[Duel] SGI Granite vs. Bigfoot

[flowerlandfilms]

I never knew!
I feel the distinction is important because Silicon Graphics was a great company and SGI is a shitty one.

[seebart]

Granite makes sense for the SGI because of the distinct pattern. SGI Bigfoot for the SGI is silly because of all the Dell AT's and quite a few other keyboards that are also called "Bigfoot" because of the shape of the case.

[Daniel Beardsmore]

… as the company name is ALPS electric. So the 'S' should be capitalised.

No, the company is "Alps Electric", so it's "Alps" with only 'A' capitalised.

Granite makes sense for the SGI because of the distinct pattern. SGI Bigfoot for the SGI is silly because of all the Dell AT's and quite a few other keyboards that are also called "Bigfoot" because of the shape of the case.

"SGI Granite" as a term (or Silicon Graphics Granite) makes no sense. It covers only one out of three granite-pattern keyboards. Not only is there a rubber dome granite-pattern keyboard, but there is another Alps mechanical keyboard that's very similar but appears to be an older design.

The page name "SGI Granite" came from the mistaken belief that the only Alps keyboard that SGI^H^H^HSilicon Graphics ever sourced was the granite-pattern one, but I found that SGI sourced a whole range of different models from Alps, which are now all added to the page.

I have preserved the usage of "SGI Granite" for the PS/2 granite-pattern keyboard, as I don't object to that (even though it's misleading) but I felt that it made little sense to put each one of these keyboards on its own page when they're all so similar, when there are so few photos of each, and when we have little idea what even distinguishes them.

"Bigfoot" is just the extant name for that style of Alps keyboard, which is the one thing that they all have in common. We don't yet know what Alps used to describe it, but one day we may find out.

[seebart]

Granite makes sense for the SGI because of the distinct pattern. SGI Bigfoot for the SGI is silly because of all the Dell AT's and quite a few other keyboards that are also called "Bigfoot" because of the shape of the case.

"SGI Granite" as a term (or Silicon Graphics Granite) makes no sense. It covers only one out of three granite-pattern keyboards. Not only is there a rubber dome granite-pattern keyboard, but there is another Alps mechanical keyboard that's very similar but appears to be an older design.

The page name "SGI Granite" came from the mistaken belief that the only Alps keyboard that SGI^H^H^HSilicon Graphics ever sourced was the granite-pattern one, but I found that SGI sourced a whole range of different models from Alps, which are now all added to the page.

I have preserved the usage of "SGI Granite" for the PS/2 granite-pattern keyboard, as I don't object to that (even though it's misleading) but I felt that it made little sense to put each one of these keyboards on its own page when they're all so similar, when there are so few photos of each, and when we have little idea what even distinguishes them.

"Bigfoot" is just the extant name for that style of Alps keyboard, which is the one thing that they all have in common. We don't yet know what Alps used to describe it, but one day we may find out.

In that case both names are pretty worthless.

[Daniel Beardsmore]

What, pray tell, would you suggest as a replacement?

Asking the community for suggestions never works, as nobody ever really takes it seriously.

[seebart]

What, pray tell, would you suggest as a replacement?

Since "granite" makes no sense I'd say "SGI Bigfoot" for now. That excludes the non-bigfoot SGI's of course! But of course that's what we already have right now.

Asking the community for suggestions never works, as nobody ever really takes it seriously.

Argeed! We've done that before and in the end no one could agree on one name, not even a provisional one.

[flowerlandfilms]

What, pray tell, would you suggest as a replacement?

Since "granite" makes no sense I'd say "SGI Bigfoot" for now. That excludes the non-bigfoot SGI's of course! But of course that's what we already have right now.

Asking the community for suggestions never works, as nobody ever really takes it seriously.

Argeed! We've done that before and in the end no one could agree on one name, not even a provisional one.

"Silicon Graphics Bigfoot"

[Daniel Beardsmore]

I would be tempted towards "Silicon Graphics Bigfoot keyboards" to make it clear that it's just a collection of similar-looking keyboards, but if we are going to rename the page again, it would be nice to know if any better name exists. AT101 isn't going to work as they're not all AT keyboards, and we may never know what Alps called this style of keyboard. Even the part numbers don't form a pattern, e.g. 9500801 vs 041-0136-001. To Silicon Graphics they likely had no name at all.

Even the protocol name is surely wrong: it can't be the SGI protocol if there was no SGI.

[seebart]

"Silicon Graphics Bigfoot"

Hmm...

I would be tempted towards "Silicon Graphics Bigfoot keyboards" to make it clear that it's just a collection of similar-looking keyboards, but if we are going to rename the page again, it would be nice to know if any better name exists. AT101 isn't going to work as they're not all AT keyboards, and we may never know what Alps called this style of keyboard. Even the part numbers don't form a pattern, e.g. 9500801 vs 041-0136-001. To Silicon Graphics they likely had no name at all.

Even the protocol name is surely wrong: it can't be the SGI protocol if there was no SGI.

"Silicon Graphics Bigfoot keyboards" is a mighty long name. I say we keep everything the way it is now and think about a better name before changing anything.

[Halvar]

Granite is the color, Bigfoot is the model, Alps is the switch manufacturer.

There is no way to make naming easy and correct at the same time in the case of SG keyboards. There are SG Granite boards with a different case (and rubberdome switches), there are SG Bigfoots in beige with Alps switches, there may even be SG Granite Bigfoots with rubberdome switches (R models).

So if you want to be correct, you need to say SG Bigfoot Granite with mechanical switches if you mean 950090X, there is no easier way. And "SGI Bigfoot series" is an almost-correct name for the wiki page, although in my opinion it would be more helpful for readers to just make one wiki page called "Silicon Graphics keyboards" about all of them, including the NMB RT6856T.

Also, since the 950090X is the only SG keyboard in Granite color that keyboard enthusiasts are really interested in, I have no problem at all with continuing to nickname that particular model "SGI Granite", although it's not entirely correct.

[subcat]

No, the company is "Alps Electric", so it's "Alps" with only 'A' capitalised.

You're right, my mistake. I had seen it capitalised on the sites of a few parts suppliers, so I had thought it was official.

[flowerlandfilms]

I took the liberty of asking John McCrae, former bigwig mucketymuck from Silicon Graphics back in the 90's if he had any knowledge of the keyboards and how they came to be -

"Eryk, [editorial note: That's me!]
Thanks for the outreach. I don't recall much discussion about keyboards back in the day. I do remember that SGI's decision to have a distinctive "granite" look for the peripherals (monitor and keyboard) was controversial internally, as it added to costs without delivering real benefit.

The information on this page seems right:

wiki/SGI_Bigfoot_series

As to the big argument as to what they were actually called, I am unaware of any term for them other than "keyboard". Sorry!

Best,

John"

Interesting if not all that helpful.

[seebart]

I took the liberty of asking John McCrae, former bigwig mucketymuck from Silicon Graphics back in the 90's if he had any knowledge of the keyboards and how they came to be -

"Eryk, [editorial note: That's me!]
Thanks for the outreach. I don't recall much discussion about keyboards back in the day. I do remember that SGI's decision to have a distinctive "granite" look for the peripherals (monitor and keyboard) was controversial internally, as it added to costs without delivering real benefit.

The information on this page seems right:

wiki/SGI_Bigfoot_series

As to the big argument as to what they were actually called, I am unaware of any term for them other than "keyboard". Sorry!

Best,

John"

Interesting if not all that helpful.

Thanks for asking him, of course he may just not remember the details on all the hardware but at least you asked!

[flowerlandfilms]

Yeh maybe it wasn't his department, the thing about the granite being costly might be a cool quote for the wiki. But It seems the answer to a lot of these questions, what was its name, why Alps and why particular switches, seems to be "nobody gave a shit about keyboards we were raking in sweet Jurassic Park money hand over fist."