Interesting History of Key Tronic

[mr_a500]

I just came across this interesting history of Key Tronic. (don't know why Wikipedia or Key Tronic's own website has nothing like this):

http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company- ... n-history/

In 1978, the year Key Tronic gained recognition as the largest company of its kind in the world, the keyboard industry represented an $80-million business. Key Tronic at this point was generating $23 million in annual sales, enough to give the company a narrow lead over its closest rival, Micro Switch, which recorded $22 million in 1978 sales. Three other keyboard manufacturers battled for the industry's third spot, each collecting about $10 million in annual revenues. Once it assumed the top position, Key Tronic remained the industry leader into the next decade, when the keyboard industry recorded its most prolific growth.

They mention that the main rival in 1978 was Micro Switch. I wonder who the "three other keyboard manufacturers" were, battling for third. (Cherry, ALPS and Mitsumi?)

It's sad to hear how the degrading happened:

Annual revenues dropped for three straight years beginning in 1985, falling along with the volume of keyboards shipped from Key Tronic's five manufacturing facilities. Although the company still remained the industry leader during this period, it faltered, primarily because many of its largest original equipment manufacturers (including Wang Laboratories, Key Tronic's largest customer) trimmed their orders for keyboards.

The problem was not the quality of Key Tronic's keyboards, nor the attractive powers of another company's product; rather, Key Tronic was losing money because its customers were embroiled in an increasingly competitive industry that featured pernicious pricing battles and feverish attempts to cut costs. Competitive and pricing pressures would become much more severe in years ahead for computer manufacturers, foreshadowing and engendering similar conditions for keyboard manufacturers in the late 1980s and early 1990s. But even as far back as 1985, Key Tronic's financial performance was impacted by the affects of this heightened competition. For three years the company reeled from the effects of declining demand for its products, recording successive drops in annual sales and keyboard shipments and watching its 14-year stretch of consistent growth grind to a halt.

[mr_a500]

I went looking for Key Tronic history because vaguely recall seeing somewhere that Key Tronic were originally called "Suntronix" and I found this 1975 ad:

Suntronix.jpg

...but according to all Key Tronic histories I can find, there's nothing about Suntronix. There is a current Suntronix company, but it's based in China and not the same company.

[Daniel Beardsmore]

(don't know why Wikipedia or Key Tronic's own website has nothing like this)

You're not asking why information about keyboard companies on a wiki is limited, are you now? I think you can answer that for yourself ;-)

It's a niche interest, so publicly documented information is scarce. As for your three other companies, I don't think Alps was big in the 70s. One candidate would be Hi-Tek Corporation, who as you know have almost completely vanished off the face of the earth. Their parent and grandparent companies (NMB and Minebea) don't even acknowledge that they ever existed, yet they were huge in their day — even Cherry USA used their switches at one stage.

Mitsumi is another 80s switch manufacturer, like Alps appear to be, while Cherry's switch range goes back to the early 70s if not earlier (based on our earliest catalogue being from 1973). You don't see many old Cherry M5/6/7 keyboards though, not like you see Micro Switch and Hi-Tek. Even Key Tronic only seemed to rise to prominence in the 80s, so you have to wonder what we're missing from 70s knowledge. I mean, when I talk with companies, they can barely remember the 90s any more!

Our view is probably distorted by our particular windows into the past, since most of us weren't even alive before the 80s and so much old equipment is lost.

This is another advantage of keeping these pages up to date with current knowledge:

[wiki]Keyboards and switches by year[/wiki]
[wiki]Keyswitch timeline[/wiki]

Scraping together what information still exists!

[mr_a500]

Oh yes, I forgot about Hi-Tek. They were big in that era. ALPS were in Radio Shack computers, so that would have made them pretty popular. Commodore used Mitsumi on the PETs. Clare Pendar was probably more popular than Cherry at that time.

[mr_a500]

Our view is probably distorted by our particular windows into the past, since most of us weren't even alive before the 80s and so much old equipment is lost.

Speak for yourself. I was more alive before the 80's than I am now.

[seebart]

great stuff mr_a500, good find!

Clare Pendar was probably more popular than Cherry at that time.

I still have a little project up that alley...

Speak for yourself. I was more alive before the 80's than I am now

I was more alive IN the 80´s than I am now! At least it seems that way to me now.

[Daniel Beardsmore]

Speak for yourself. I was more alive before the 80's than I am now. :)

There was a poll taken a while back, and as I recall, most people here are in their teens or twenties! Being over 30 makes me pretty old by Deskthority standards.

ALPS were in Radio Shack computers, so that would have made them pretty popular. Commodore used Mitsumi on the PETs. Clare Pendar was probably more popular than Cherry at that time.

Citation needed for all three.

[mr_a500]

ALPS were in Radio Shack computers, so that would have made them pretty popular. Commodore used Mitsumi on the PETs. Clare Pendar was probably more popular than Cherry at that time.

Citation needed for all three.

I didn't think I needed citations, but here's a 1977 TRS-80 Model I with ALPS keyboard:
(Edit: now known to be 1979)


The original 1977 PET had chiclet keyboard, but later models had Mitsumi "rubber dome on stick":


(1980 PET 4032)

I have no citation for the third - only the number of photos of Clare Pendar keyboards seen vs. 1970's Cherry is about 10:1.

[seebart]

Oh I'm really old by DT standards then! That's why I like old keyboards! ;P

[mr_a500]

I'm so old that I get tired just talking to Daniel Beardsmore. He makes me back up my statements, which is so damn tiring. It's so much easier and relaxing to spout nonsense or babble without proof.

[Daniel Beardsmore]

There are two reasons. Firstly: anything that can be demonstrated becomes part of reliable knowledge. As a subject as a whole, it's very badly documented, whether it's about switches, or company history. It's down to us at Deskthority to actually assemble this body of knowledge, and then others will be able to reference it.

Secondly, mistaken assumptions spread easily. The second photo is from 1980 (so not 1970s) and the first photo doesn't contain any proof of Alps. One chip implies 1978, but I have no idea what the switch is or who made the keyboard.

[mr_a500]

The TRS-80 photo is specifically labelled as an ALPS keyboard. You also saw that my TRS-80 Model III was ALPS. Radio Shack did use ALPS. The only thing in question is if it was used in 1977/78. I wish I had one to prove it, but I don't.

[Daniel Beardsmore]

I've seen all manner of things described as "ALPS" (and it's spelt "Alps"). The Model III keyboard is irrelevant. The BBC Micro used four different keyboards within the space of a few years (AWC with Futaba switches, SMK, AWC with SMK switches, and "PED", with most being AWC-Futaba). The Atari 400/800/800XL burnt through switch types at a rate to rival Chicony — Stackpole and/or Hi-Tek, Cherry M8 (two flavours), mini Futabas, and Alps SKFL come to mind. One of the Cherry keyboards was also AWC-made.

Assumptions are too dangerous here.

alps.tw for example cites T1 switches as being introduced between 1986–1990. I have no idea where he got those dates from, as there's no evidence to support him on that. His reference keyboard is the Mtek K108, which his photos clearly shows has a 1995 IC date. That matches my view exactly: T1 seems to have been introduced around 1995. Why? That's when the Focus FK-2001 switched from OA2 to T1, and the switches in that are well documented. My 1992 Nan Tan is also OA2. This poses an interesting question: before 1995, what Alps clone switches, if any, were in the Monterey K110/SIIG MiniTouch? Mine has T1 switches, but it's from 1996.

I can't trust anything that's not clearly demonstrated to be true, as we all make mistakes, and these spread.

[mr_a500]

Well I had no intention of going into so much detail about the question of who the three other leading keyboard manufacturers were. You'll notice it was in brackets with a question mark after it. The main point was Key Tronic history.

As for the ALPS in uppercase, I originally spelled it that way years ago when I saw switch tops with it all uppercase, like this:



It's just a habit that stuck. I know there's the earlier italic "Alps", but lowercase makes me think of the French Alps.

[elecplus]

Keyboards and switches by year
nothing from the 1970s!
I will have to remedy that, sent u a PM.

[fohat]

Speak for yourself. I was more alive before the 80's than I am now.

unfortunately, +1

the midpoint of my current lifetime occurred in late 1983, before the oldest keyboard I own was built.

[Muirium]

So did my 4th birthday. But time moves on, and I shall refrain from the corresponding calculation!

[kbdfr]

Speak for yourself. I was more alive before the 80's than I am now.

There was a poll taken a while back, and as I recall, most people here are in their teens or twenties! Being over 30 makes me pretty old by Deskthority standards. […]

Youngsters…
http://deskthority.net/off-topic-f10/ke ... t4875.html

[…] the midpoint of my current lifetime occurred in late 1983, before the oldest keyboard I own was built.

I even beat that

[seebart]

Speak for yourself. I was more alive before the 80's than I am now.

There was a poll taken a while back, and as I recall, most people here are in their teens or twenties! Being over 30 makes me pretty old by Deskthority standards. […]

Youngsters…
http://deskthority.net/off-topic-f10/ke ... t4875.html

[…] the midpoint of my current lifetime occurred in late 1983, before the oldest keyboard I own was built.

I even beat that

being pretty "old" myself I knew you were a senior citizen.

[mr_a500]

Hmm... I just found these photos of an original TRS-80 Model 1 keyboard - the earliest version (minus numeric keypad) - and it appears to be Hi-Tek:

$_57.JPG

$_67.JPG

Notice the keycap profile - T-ALPS has much more angled keycaps. There still could be a T-ALPS version of the original TRS-80. I vaguely recall more angled keycaps - but I'd need to find photographic proof.

Ah ha! Notice the flat topped three. The ALPS version is rounded. Also, the ALPS font is much narrower. That should come in handy trying to identify switches.

[Ander]

I used Key Tronic KBs in the '90s, and was quite pleased to see they were still in business!

At one point back then, I was so impressed with the KT keyboard I was using, I wrote a long complimentary email to the company. To my surprise, the president wrote back, and took the time to address several of the things I'd mentioned about their designs and technology. He told me he was involved in creating the original IBM layout that became the standard, and which his company subsequently drew on to produce less expensive versions. A very interesting guy!

[Daniel Beardsmore]

Well, there we have it — confirmation that 70s Hi-Tek branded PCBs exist.

[Ander]

Yes, that too.

[mr_a500]

I used Key Tronic KBs in the '90s, and was quite pleased to see they were still in business!

At one point back then, I was so impressed with the KT keyboard I was using, I wrote a long complimentary email to the company. To my surprise, the president wrote back, and took the time to address several of the things I'd mentioned about their designs and technology. He told me he was involved in creating the original IBM layout that became the standard, and which his company subsequently drew on to produce less expensive versions. A very interesting guy!

That's strange. Are you saying the president of Keytronic worked at IBM designing keyboard layouts? That's hard to believe. Of course Keytronic produced cheaper M-layout keyboards, like everybody else, but I think the bit about him helping design that layout is probably BS.

Still, it's nice that the president (or his helpers) took the time to respond.

[bhtooefr]

I'm gonna call BS on that, using the power of Google.

Their current president, Craig Gates got the job in 2009, so he's out.

Before him was Jack Oehlke, who got the President/CEO job in 1997, and had been with Micro Switch from 1968 to 1993 (and then went straight to Key Tronic). No involvement with IBM anywhere.

Before him was Fred Wenninger, who got the job in 1995, having worked for HP from 1963 to 1986, Bendix-King from 1986 to 1989, and Iomega from 1989 to 1995. No involvement with IBM anywhere, and now we're getting to the point where e-mail is much less common.

Before him was Stanley Hiller, who was a corporate turnaround expert, brought in in 1992. Looks like he never had anything to do with IBM either.

Before him was Wendell Satre, who was acting president and CEO in 1991 and 1992, his other history seems to be with power companies.

Before him was Fred Zirkle, who was president and CEO from 1989 to 1991. He's the founder's kid. He was a VP at ALPS before Key Tronic... but not the Alps that we know. ALPS stood for Advanced Language Processing Systems.

And, there was some other changes before that (the founder, the founder's replacement, then the founder taking back over, before handing the reins to his kid, but that's before the 90s).

[guk]

I'm gonna call BS on that, using the power of Google...

Nice DTective work. :p

[Ander]

bhtooefr > I'm gonna call BS on that, using the power of Google... Their current president, Craig Gates got the job in 2009, so he's out... Before him was Jack Oehlke, who got the President/CEO job in 1997, and had been with Micro Switch from 1968 to 1993 (and then went straight to Key Tronic). No involvement with IBM anywhere...

Okay, I thought more about this—it was, after all, back before most of you were born—and I've remembered that he actually said he'd created the first 104-key layout. (I merely extrapolated he was with IBM, because I'd forgotten that detail.) So apparently he thought of adding the Windows keys and “menu” key. That also implies Key Tronic was the first to produce 104’s, and everyone else followed suit.

None of the names bhtooefr mentioned seemed familiar—but if that's true about the 104, maybe it's online somewhere?

BTW, bhtooefr, we’re awfully lucky we happened to catch you when you could take the time from your busy schedule to look up all that stuff.

Also, when you said "BS", I thought you meant "buckling spring". Don't ask me why, as this is a rubber-dome conversation.

[bhtooefr]

It looks like they may have created the first conventional (as in, not ergonomic) 104-key Enhanced layout with Windows logo keys: https://books.google.com/books?id=yYDbU ... &q&f=false

(Also, interesting that they sold rubber dome swap kits. Modding your keyboard for feel was apparently a thing back then, too.)

However, the Windows keys first appeared on the Microsoft Natural Keyboard in 1994, and that was a 104-key Enhanced layout, just split ergo:

[mr_a500]

How odd - they used Key Tronic for the TRS-80 Model II.



So far, I haven't been able to find an ALPS TRS-80 Model I without numeric keypad (original version). They all appear to be Hi-Tek. It looks like they switched from Hi-Tek to ALPS when they got the numeric keypad.

Confirmation photo of ALPS TRS-80 Model I (with numeric keypad):

[mr_a500]

What the hell? Cherry made a foam and foil keyboard for the TRS-80 Model II?? I was watching this, assuming it was Key Tronic, but go to 8:14 (also 9:37):