Dark gray/industrial looking keyboard recommendations?

[DeChief]

Hey guys, I've got this weird Hitachi thing called the MI-CAT60 that has a PS/2 port for a keyboard and I'd like to find a matching dark gray keyboard for it if possible. Got any recommendations? (other than an industrial Model M of course )



And if anyone is curious as to what this is, I couldn't find a whole lot of info about it online. It seems to have been intended as an internet-based multimedia device in the mid to late 90's, kind of like the Apple Bandai PiPPiN (the design is even a bit reminiscent of it), but this one is based on a 486DX2-66 CPU. As soon as I found that out, I just had to buy it to find out if it could run DOS. It turns out it can, and even has a spare IDE header inside for attaching a hard-drive as well as built-in Adlib and Sound Blaster 16 OPL3 emulation that sounds better than most Creative Vibra cards. So the plan is to turn it into a convenient DOS gaming machine, it just needs some more RAM to be soldered to the main board and a matching keyboard - I've already got a Casio branded mouse in this shade of gray.

[motoko]

Could just spray paint a board with not too many grooves and nooks and crannies; get a dolch or black cap set.

[Go-Kart]

A nice SGI?

[Muirium]

That font—saying M1 Catcher—looks like Chicago, and therefore the classic Mac OS era Apple to me.

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[Findecanor]

Have you got it working with another PS/2 keyboard?

The styling reminds me of a Sega Saturn - the grey Japanese model.
The SGI keyboards have a speckled pattern in the grey, so I don't think those would fit.

[robo]

That font—saying M1 Catcher—looks like Chicago, and therefore the classic Mac OS era Apple to me.

Screenshot 2021-04-15 at 11.06.50 am.jpg

Hah. Thought the same thing. Classic MacOS era... briefly revived for the classic iPod era...

[fohat]

If you were in the US, I would highly recommend this product, which I have used many time with great results.

Go to an automotive store and see what they have.

PS - as always with any form of paint - follow the directions to the letter!

[Tribal]

In terms of look and PS2 port, what about the Silitek keyboard they have at Unicomp?

https://www.pckeyboard.com/page/product/SK7500

[vometia]

A nice SGI?

Is that a thing? I had an Indy in the mid-late '90s (well, potentially still have, but a friend borrowed it 20 years ago and never gave it back!) but I wasn't a fan of its keyboard; rather mushy-feeling thing as I recall.

[Tritian]

If you were in the US, I would highly recommend this product, which I have used many time with great results.

Go to an automotive store and see what they have.

PS - as always with any form of paint - follow the directions to the letter!

Can I see your results with this product? I may have to paint a keyboard soon, and I wanna go with an IBM industrial gray color.

Also, do you know how to replicate the paint texture of old Model F's like the XT or AT?

[DeChief]

Could just spray paint a board with not too many grooves and nooks and crannies; get a dolch or black cap set.

If you were in the US, I would highly recommend this product, which I have used many time with great results.

Go to an automotive store and see what they have.

PS - as always with any form of paint - follow the directions to the letter!

Ehh, I'm not really a fan of painting things like this. It never turns out how you expect and is difficult to reverse if you want to later.

A nice SGI?

Have you got it working with another PS/2 keyboard?

The styling reminds me of a Sega Saturn - the grey Japanese model.
The SGI keyboards have a speckled pattern in the grey, so I don't think those would fit.

SGI isn't a bad idea, but like Findecanor said, they're speckled. The grey is also significantly lighter than the Mi-CAT60 (from memory at least).

As for other keyboards, yes, it works fine with all of my PS/2 keyboards. It even came with a matching grey PS/2 6-button gamepad that I've been using to play Street Fighter II Turbo on my Windows 98SE rig. It feels surprisingly good!

It does look a lot like my grey Saturn and is even close in colour, so it's a shame there wasn't a dark grey PS/2 keyboard for Saturn...

That font—saying M1 Catcher—looks like Chicago, and therefore the classic Mac OS era Apple to me.

Screenshot 2021-04-15 at 11.06.50 am.jpg

You're right, I didn't notice that before!

Have you got it working with another PS/2 keyboard?

The styling reminds me of a Sega Saturn - the grey Japanese model.
The SGI keyboards have a speckled pattern in the grey, so I don't think those would fit.

Yup, it works fine with all of my PS/2 keyboards and even came with a matching PS/2 6-button gamepad that I've been using to play Street Fighter II Turbo on my Windows 98SE rig. It feels surprisingly good!

In terms of look and PS2 port, what about the Silitek keyboard they have at Unicomp?

https://www.pckeyboard.com/page/product/SK7500

That's not a bad idea, it definitely matches the whole "multimedia future" aesthetic.

Other than that, there's the BTC-5100C but I can't tell how dark/black it is. Does anyone here own one that they could photograph next to something so I can try to gauge its colour?

[fohat]

Here is the resulting keyboard after several thin coats of Dupli-Color Charcoal Gray:

[hellothere]

You know, you could just get an "industrial grey" Model M case. I have one. They're $30 on the Unicomp website. They're much darker than Unicomp's pic.

I will also have a couple cases I need to paint, so I'm happy to see this thread!

[hellothere]

There are two different "black" BTC5100Cs. I've attached pics I found on the Intarwebs of both . If you want anything else on the black/grey model, I now have a better camera than a potato and I can try taking pics. My KB is just out of reach, ATM. I'm also eventually going to sell my BTC5100c, so if you want it, PM me. I'm in the US. If not, just don't get the one with the 6 pin DIN.
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Spoiler:

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[Yasu0]

That color looks good.. needs some red keycaps on the left there.

[DeChief]

You know, you could just get an "industrial grey" Model M case. I have one. They're $30 on the Unicomp website. They're much darker than Unicomp's pic.

I will also have a couple cases I need to paint, so I'm happy to see this thread!

Unfortunately the Hitachi is much darker than the industrial Model M. I don't have one, but I have an IBM 7585 Industrial Computer and I'm pretty sure is the same colour as that Model M - the Hitachi is actually much closer to the flip-down door of the 7585 instead of the rest of the case.

There are two different "black" BTC5100Cs. I've attached pics I found on the Intarwebs of both . If you want anything else on the black/grey model, I now have a better camera than a potato and I can try taking pics. My KB is just out of reach, ATM. I'm also eventually going to sell my BTC5100c, so if you want it, PM me. I'm in the US. If not, just don't get the one with the 6 pin DIN.
.

Spoiler:

btc1.jpg
btc2.jpg

Hmm, I guess these are potential candidates, they might still be a little too dark though. Would you be able to take a photo next to something I can reference IRL? Eg. next to a beige Model M or something, so I can put the Hitachi next to my Model M and compare to the pic in similar lighting.

[hellothere]

Yup. Please hit me with a PM if I forget about it. Tomorrow will be a touch busy for me.

[DeChief]

Yup. Please hit me with a PM if I forget about it. Tomorrow will be a touch busy for me.

Ironic, because I ended up forgetting.

I may have found another candidate, but I'd still like a pic of your keyboard if possible.



This is a Mitsubishi M6905-13, I'm 99% sure it's the correct colour and they seem to show up from time to time on Japan auction sites. It's nothing special of course, probably a pretty terrible rubber dome, but it'll fit the part in the looks department.

[hellothere]

I'll try to dig out the case and a cleaned but otherwise regular Model M.

[Myoth]

Goupil G80-0991, G81-3061 and G80-1861 of course

[kbdfr]

Not to forget, naturally, Cherry G81-3077 and G81-3007

Spoiler:

[hellothere]

I remembered. My camera tends to make things a little darker than in reality.
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Spoiler:

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