deskthority

Recent arrival. NIB. Made in 1990.

Anyone care for a guess at the switch? Manufacturer, or even the brand of the keyboard?



I know what it is, but does anyone else?

The switches remind me of those in the DEC LK201, but it's definitely not an LK201...

Now that's a bulky mechanism... feel good?

the mechanism reminds me of cherry my, but it's probably something from Indonesia or Taiwan...

What is the prize ??

Hmm, prize...nah, this one is too easy.

Two hints:

• What you're looking at (and the rest of the keyboard assembly) is made in Japan, the case, in Korea and more than likely sold in the US
• It's a membrane keyboard.

Seems to be a Korean tradition to make PCBs in orange instead of green.

Is it some IBM keyboard?

Nope, though the company was a thorn in IBM's side at one point a long time ago. And probably not for the reason you think

Other side of the PCB.

Apple: no.
SGI: no.
DEC: no.
Wang?

The branding (or the company that had these keyboards made), started when punch-cards still existed.

The switches, keycaps, and pcb are all 100% Japanese made and designed.

Wang...nope. When this keyboard was made, the company was nearly dead.

Honeywell? no. still existing.
But there was another one ...

UNIVAC? no. died too early.
Burroughs?

Nah, these guys weren't technologically awesome. Really just glorified money pushers. Founded in 1957.
The company died because because their OS ran out of dates apparently.

Regardless, the brand of the company really has no ties to the makers of the keyswitch.

HaaTa wrote:Nah, these guys weren't technologically awesome. Really just glorified money pushers. Founded in 1957.

The company died because because their OS ran out of dates apparently.

This leads me to DEC again ...

edit: OK it's DEC, now I get that with IBM. I thought of main-frame companies, not DEC's mini computers making mainframes obsolete in some important fields.

Nope. But close (the keyboard is actually nice to type on, so that pushes DEC straight out ).

Ever hear of MAI Systems Corporation?
http://www.answers.com/topic/mai-systems-corporation#

1957 && OS ran out of dates apparently => DEC
Nevertheless, I bet you are the only one who knows MAI Systems Corporation.

Now, the big question(s), haven't been answered yet.

• What switch?
• Who made it?

Though really they're the same question.

More pics now that some info is know:






And a red herring pic (really, this spring actually makes the switch guessing harder):

When I think of leaf-spring switches, I think of Fujitsu, but it does not look like any leaf-spring switch from Fujitsu that I have seen, and it can't be Fujitsu because it is still live.

I think I saw it on a Jetson's episode.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c ... rminal.jpg

This switch?
http://www.martialartsplanet.com/forums ... hp?t=77835

Findecanor wrote:When I think of leaf-spring switches, I think of Fujitsu, but it does not look like any leaf-spring switch from Fujitsu that I have seen, and it can't be Fujitsu because it is still live.

Well, when I said alive, I meant the brand. Not necessarily the manufacturer.
But yes, it's a variant of Fujitsu Leaf Spring. Couldn't show a lot of pictures because there were Fujitsu style part numbers all over the place. And the sliders are a dead give-away.
This patent is interesting as it shows many different mounting styles for the leaf spring.

See:

• Figure 5.
• Figure 7. Part A
• Figure 8.
• Figure 9.
• Figure 10.

http://www.google.com/patents/US4529849

I should start saying the first thing that pops into my mind and not think about it, I would've at least gotten the switch right.

Boring!

[h=3]Fujitsu[/h]

[h="4"]Fujitsu Leaf Spring[/h]
linear switch

Keyboards:
Fujitsu FMV KB211
Tandy 1000 (original) keyboard


Fujitsu FMV KB211

Source - Sandy55 - http://sandy55.fc2web.com/keyboard/fmv_kb-211.html

Old unidentified terminal keyboard

Picture courtesy of Sixty - Source.

Oops, images.

http://geekhack.org/showthread.php?2960 ... itch-Guide

I know I have seen keyboards with Roman numerals before, but I can't remember where.

webwit, are the Greek letters on the Space Cadet pad printed, engraved, or triple shots?

Findecanor wrote:I know I have seen keyboards with Roman numerals before, but I can't remember where.

http://deskthority.net/marketplace-f11/ ... tml#p17338

HaaTa wrote:webwit, are the Greek letters on the Space Cadet pad printed, engraved, or triple shots?

Pad printed.

The layout reminds me of the Sun 3, except nicer in some respects. Probably some sort of Unix workstation, or maybe terminal, from the mid to late 80s?