Packard Bell T9102 - SKCM Blue Alps at it's Finest

[Hypersphere]

@kakan:

Yep, the Hasu USB-USB converter "just works"! Highly recommended.

Regarding dressing up keyboard cases, I've had good results with spray painting, but I need to do this in my garage, which is unheated, and it's currently below the minimum temperature required for painting. So, I stupidly decided to try vinyl wrap. It was like a Laurel and Hardy movie. "That's another fine mess you've gotten us into." After three attempts, I gave up on vinyl wrap -- forever, let's hope.

[cineraphael]

The Construction Quality compare to Northgate Omnikey Gold Label and Acer KB101-A?

[Hypersphere]

The Construction Quality compare to Northgate Omnikey Gold Label and Acer KB101-A?

The construction quality of the Packard-Bell series depends somewhat on when the keyboard was built. As I've mentioned in an earlier post, "T9102" is apparently a serial number and not a model number. I have two Packard-Bell keyboards that resemble S/N T9102, one is T8015 and the other is T9103. The construction quality of the T8015 is somewhat better than that of the later version, T9103. The main difference might seem rather small -- the screw mounts in the older version have threaded metal inserts, whereas the screw mounts in the later T9103 are all plastic. Both of the Packard-Bells had serious yellowing of the case and keycaps.

I've had bad luck with the Acer KB101-A and Acer KB101-AS, mostly with respect to the cases having very brittle and deeply yellowed plastic. I returned the 101-AS, and I have put the 101-A aside for later restoration. Several switches on the 101-A are unresponsive.These issues reflect the condition of the keyboards rather than construction quality per se. It is a small sample, but the flaws might be some indication of how well these keyboards hold up.

I have a Northgate Omnikey Gold Label and several Northgate Omnikey 101s. I've had good luck with all of my Northgates. The construction quality is very solid. The only downside to the Northgates is that the paint on the top plates does not hold up well -- it is fairly common to see plates with corrosion spots. However, all of my Northgates work quite well. I enjoy converting them to USB, as there is ample room inside the case to install a Soarer converter and panel-mount USB. Moreover, with the right panel-mount USB connector, it is not necessary to drill new holes in the bottom metal pan of the case. My older Northgates have "pine" switches (with slits in the top housings). I have a newer one with bamboo switches (no slits) -- it works just fine, but the earlier productions with pine switches sound and feel better.

Based on this admittedly limited experience, my ranking of build quality is as follows:

Northgate > Packard-Bell > Acer

[cineraphael]

You are just as lucky as Chyrosran22 when you have a Gold Label Omnikey with Blue Alp! Here In my city, I can't even find a Cherry G80-3000 or Dell AT101(In fact, there are no beige color computer keyboard for sale at all!). So, don't brother finding a Northgate Omnikey Ultra and Gold Label in my city.

[Muirium]

I would have had slim pickings if I only scored keyboards in my hometown too. Only really ever found Apple rubberdomes in Edinburgh. But I’ve got blue Alps of my own and plenty of nice stuff, all thanks to the internet and DT in particular.

[Hypersphere]

It seems that no one is as lucky as Chyros. However, I suspect his apparent luck is actually a product of his skill, patience, and perseverance.

[ZedTheMan]

It seems that no one is as lucky as Chyros. However, I suspect his apparent luck is actually a product of his skill, patience, and perseverance.

Well, and in part having a cooperative electronics recycler to visit. Granted, it probably took skill to foster the relationship to where he could buy the keyboards from them.

[the_ambyguous]

I found another one! A Packard-Bell with SKCM blue Alps switches. This time, the sticker on the metal back reads "T9103". This one has doubleshot ABS keycaps. The one with "T8105" has pad-printed caps. Thus, it indeed appears that the numbers on the little stickers affixed to the back panel are serial numbers rather than model numbers.

The plate on the T8105 was the cleanest I have ever seen in a used keyboard. The switches all worked, but there was some binding on off-center presses with some of the larger keys.

The plate on the T9103 is dirty and the black finish on the back panel is scratched, but all the switches work and there is no appreciable binding. Nevertheless, the switches feel rougher than on other blue Alps boards I have used. Perhaps this feeling arises from the short switch plates -- but I have not opened the switches on either the T9103 or the T8105 to determine if they are long or short switch plates. On the other hand, I have been using my RF R2 PFU TKL with silenced 45 g Topre switches for the past several days, and almost any keyboard would feel rough in comparison.

Both keyboards are seriously yellowed -- caps and cases. At least the T9103 is evenly yellowed. I might try some variant of retrobrite treatment for the cases along with replacing keycaps. Other alternatives including painting the cases when warm weather arrives. I've also wanted to try cerakote -- presumably this can be done at sufficiently low termperatures to avoid melting the ABS.

BTW, I continue to be amazed by the Hasu USB-USB converter. Today, I plugged the T9103 into an Adesso active PS/2-USB converter and then connected it to the Hasu USB-USB converter, which is attached to the computer via a KVM switch and two USB hubs in series. The keyboard worked on the first try with the Hasu converter already programmed with a HHKB-like remapping.

hate to bring up the dead but, " but I have not opened the switches on either the T9103 or the T8105 to determine if they are long or short switch plates. " are you saying that both of these models came with blue alps? and that the T8105 came with pad printed caps? blue alps, AND pad printed caps? or were they white alps? I am deathly curious, please do let me know