed all my stuff in boxes, but threw this out along with some older motherboards and hardware. I cried.

[BPX-926]

I really like those coloured keycaps. Are they the ones that Unicomp now sells?

If they are not, where did you buy them?

[MrDuul]

Is that a track ball on the keyboard...Epic.