Ancient Velotype

[Kurk]

Hi there,
I got this ancient Velotype chording keyboard for cheap. No wonder, it's not working. I'm not even able to reproduce the burning smell the seller promised I would get if I switched it on. It's still a very interesting piece of hardware. Actually, I am not sure if this is a keyboard at all or a computer in its own right. If anyone here has more information about this particular model maybe even a manual, I would be very happy. Also: what switches are those? They are non-tactile, probably linear and have a rather short travel distance. There's a diode or LED built into each switch.
BTW, the modern Velotypes (or Veyboards as they are (were?) also called) are still in use for subtitling TV shows and for simultaneous transcription for the hearing impaired.

[Grond]

I guess you're supposed to action the big buttons with your wrist? Very odd!

[Kurk]

Yes, but it's a chorded keyboard so you need to press several keys in a sequence to get a certain word. So you're not typing letter-for-letter like on ordinary keyboards.
Here are the websites from the manufacturer (I think):
This seems to be the current model: http://www.velotype.com/en/
and this the previous generation: http://www.veyboard.nl/en_main.html

[Grond]

I see... something similar (but even more vintage!) is used in italian parliament.

[Icarium]

Hi there,
I got this ancient Velotype chording keyboard for cheap. No wonder, it's not working. I'm not even able to reproduce the burning smell the seller promised I would get if I switched it on. It's still a very interesting piece of hardware. Actually, I am not sure if this is a keyboard at all or a computer in its own right. If anyone here has more information about this particular model maybe even a manual, I would be very happy. Also: what switches are those? They are non-tactile, probably linear and have a rather short travel distance. There's a diode or LED built into each switch.
BTW, the modern Velotypes (or Veyboards as they are (were?) also called) are still in use for subtitling TV shows and for simultaneous transcription for the hearing impaired.

Are you selling?

[sixty]

Switches look like they could be a variant of the ICL switches, made by ICL (duh).

[Icarium]

Are these still in production?
We should get an overview of switches that can still be bought...

[Kurk]

Are you selling?

I'm hoarding keyboards, not selling them

Switches look like they could be a variant of the ICL switches, made by ICL (duh).

These switches do indeed look similar.

[Trent]

Interesting find!

[ripster]

ICL?

btw I get a 404.

[Findecanor]

I think that a switch in the same family is what I found in a vintage Tandberg terminal keyboard. The "slider" was red, though. Super-smooth linear switch with low travel.

[Kurk]

Here's a large pic for the interested.
http://imgur.com/DOXv6

[Icarium]

ugh...WANT! ;D

wow...
http://www.veyboard.nl/en_purchase.html

They want 450 euro for TRYING IT FOR SIX MONTHS.

I don't even want to know what it costs to buy one anymore.

[webwit]

It's still not a generic computer keyboard, but a very specific tool with limited use outside a few well defined fields. What are you gonna do? Gonna study full-time for two years to become a qualified Velotyper, then apply for a Dutch subtitling job or some court job?

[Icarium]

Hm...well the short answer is no.

But generally a lot of people use all kinds of weird keyboards including chording ones. Sure it's probably not worth the effort but aren't you curious?

[Velotype]

Hello everyone,

The Velotype is a unique chord keyboard which is quite easy to learn and produces syllables of words with every chord of keys pressed. Right now the main focus is professional applications like text interpretation for deaf and hard of hearing people and live subtitling for television. It takes a lot less energy to type on it, compared to Qwerty and produces much higher typingspeed.
If anyone has questions or remarks, please contact us through the website www.velotype.com.

Kind regards,

Wim

[hoggy]

Hi Wim,

Welcome to Deskthority! Why not hang around for a while? I'm sure a lot of us (like Icarium) are curious about the velotype - it's use and it's construction.

Could you give us a taster, please? Describe a few chords for us - that sort of thing?

[ripster]

Wim, got any Euros you could use to measure the Vintage Switch activation force?

(I'd post a pic but I think pictures of nickels are banned here).

[Icarium]

If anyone has questions or remarks, please contact us through the website http://www.velotype.com.

I'm going to ignore that and hope that you stick around.

How many keys are in one chord?
How many syllables does English/Dutch/German/.. have?
How hard is it to learn to type on it? You said easy to learn, webwit's link says two years.

[webwit]

I just took that from wikipedia, where it also says that today it is still a difficult and tough process.

[altemark]

Hello everyone,

I'm new to these forums, and happy to see a thread about a classic machine like the trusty old Velotype. I've got a version of this keyboard (without the data screen). I've spent some considerable spare time to learn to type on it, and plan on a future career as a broadcast direct texter. If anyone got any specific questions, feel free to ask.

[Kurk]

Zombie thread!

It looks like the old photos aren't available anymore. To keep the information available for posteriority, I took some new pictures. No tripod and only natural lighting...

[JP!]

This is the first time I've ever seen one so thanks for sharing.