Great/Interesting Finds

[snuci]

I know this is probably not anyone's "cup of tea" here but I just purchased a Cleankeys CKGEN1-G keyboard because it was just too cheap to pass up (CDN $35) and I actually wanted to try something like this. It has those new "zero g" key switches for those who like a really light touch Bought it yesterday so I don't know what it's like yet.

Spoiler:

cleankeys.JPG

Looks like the seller had more for sale today at http://www.ebay.ca/itm/172114044893

It this capacitive or some type of membrane?

I'm assuming capactive. There's Gorilla glass on top so you can wipe it down with no issues (it's supposed to be a medical/scientific keyboard).

[Muirium]

If it's glass topped, it'll be capsense. Could be interesting. Like typing on an iPad Pro… not for everyone, but better than some lousy keyboards!

[Wodan]

A classic G80 1500 HAD
https://www.ebay.de/ulk/itm/262304880340
*takes aims*

[tigpha]

Genuine Wyse Terminal Keyboard Model 840366-01 A pair of Wyse 85 terminal keyboards. The wiki reports it has Cherry black modules, possibly the vintage ones that are said to be better than new ones.

[Muirium]

Any old MX blacks are better than the new ones. Especially if they're heavily used. I've played with a couple Wyse boards, they were both pleasantly smooth. The caps were a bit thin, though, and heavily shined from the same action that had made the blacks good and slick.

[gogusrl]

I'm willing to shell out something for those keycaps if anyone from UK wants the keyboard (switches).

[Wodan]

Genuine Wyse Terminal Keyboard Model 840366-01 A pair of Wyse 85 terminal keyboards. The wiki reports it has Cherry black modules, possibly the vintage ones that are said to be better than new ones.

Aw. Undefined international shipping

I'm sure someone will find something good about this strange Alps like "thing"
https://www.ebay.de/ulk/itm/281943997044

[tigpha]

I'm willing to shell out something for those keycaps if anyone from UK wants the keyboard (switches).

Yeah, the caps do look good and hardly yellow at all. I hovered a moment over the "buy", but I've just received yet another Bigfoot from the States packed in a huge box. Not a stealthy arrival. I may be pushing my luck if I purchase another keyboard before the month is out.

I have a couple of Wyse PCE boards. Once a bit yellowed, the other very yellow. Retr0brite on the agenda. I have yet to finish fettling those boards, one of which I plan to chop and make into a 60%.

[Wodan]

Something Olivetti
https://www.ebay.de/ulk/itm/231857023092
=> https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=44486.0

ITT Xtra XP with a buckling-springy keyboard
https://www.ebay.de/ulk/itm/161985935357

IBM portable computer with a very chery looking keyboard
https://www.ebay.de/ulk/itm/301878759824
=> review-f45/ibm-ps-2-p70-p75-keyboard-al ... t2351.html

[kbdfr]

Any old MX blacks are better than the new ones. […]

Sigh…
I think I'll start a smear campaign against Topre soon.
After all, I know someone who wants to buy one, so I'm entitled to over and over again repeat they are just filthy.

[Muirium]

You go girl!

[Tuntematon]

Would be really cool if this one is tai hao aruz cause I hear that the caps on tao hao aruz are damn great

I'm quite sure this TH-5539 has the thick Cherry-like Tai-Hao doubleshots, not sure if that means the keyboard has Aruz as well.

[tentator]

Something Olivetti
https://www.ebay.de/ulk/itm/231857023092
=> https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=44486.0

the M24 remembers me about when I was 14...
it's really a pity I do not own it any more..
indeed the caps are really great!
are they doubleshots?

in italy you can find PLENTY of those around still....

[ohaimark]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-60s-70s ... 1529405808

Sharp looking Burroughs.

[E3E]

These puppies came in.





Two of them are pine





Two of them are bamboo

The models are from 90, 91, and 96, 97.

I'm gonna have to do a write up on this and hop on the wiki.

I also agree with Chyros that these switches should be termed Alps SKCM Neon Green as that would help stop any confusion between these and SKCL Green. Plus, that's just a really cool name.

Good thinking on that one, Chyros.

[E3E]

As Chyros also mentioned that the 6085 models were different than the Docutech. This is true. If you notice, every Docutech keyboard has distinctive graphics above the alphas. The 6085s do not. I have not seen one with those in my research over the past few days.

Since the 6085 come from the Xerox Daybreak system, that means they were made from 1985-1989. It's likely that almost all of them are going to be brown tactile Alps or some unknown switch in the later models. I don't think it's certain for how long that brown tactile Alps have been produced, but I think they were indeed produced as a separate kind of tactile line compared to the other more common tactiles, orange and salmon. Not sure about tactile cream, but it SEEMS that only neon greens and brown tactile have that distinctive tactile leaf shape.

So it could be possible that brown tactiles were produced right up until 1989 before Xerox introduced Docutech. I have a thieving suspicion that you won't find anything else but brown tacs in the 6085s, but we need more research in that area.

Both the docutechs and 6085s are not easy to find so that doesn't make this easy to cover. Those 6085s are pretty pricy on eBay but at least one has a back label shot.

6085s have the product code 54D where Docutechs have the product code JD-2. The one with the label on eBay was made in 86. Highly likely to have brown tactiles.

(Sorry, I'm such a GeekHack transplant, haha. This is like my go-to thread for DT, but I have a feeling this should be posted elsewhere. I will do a write up on this later today or tomorrow.)

[XMIT]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-60s-70s ... 1529405808

Sharp looking Burroughs.

Micro Switch Hall Effect.

I'm planning to bid on it but my maximum bid will be quite low. It does have an XMT key after all.

If someone else ends up getting it please let me know.

[Engicoder]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-60s-70s ... 1529405808

Sharp looking Burroughs.

Micro Switch Hall Effect.

I'm planning to bid on it but my maximum bid will be quite low. It does have an XMT key after all.

If someone else ends up getting it please let me know.

Remember, there's no "I" in XMT.

[ohaimark]

He is a pretty good team player, from what I can tell.

[kokokoy]

R4 shift now available though only for 3 set - http://pimpmykeyboard.com/sa-row-4-shift-kit/

[Wodan]

White clicky MX clones and crap keycaps but an almost 1800 compatible metal plate.
https://www.ebay.de/ulk/itm/182033927970

[chiptea]

These puppies came in.





Two of them are pine





Two of them are bamboo

The models are from 90, 91, and 96, 97.

I'm gonna have to do a write up on this and hop on the wiki.

I also agree with Chyros that these switches should be termed Alps SKCM Neon Green as that would help stop any confusion between these and SKCL Green. Plus, that's just a really cool name.

Good thinking on that one, Chyros.

Woooooooooooow. How do the switches feel? One or two (boards) look kind of dirty, so I'm thinking they might be a tad scratchy?

[Chyros]

Needs wiki . How do the pines compare to the bamboos?

[bocahgundul]

Needs wiki . How do the pines compare to the bamboos?

What is pines and bamboos on alps board?

[Chyros]

Needs wiki . How do the pines compare to the bamboos?

What is pines and bamboos on alps board?

with slits = pine, without slits = bamboo

In many cases, the pine versions of switches have been observed to be superior.

[E3E]

Needs wiki . How do the pines compare to the bamboos?

I've never tried bamboo switches before since I've never played with any of the other switches that came in that variation, which are really just the late complicated switches.

To be honest, both of them have qualities that I enjoy.

Pine has a sharper, more "oomph" of a tactility that reminds me of SKCM brown. It's sharp and very definite.

Bamboo has a more rounded, fluffier feeling that's actually quite pleasant. It's not mushy, just rounded. I bet this one probably feels closer to Topre because of that, but I wouldn't know, having never tried Topre myself.


It seems like slits enhance tactility while the absence of them dulls it a bit.

Which do you have in your sample switch set, Chyros?

-

I should add that I don't feel like I have it in me to desolder any of these for the sake of a custom. These are just really pretty boards that I don't have the heart to scrap like that. It's the old Alps sympathy card. It always hits me hard.

I'll just throw blues in the Orion, I guess. Haha.

[E3E]

Woooooooooooow. How do the switches feel? One or two (boards) look kind of dirty, so I'm thinking they might be a tad scratchy?

I know right. They're damn little succubi, I swear. More time I spend with 'em, the more I feel like I'm drained of my will to use one for the Orion v2 I have coming. Xerox, you monsters. Why u make such nice design???

If it was some really crappy looking thing with a funky layout but with rare switches, SURE!

I mean, I have no sympathy for most 84 key F AT/XT layout Alps boards, but even despite the fact these use some different sort of protocol (might need help figuring it out to make them useable), I just can't.

Anyway! Nah, despite the fuzz around some of the boards, the switches feel nice! The only time I've had a skuzzied switch feel was from a Zenith Z-150 with yellows. I guess I'm lucky there.

The later model boards are actually more worn than the earlier model ones, but all of them have caps with absolutely no shine, which is amazing to me. I guess being part of giant printing machines, they probably didn't see much rigorous typing action. I dunno. All but one of the five (?) mice that came with it are shined on the sides, so they definitely used the mice a ton, haha.

[ReleaseCandidate]

I guess being part of giant printing machines, they probably didn't see much rigorous typing action.

6085 were normal office computers, not part of a printing system (the generated documents were meant to be printed on Xerox printers, of course). They had been the successor of the Star (they were called D-Star IIRC), the first (commercially available) workstation to feature a GUI similar to the ones used today.

[E3E]

I guess being part of giant printing machines, they probably didn't see much rigorous typing action.

6085 were normal office computers, not part of a printing system (the generated documents were meant to be printed on Xerox printers, of course). They had been the successor of the Star (they were called D-Star IIRC), the first (commercially available) workstation to feature a GUI similar to the ones used today.

Wow, yeah. I was reading up a little on Xerox as these keyboards got me hyped up and they really did pull a lot of innovation through the decades. It's no surprise their name became a generalized trademark.

These aren't part of the Xerox Daybreak 6085 line though, these are the Docutech 135 keyboards which launched after that in 1990, and as far as I know, those were included only with these big ol things:



Which were also pretty revolutionary, I hear.

The boards look incredibly similar (the 6085 has no graphics near the function keys at the top, while the Docutech does), but they are not the same. The 6085 keyboards have the product code: 65D and the Docutech have the product code JD-2.

Yeah, I was confused by these at first too as I thought they were one and the same.

[ReleaseCandidate]

These aren't part of the Xerox Daybreak 6085 line though, these are the Docutech 135 keyboards [...]

Ah, ok, I've misread something. They're basically worthless then.