IDENTIFY THE KEYBOARD thread

mr_a500

27 Oct 2015, 19:26

This keyboard from 1953 is really more of a typewriter, but check out that space bar! I think that's the new winner of "longest space bar ever".

Image

Women in computing... I have no problem with that:

Image

Hey, this could be a good header. (...talking about Deskthority header)
Last edited by mr_a500 on 27 Oct 2015, 19:47, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
seebart
Offtopicthority Instigator

27 Oct 2015, 19:29

Looks like two spacebars. And that piece of machinery in the background might be just right in size for kbdfr!

mr_a500

27 Oct 2015, 19:32

I wish I had that many buttons and switches. That way, even if I'm doing absolutely nothing it'll look like I'm doing something important.

mr_a500

27 Oct 2015, 19:33

Steve Jobs would probably reduce that to a single button - and then eventually even remove that.

User avatar
Stabilized

27 Oct 2015, 20:00

It would be a very beautiful aluminium buttonless box though!

ettasian

27 Oct 2015, 22:54

Just adding my two bits: The TX-2 became operational in 1958.
Image
And here is "Bert Sutherland at the console of the TX-2."

Do notice the stylus thingy in his left hand.

Findecanor

27 Oct 2015, 23:22

That's a bit small for a thingy. It is called a light pen.

ettasian

27 Oct 2015, 23:53

Findecanor wrote: That's a bit small for a thingy. It is called a light pen.
Why, thank you for the lesson :) The more you know!

mr_a500

27 Oct 2015, 23:59

ettasian wrote: Just adding my two bits: The TX-2 became operational in 1958.
Image
And here is "Bert Sutherland at the console of the TX-2."

Do notice the stylus thingy in his left hand.
Nice. That's one of the earliest. The IBM 2250 didn't come out until around 1965.
2250-ad.gif
IBM 2250-expo-1.jpg

ettasian

28 Oct 2015, 00:33

mr_a500 wrote: This keyboard from 1953 is really more of a typewriter, but check out that space bar! I think that's the new winner of "longest space bar ever".

Image
There's one in better condition, and what do you know, it's from 1951. :)
Image
I wonder if we can go deeper :lol:

User avatar
Muirium
µ

28 Oct 2015, 02:24

When was the first teletype? That ought to do it. Computer keyboards emerged from those.

And before that? It all goes back to typewriters.
mr_a500 wrote: Hey, this could be a good header. (...talking about Deskthority header)
I'm always in favour of vintage keyboard bintage. But who does the image belong to? And who's up to extending it to the sides, to fill the header's panoramic aspect ratio?

mr_a500

28 Oct 2015, 07:28

That's the problem. I tried making headers with many vintage secretary photos and it's always difficult filling in the sides in any reasonable way. I tried once to enlarge and crop (the "cleavage crop") and you said it was "too cropped". (damn you)

I think it would probably be easier to find a 1950's UNIVAC and a sexy girl and do a whole photo shoot.

"Yes, yes, yeah baby, yes, yes, NO! NO!"

Image

User avatar
Azhdar

28 Oct 2015, 12:42

http://www.leboncoin.fr/informatique/799033094.htm

This looks like an ALPS board to me.

User avatar
guk
1896 Vintage Reds

28 Oct 2015, 13:42

Looks like Mitsumi Hybrid to me.

User avatar
zuglufttier

28 Oct 2015, 18:15

zuglufttier wrote:
kbd1.JPG
kbd1.JPG (258.42 KiB) Viewed 7534 times
This one turned out to be a Silitek SK-8801B-20, just some rubberdome but not the worst I ever used... But: It sports doubleshot key caps which should fit on Cherrys.

User avatar
gogusrl

28 Oct 2015, 18:17

Thick doubleshots like OG Cherry or the thin ones like most alps ?

User avatar
zuglufttier

28 Oct 2015, 21:18

What do you mean by thin? The print or the cap itself? Anyway, I'd say both is rather thin :D

User avatar
Muirium
µ

28 Oct 2015, 21:21

Always the caps. People are always obsessing over thick vs thin, especially PBT. Legends… well, you can always see those in pics.

User avatar
gogusrl

28 Oct 2015, 22:50

Well, the thickness matters for typing, the legends don't. It was a very big difference for me when I went from thin to thick pbt. The keyboard sounds different, types different, it's worth obsessing about.

User avatar
scottc

28 Oct 2015, 23:48

Yeah, absolutely. Thick Cherry ABS doubleshots are worlds apart from cheap shit like Tai-Hao. I do think that thickness is overhyped (it's now more of a marketing term used by inexperienced noobs that don't know their shit more than anything else) but it's definitely also a big factor in keyfeel.

User avatar
Muirium
µ

28 Oct 2015, 23:59

I agree, too. If I could have thicker caps on my IBMs, I would! The caps are buckling spring's prime weakness, in my view. And the racket, if you're so inclined…

But simply saying "thickness" is a bit misleading to those not already used to our conversations. Many things can be thick. Like Tai-Hao's customers, for example.

User avatar
Chyros

29 Oct 2015, 02:11

Omg mu u naab wtf lolzorz. Thin ABS rules.



:P

Firebolt1914

02 Nov 2015, 15:59

I found this on eBay, would it be hall effect?
Attachments
$_3.JPG
$_3.JPG (82.6 KiB) Viewed 7367 times

mr_a500

02 Nov 2015, 16:02

Wang was a big customer of Key Tronic, so that's what I suspect it is.

andrewjoy

02 Nov 2015, 16:04

hehehe wang. Always makes me laugh.

Firebolt1914

03 Nov 2015, 16:50

I bought it as dorkvader confirmed it was hall effect by looking at the spacebar's stabs

User avatar
seebart
Offtopicthority Instigator

03 Nov 2015, 17:28

Firebolt1914 wrote: I bought it as dorkvader confirmed it was hall effect by looking at the spacebar's stabs
Can't wait for more info's on it. Nice find!

terrycherry

04 Nov 2015, 07:23

Don't know which Capacitive switch is has
Image
Image
http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Amkey-Capac ... 7675.l2557

User avatar
Kurk

04 Nov 2015, 08:17

None probably. My guess is Space Invaders.

terrycherry

04 Nov 2015, 10:12

Not that switch, I know the information of space Invaders switch very much.

Post Reply

Return to “Keyboards”