Deskthority Secret Santa 2018 Photo Thread

Compgeke · 09 Dec 2018, 05:11

Welcome to the Secret Santa Photo Thread, post your great gifts here!

ZedTheMan · 09 Dec 2018, 06:19

You got a cat?

I must say, it's a miracle your Santa packaged it well enough to survive the trip!

codemonkeymike · 12 Dec 2018, 20:34

ZedTheMan wrote: ↑You got a cat?

I must say, it's a miracle your Santa packaged it well enough to survive the trip!

An empty 10lb bag of kibble and a 22lb cat in a box

snacksthecat · 15 Dec 2018, 01:36

Thanks Santa!

Compgeke · 15 Dec 2018, 02:06

A lucky day for me too, got a box in the mail. I don't feel like waiting around so let's go!

Is that a violin in the box? I recognize chocolate at least (minty fresh even)!

Well would you look at that. An Apple Desktop Bus Keyboard with SMK switches and a Sanyo MBC-550 keyboard with Fujitsu Leaf Spring switches.

I was even given a bit of a challenge. Looks like I'll have to get on that soon.

Thanks (not really so) Secret Santa!

XMIT · 15 Dec 2018, 02:37

ZedTheMan wrote: ↑You got a cat?

I must say, it's a miracle your Santa packaged it well enough to survive the trip!

Don't tempt me.

XKCD 325 A-Minus-Minus

Spoiler:

chuckdee · 15 Dec 2018, 03:23

... wha...? That's sick. Hilarious, but sick!

__red__ · 17 Dec 2018, 15:16

So, let's open the box!@

: IMG_20181217_084820060.jpg (3.48 MiB) Viewed 13139 times

Perty!!! Lots of Candy and what appears to be a keyboard buried underneath. Wassat?

: IMG_20181217_085251614.jpg (2.81 MiB) Viewed 13139 times

A Dell AT101W. Unfamiliar with the keyboard but a few clicks on the deskthority wiki puts me straight. This means I am now inducted into the ALPS Appreciation Society. (This will be my first time typing on an ALPS keyboard, more about that in a moment...)

Santa apparently knows I dual-wield soldering irons so included spare switches so I wasn't tempted

: IMG_20181217_085529806.jpg (3.1 MiB) Viewed 13139 times

... and lastly, some additional, decorative, double-shot keycaps. Some of them are double-shot rubber which is a most peculiar sensation which I'm quite partial to.

: IMG_20181217_085426202.jpg (3.19 MiB) Viewed 13139 times

So - let's talk about my confusion...

So the keys in the qwerty region are clearly tactile and clicky... and DAMN - is there some amount of force required to push them. These are probably the heaviest keys I've ever felt - it's like crossfit for my fingers.

Then I move over to the numpad / navigation area and they're linear and silky smooth - like typing on unruffled clouds in comparison.

OH! I say to myself - "that must be the difference betwen these two (spare) switches"... so I pick them up and NOPE - both those switches are tactile.

So what are they?

*pulls one cap from each side*

The switches are identical(!)

Thanks Secret Santa for the mystery. I am confused, you win

<3

abrahamstechnology · 17 Dec 2018, 18:11

__red__ wrote: ↑So, let's open the box!@

IMG_20181217_084820060.jpg
Perty!!! Lots of Candy and what appears to be a keyboard buried underneath. Wassat?

IMG_20181217_085251614.jpg
A Dell AT101W. Unfamiliar with the keyboard but a few clicks on the deskthority wiki puts me straight. This means I am now inducted into the ALPS Appreciation Society. (This will be my first time typing on an ALPS keyboard, more about that in a moment...)

Santa apparently knows I dual-wield soldering irons so included spare switches so I wasn't tempted
IMG_20181217_085529806.jpg
... and lastly, some additional, decorative, double-shot keycaps. Some of them are double-shot rubber which is a most peculiar sensation which I'm quite partial to.

IMG_20181217_085426202.jpg

So - let's talk about my confusion...

So the keys in the qwerty region are clearly tactile and clicky... and DAMN - is there some amount of force required to push them. These are probably the heaviest keys I've ever felt - it's like crossfit for my fingers.

Then I move over to the numpad / navigation area and they're linear and silky smooth - like typing on unruffled clouds in comparison.

OH! I say to myself - "that must be the difference betwen these two (spare) switches"... so I pick them up and NOPE - both those switches are tactile.

So what are they?

*pulls one cap from each side*

The switches are identical(!)

Thanks Secret Santa for the mystery. I am confused, you win <3

I think the Matias switches may have been linearized by taking out the click leaf.

AdrianMan · 17 Dec 2018, 18:58

abrahamstechnology wrote: ↑Secret Santa for the mystery. I am confused, you win <3

I think the Matias switches may have been linearized by taking out the click leaf.

Secret Santa seemes to had his fun with that board, judging the keycaps colors that seem to be from another board.

Pretty funky and unique, making it just better

__red__ · 17 Dec 2018, 22:40

Well, it got a permanent station in my lab. I'm building a computer for it right now.

I will confess, I'm actually kinda taken by it...

j0d1 · 21 Dec 2018, 20:40

(Sorry for the crappy photo quality!)

: Definitely watching a movie tonight and eating a bag of those!; IMG_20181221_135243.jpg (282.84 KiB) Viewed 12997 times

: A looooot of candies!; IMG_20181221_135453.jpg (298.88 KiB) Viewed 12997 times

: The main attraction!; IMG_20181221_140540.jpg (270.15 KiB) Viewed 12997 times

: Oh Cherry ML switches, never tried those.; IMG_20181221_143335.jpg (2.76 MiB) Viewed 12997 times

: IMG_20181221_143401.jpg (2.84 MiB) Viewed 12997 times

Thanks a lot Santa and merry christmas!

AdrianMan · 27 Dec 2018, 22:09

Hey guys

Fist of all, thanks Santa !

I opened the package in the morning on the first day of Christmas :
(bad crappy pics warning, my phone is a potato)

Under the blurry tree the package was waiting ...

Santa was kind enough to write me a beautiful jolly letter explaining everything included:

So I got a DZ60 PCB + case + plenty of switches + GMK stabs + some delicious cookies

. I am very happy for my present as it's my first 60%.
I told myself I can't go this low because I was missing the arrows, but I have in mind a split spacebar layout that I would use, also being my first compact split keyboard

Woo ! Happy Holidays !

P.S: Those homemade cookies were pure awesomeness, the healthy bio ones were snagged away by my wife

abrahamstechnology · 28 Dec 2018, 21:04

Got my gift today, thanks!

XMIT · 28 Dec 2018, 21:18

My package arrived last week! I opened it on Christmas morning along with all the other.

The industrial brown of the box had its own charm, but, we decided to use a little bit of extra wrapping paper to liven things up.

: Ho ho ho!; DSCF5340.jpg (343.41 KiB) Viewed 12886 times

At the top of the box was this very nice handwritten note.

: Take note of the note.; DSCF5349.jpg (271.57 KiB) Viewed 12886 times

Hmm. What could be in here? First, as promised, a very nice gift for my daughter. She's now five years old (!) and joined by a three year old brother and a ten month old brother. I did say we've been busy!

: 3D printing "for the win".; DSCF5353.jpg (224.68 KiB) Viewed 12886 times

Finally, getting through more packaging...

: It looks like a G81-1800 of sorts...; DSCF5356.jpg (229.94 KiB) Viewed 12886 times

That looks familiar! But, I was told to look inside. What's in there?

: The secret within.; DSCF5366.jpg (227.42 KiB) Viewed 12886 times

: Cherry MX Black.; DSCF5360.jpg (242.86 KiB) Viewed 12886 times

Thank you so much, mysterious Secret Santa from a faraway land!

madrobby · 31 Dec 2018, 14:41

Thank you secret Santa!!!

: 3FC724FD-8132-41ED-B4DC-A071671B1776.jpeg (799.61 KiB) Viewed 12812 times

Nuum · 02 Jan 2019, 12:17

Sorry for posting so late, the present actually arrived before Christmas! Thanks Secret Santa!

: Secret Santa 2018 (2).JPG (1.89 MiB) Viewed 12754 times

Darkshado · 13 Jan 2019, 06:03

Got mine earlier today!

There's a few games on the outside...

: Quiz part 1; 2019-01-12 20.52.38.jpg (3.55 MiB) Viewed 9280 times

: Quiz part 2; 2019-01-12 20.52.42.jpg (3.61 MiB) Viewed 9280 times

Hmm, let's give this a try...

Name that switch:
Space Invader
Topre
Cherry MX
Alps SKCM/SKCL
IBM buckling spring

Quiz
1. Peak force of beamspring: 75g?
2. SKCL/SKCM launch year: 1985?
3. Number of switches on G84-4700: no idea
4. How many years Novatouch sold for: five?

Have you been naughty or nice? Yes.

The contents: Chocolates... and a Razer keyboard?

: 2019-01-12 20.53.49.jpg (2.8 MiB) Viewed 9280 times

Welcome to the cult of Razer (!?) This is a UK layout, first generation (2010) Razer Blackwidow Ultimate:

: 2019-01-12 20.57.35.jpg (3.02 MiB) Viewed 9280 times

Comes with genuine Cherry MX Blues, not the later clones:

: MX Blues; 2019-01-12 20.58.26.jpg (4.05 MiB) Viewed 9280 times

Powered on, was expecting green LEDs, so the blue was a nice surprise, kinda ties the L-Trac and G502 together.

: 2019-01-12 21.58.26.jpg (1.68 MiB) Viewed 9280 times

Thanks Santa!

Myoth · 02 Feb 2019, 18:11

Hey look what came up today !

Damn ... so many sweets and stuff to eat from Québec, I went there when I was younger in 2007, so many memories are coming back while trying again those Maple Syrup candies

I can't thank enough my Secret Santa, your gift was spot on ! thank you so much !!!!

I've been missing this key (the black Suppr key) for litteral years on my M, problem fixed !!! Amazing coincidence ! hahaha

Obligatory :< from any remotely french keyboard, I'm going to combine these keycaps with an SGI Granite keycap set, to have usable, it's going to look very nice, thank you so much again santa !!!

Lbibass · 02 Feb 2019, 18:13

Are those ISO AEK caps? I thought that AEK caps never had a full sized ISO enter...

Wait, the stabs are integrated into the keycaps on that enter key.

So AEK font, but not AEK profile?

Seems very interesting, please tell me more!

Myoth · 02 Feb 2019, 18:41

They're not AEK caps, they're Apple Design Keyboard keycaps, some model of these come with dye subs, when other come with trash keycaps, I'm not sure how to recognize them actually, but these have some really neat legends, here's what they look like with the said SGI granite keycaps. Unfortunately, I don't have any board to put them on, so a mockup will be the best I can do

Sweet front legends :OO

Lbibass · 02 Feb 2019, 18:47

Oh wow, those do look nice! I know for a FACT my school has about 15 Apple Design Keyboards. Maybe on Monday I'll go down there with a puller and see if they have dyesubs!

Muirium · 02 Feb 2019, 20:15

AppleDesign keyboards are indeed a crapshoot. Cindy scored me a set of Alps mount caps from an ANSI US model, but they’re ABS and slightly yellowed. I do like the shape and the Apple iconic legends, but they’re not good enough to swap on to any of my Alps boards so far.

Darkshado · 03 Feb 2019, 21:43

Here's a way to improve your odds per the Wiki article:

Aside from the country of manufacture, the other way to readily distinguish this variant from the others is the presence of three (rather than four) screw holes on the bottom of the case.

@Murium: did the ANSI Alps mount model also have a three-screw case design?

Muirium · 03 Feb 2019, 23:33

I never saw the case, just the caps.