Datadesk Switchboard review (Alps SKCM White)

[Chyros]

Today we look at an early configurable board in which you could swap keyboard modules around and create your own layout (more or less): the Datadesk Switchboard! Hope you enjoy the video .

[snufflecat]

First! Just because I can, heh.

Edit: You mention that the board is worth looking into, but after a quick scan on ebay I can only find a single board priced at $500, which is, imho, insane.

[Chyros]

First! Just because I can, heh.

Edit: You mention that the board is worth looking into, but after a quick scan on ebay I can only find a single board priced at $500, which is, imho, insane.

...that's ridiculous xD .

I saw several of these on sale NIB a while ago for a pretty acceptable price. I don't know if this one was one of that batch, but it came nowhere near $500. As always with Alps, you have to be opportunistic .

[Hypersphere]

Reminds me of a mother ship splitting off its saucer section and escape modules.

As you pointed out in your review, it would have been nice if each section could have been used independently without relying on the frame. The main typing module would have made a nice 60% board.

[zrrion]

This is one of my endgame boards! I'm so jealous that you have one in such good condition. Nice review as always.

[XMIT]

it would have been nice if each section could have been used independently without relying on the frame. The main typing module would have made a nice 60% board.

What's to say it can't? I'm guessing the edge connector on each section just exposes matrix rows/columns. Plug in a Teensy, flash tmk or some firmware, program the layout and you're off to the races.

[Hypersphere]

it would have been nice if each section could have been used independently without relying on the frame. The main typing module would have made a nice 60% board.

What's to say it can't? I'm guessing the edge connector on each section just exposes matrix rows/columns. Plug in a Teensy, flash tmk or some firmware, program the layout and you're off to the races.

Interesting. Perhaps BT could be added as well, and you're off to the races wirelessly.

@zrrion: I've given up being jealous of Chyros. Finding interesting keyboards in pristine condition for free or next to nothing is just who he is and what he does. His charmed life, at least in this respect, has been imprinted in his genome.

[Chyros]

it would have been nice if each section could have been used independently without relying on the frame. The main typing module would have made a nice 60% board.

What's to say it can't? I'm guessing the edge connector on each section just exposes matrix rows/columns. Plug in a Teensy, flash tmk or some firmware, program the layout and you're off to the races.

Interesting. Perhaps BT could be added as well, and you're off to the races wirelessly.

@zrrion: I've given up being jealous of Chyros. Finding interesting keyboards in pristine condition for free or next to nothing is just who he is and what he does. His charmed life, at least in this respect, has been imprinted in his genome.

If it makes you feel any better, I get jealous of other people's boards on a daily basis, too .

[adamcobabe]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/SWITcHBOARD-Th ... 3908188187

Here's one with a trackball ...if you have a cool $500 in your pocket.

[Teresa998]

I've given up being jealous of Chyros. Finding interesting keyboards in pristine condition for free or next to nothing is just who he is and what he does. His charmed life, at least in this respect, has been imprinted in his genome.

[notyou]

Hi, I recently dug out and dusted off my well-loved Datadesk Switchboard, and thought it would be great to use again.

I wanted to go the cheap route, so I bought myself a PS/2 to USB converter to work with my MacBook Air.

Unfortunately, I seem to have lost the XT cable, as well as the XT->PS/2 converter cable. I went and ordered a male-to-male PS/2 keyboard cable (intended for KVM switches). Unfortunately I didn't examine the internal port on the keyboard, which is actually an 8-pin DIN instead of the standard 6-pin PS/2 mini-DIN.

Unfortunately the plastic spacer on a 6-pin PS/2 connector prevented the cable from plugging into the internal port, so I of course cut out the plastic spacer and tried plugging the 6-pin cable into the 8-pin port, and got no love.

SO. I'm wondering if Chryos or anyone else who might have one of these keyboards might do me the favor of tracing the pins from the apparently proprietary (argh) 8-pin mini-DIN connector to the XT cable? I suppose I can go poking around on the Internets for an 8-pin mini-DIN, or go digging in the boxes in the garage for the original cable.

OR, if somebody is happily using the keyboard with the ADB or Mac Plus (!) connector and don't need the XT cable, I would gladly pay a small sum for their cable.

Thanks all!