Great/Interesting Finds

[ramnes]

$242?! WTF

[guk]

Ridiculous, especially given that joc should be correct about these being unicomp replica. Seller obviously did everything right.

[joc]

Hmm, now I think the APL Model M that just sold did have IBM original keycaps. The Unicomp APL font is slightly different (compare the size, shape, and position of the alpha symbol):


Source: https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=61 ... msg1741102

So I guess IBM used two different APL fonts over time and Unicomp used a font similar to the newer IBM one - although, I'm not sure if Unicomp has always used the above font.

Edit: The Unicomp APL keycaps here are a closer match to the ones in the auction so it's back to being a mystery I guess.

[Chyros]

OEMMAX MCK-101: at $20 plus shipping atm. Should be Alps SKCM Blue. Ortek is the OEM too so it might have doubleshot caps as a bonus.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-Oemma ... Sw14xWOmRU

[snoopy]

Hmm, now I think the APL Model M that just sold did have IBM original keycaps. The Unicomp APL font is slightly different (compare the size, shape, and position of the alpha symbol):


Source: https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=61 ... msg1741102

So I guess IBM used two different APL fonts over time and Unicomp used a font similar to the newer IBM one - although, I'm not sure if Unicomp has always used the above font.

Edit: The Unicomp APL keycaps here are a closer match to the ones in the auction so it's back to being a mystery I guess.

the set on the pic looks like it was made by unicomp

[andrewjoy]

Its possible but the lettering for the normal legends looks too sharp for unicomp, even if there APL caps are better than there standard junk.

[Engicoder]

Anyone know anything about this Cherry IR keyboard? Its been on eBay for quite a while.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/331625502180


Edit: added image for simplicity

[Blaise170]

Anyone know anything about this Cherry IR keyboard? Its been on eBay for quite a while.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/331625502180

Never seen one but the keycaps look distinctly WYSE-esque. The LEDs look very foam and foil-ish to me though so it's a bit of a confusing board.

[Engicoder]

Yes the caps are suspiciously Keytronic like...especially the "Retrn" key,

[Blaise170]

Now that I look at my old foam and foil pictures, it does look Keytronic. I'd say it's a Cherry-branded foam and foil Keytronic.

[Chyros]

It's also got four goddamn batteries in it, what's that all about? Oo

The font does look Key Tronic-esque, I agree. And the LED windows appear identical to those on my Hi-Tek 725. Really weird. If someone here gets it, please let us know what it is!

[Engicoder]

It's also got four goddamn batteries in it, what's that all about? Oo

The font does look Key Tronic-esque, I agree. And the LED windows appear identical to those on my Hi-Tek 725. Really weird. If someone here gets it, please let us know what it is!

Its an infra red keyboard...i.e. early wireless keyboard. So it needs batteries.

The old Hi-Tek boards had very similar cases design to the Keytronics (Not sure who copied who). The easy way to tell them apart from the front is that enter key with "Retrn" on it. The Hi-Tek keyboards just have a symbol.

[mr_a500]

Here are some interesting, reasonably priced, new old stock Key Tronic keyboards (look like gas station boards):

$38.88

http://www.ebay.com/itm/360401216710

From the same seller:

[Blaise170]

That first keyboard looks sweet but I'm 90% sure that's another foam and foil.

[mr_a500]

Well yes, I'm 100% sure it's foam & foil. Vintage Key Tronic foam and foil isn't bad. (...assuming the foam hasn't disintegrated)

[Compgeke]

Here's a list of all the keyboards from that seller:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/360441129697
http://www.ebay.com/itm/360894986128
http://www.ebay.com/itm/230576709111
http://www.ebay.com/itm/360292731981
http://www.ebay.com/itm/360274543375
http://www.ebay.com/itm/360401216710
http://www.ebay.com/itm/360401204654

[Engicoder]

Given that the seller is in NC, good chance this stuff is all NOS from the Gilbarco plant or a major service rep in Greensboro, NC.

[DanielT]

http://cumb.de/index.php?manu=m2_Cherry ... d30e32d484
Is in Berlin, and the prices are very god ? From the photos it seems they have also the winkeyless version of the 1800 board.
It would be interesting for someone in Berlin to ask them what they really have.

[gogusrl]

sign me up for a winkeyless 1800 at 5 eur.

[andrewjoy]

5 euro winkeyless 1800

me too please.

[lolpes]

I want one too!!
I can't add to the cart

[Prelim]

Pretty sure they're all 105keys (hellgrau).

I'm trying to contact them by shop/email for more than 3 months with no success. I don't speak german and someone told me they don't speak english, so if one wants to give them a call I'll be appreciated.

[shreebles]

they're back.
Paging guk right now, he knows a thing or two about them as well.
Got my first mechanical from them in 2011. Their shop went offline periodically and they have sold on eBay and eBay classifieds every now and then, even Amazon around last Christmas. It used to seem like a never-ending supply from 2011 through 2012 but nowadays they seem to sell out pretty quickly. Indeed, their communication is terrible but so far every order I made with them has shipped after a while and arrived eventually. Still faster than 7-bit

Also agree with Prelim, I'm 99.9% sure they only have the following because it is all they ever had:

-G80-1800 105 keys, PS/2, German, grey, yellowed, dirty, scratched out logo on top left, no Cherry logo, thin PBT lasered
-G80-1800 105 keys, USB, German, grey, etc. see above, but these have usually been cleaner and newer than PS2 ones
-G80-1800 105 keys USB, German black, RARE

but, always cheap, functional, and a good source for cheap cases and switches.

[andrewjoy]

windows key i am out then sorry

[shreebles]

Hype train derailed! Sorry boys

There are always exceptions of course. But I don't trust that anyone is going to get a clear answer from them, on this very specific question (winkeys or no) via phone or mail. Therefore we can only assume.
Unless someone from Berlin could actually go there and look at their goods. That might yield something different entirely. Or nothing at all.

[Halvar]

They hardly speak a lot of German. I just asked for winkeyless. The cases of the 2 € boards are grey by the way, even though the text says black.

[shreebles]

They hardly speak a lot of German. I just asked for winkeyless. The cases of the 2 € boards are grey by the way, even though the text says black.

Did you go see them in person?
Yeah, they have always been grey. Like I said, the black ones were rare, out of the three or four I ordered only one was black. It was around two years ago when they were on Amazon, I ordered a grey one and sent a message asking if they could find one "in good condition" for me. They answered in broken german that they would find "good quality one" for me and I got a black one

[kbdfr]

They had an actual shop in Berlin some 10-15 years ago,
and they had quite a few winkeyless and winkey G80-1800 with doubleshot caps.
Then they disappeared for a long time and showed up online a few years ago.

Ascaii worked for them for a while not that long ago,
so you can assume with confidence that there's nothing interesting left there

Edit: added underlined part.

[Halvar]

I haven't been there in person, but they do answer if you contact them in German.

[Muirium]

So do I.

Was? Wir hast keine pommes frites. Keine!