No joke- Model M with Blue Alps.

486 · 15 Sep 2012, 13:55

http://www.mistertao.com/taobao-product ... 40873.html
Shame it's damaged. I suppose you could just get another model M top from Unicomp.
Since when did IBM make Blue Alps Keyboards?

Soarer · 15 Sep 2012, 14:01

Best bet is they didn't, and that it's not IBM... merely 'IBM style'

486 · 15 Sep 2012, 14:01

Look at the second pic. Has the IBM birthmark and everything.

Soarer · 15 Sep 2012, 14:04

Heh, it only showed me one pic until I allowed some javascript

486 · 15 Sep 2012, 14:08

Prototype board?
I probably would have bought it if it wasn't damaged as the cost or repair would be fairly high. The caps seem to be dye-subbed because you can see a certain amount of wear on them. DS keys wouldn't do that. It odd that it turned yellow. Most M's never turn yellow.

Soarer · 15 Sep 2012, 15:58

Whatever it is, it's pretty clear that the case top, the case bottom and the keys have aged together!

A '120 with LEDs is already confused... what I can't figure is why would it have a (clearly wrong) label if it was a prototype?

kps · 15 Sep 2012, 19:02

Hmm, what's more likely: that IBM made a previously-unknown prototype with ALPS switches and stuck a production Modem M label on it, or that some guy in China stuck a Model M label (real or fake) on a $5 junk keyboard in hope of fleecing some sucker? I'll have to think about that for a long, long time.

Findecanor · 15 Sep 2012, 19:50

The case is obviously from a IBM Model M, but the innards were probably transplanted into the case.
The label was probably never touched. I suspect that the damage to the case could have been made when the plate and barrels were removed from the IBM keyboard.

HaaTa · 15 Sep 2012, 20:03

Probably a fake, but Alps did do a lot of keyboards for IBM Japan.

Soarer · 15 Sep 2012, 20:17

It's curious because those pieces appear to have been combined long ago. Either that or they've been deliberately smoked!

The only thing that appears to be recent is the removal of the badge...

IvanIvanovich · 15 Sep 2012, 22:01

It's likely some sort of Frankenboard. I also saw some MX pcb shoved into a IBM 5150 keyboard on taobao once... they make some crazy combinations of parts sometimes. I wouldn't put deliberate 'aging' past some either.

486 · 15 Sep 2012, 23:45

How could they shove a Alps board into a M Shell. Most, nearly all, blue alps boards I have seen have a flat PCB, not curved. The model M shell is curved. If that is the case, they would of had to do loads of work on the inside.
I suppose will will only find out if someone take a gamble on it. Webwit?

Findecanor · 16 Sep 2012, 00:11

You can see the blue slider under a key cap on the function row. The switches are on a flat plane. There must be something under the key caps, or weird key caps.

webwit · 16 Sep 2012, 10:04

Must be a Frankenboard. I'm not touching it.

guk · 21 Sep 2015, 20:38

It's ok to necro with pictures like these, right?

Chyros · 21 Sep 2015, 20:40

What the cha? Oo

hammelgammler · 21 Sep 2015, 20:48

Wow that's a weird board, but nevertheless kind of cool. I would really like to own something like that.

guk · 21 Sep 2015, 21:02

Sent you the link, best of luck to you!

seebart · 21 Sep 2015, 21:06

I thought I'd seen it all... :O

Parak · 21 Sep 2015, 21:45

Um.. uh... er... yeah... do want.

photekq · 21 Sep 2015, 21:49

HzFaq · 21 Sep 2015, 21:50

hammelgammler · 21 Sep 2015, 21:53

guk wrote: ↑Sent you the link, best of luck to you!

Thanks buddy, hopefully I can get it.

That could be very likely my new daily driver right there.

ramnes · 21 Sep 2015, 23:11

I WANTTTTTTT

Muirium · 22 Sep 2015, 00:06

Aren't those caps yellowed?

I assume IBM went Alps at some point for the same reason they went Oak earlier on. Some hocus-pocus about electromagnetic emissions or the like.

http://deskthority.net/wiki/Oak_Full-Travel_Membrane

terrycherry · 23 Sep 2015, 18:00

I saw it month ago whether it worth.
Who brought it?

hammelgammler · 23 Sep 2015, 18:03

Me. I will post pictures when it arrives.

ramnes · 23 Sep 2015, 18:07

So, where does this thing was listed?

terrycherry · 23 Sep 2015, 18:16

Great. Take more picture and clearly please.
I'm wondering that SDL port was original linked to the PCB.

photekq · 24 Sep 2015, 07:47

ramnes wrote: ↑So, where does this thing was listed?

Taobao