IBM PC turns 35

[seebart]

That blue grey is still one of my fave color combos. Closest I have is this Ducky set:

keyboards-f2/ducky-pbt-keycap-set-laser ... ilit=ducky

[vometia]

Well, not all of us.

I feel that everything IBM ever put on a desktop after 1980 has been a blight on computer aesthetics. Relentlessly bland is perhaps the kindest thing to say about their hardware; ugly is more apt, and soul-withering would be accurate if a bit harsh.

Personally, I quite liked the look of the PS/2 series and still do. But I always found the XT and AT to be absolutely hideous, the most utilitarian looks-that-way-because-it-has-to sort of design. It's a bit of a random and subjective thing though: I always hated the look of the Mac but liked the Apple II a lot; I like the rather slab-like BBC Micro's looks but was much less keen on the more stylised Dragon (the latter of which I actually owned, for better or worse).

Though most of the midi towers that we've seen for the past 20 years are best hidden well out of sight...

I do remember the computer press of the day raving about how good the PC's keyboard was, though. In particular, remember one Acorn fan trying to suggest (to paraphrase) "the PC's keyboard is half the cost of an entire BBC Micro, and the BBC's keyboard is just about as good!" Er, no, really, it isn't. As much as I was (and am) a bit fangirly about the BBC myself, I think that's rather wishful thinking...

[Chyros]

I fucking hate Honeywell as a company xD . That's due to different reasons though :p .

I didn't know you were a hater? I do know you swear like a sailor. But the Honeywell keyboards are nice I know you like them come on.

I love Honeywell keyboards. But I work with people who do work for Honeywell.

[Hypersphere]

That blue grey is still one of my fave color combos. Closest I have is this Ducky set:

keyboards-f2/ducky-pbt-keycap-set-laser ... ilit=ducky

The blue/gray is a good color combination, and I like the Ducky sets. What I like even more is the same colors in the reverse configuration with gray mods and blue alphas.

[seebart]

OK nice either way, this is one instance where I can say for sure I'll never have the original anyway.

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[Hypersphere]

The blue/gray combination reminds me of the uniforms of the Confederate Army from the US Civil War. These outfits were inspired by the Austrian Jaeger uniform.
http://adolphusconfederateuniforms.com/ ... forms.html

confederate_uniform_50a.jpg (73.46 KiB) Viewed 3188 times

Great color combo. However, with collars crimping blood supply to the brain, belts cinched so tight, and having to squeeze into those micro shoes, it's no wonder the South lost the war.

[seebart]

However, with collars crimping blood supply to the brain, belts cinched so tight, and having to squeeze into those micro shoes, it's no wonder the South lost the war.

[zslane]

The blue/gray Space Cadet keyboard is my all-time favorite, so I can't help but agree enthusiastically about any and all praise directed at it. It is the only vintage keyboard I would care to own (as a collector), even though it would never work with a contemporary computer.

But, seebart, where did that earlier photo of the Space Cadet come from? I've never seen one with a black case!

[seebart]

The blue/gray Space Cadet keyboard is my all-time favorite, so I can't help but agree enthusiastically about any and all praise directed at it. It is the only vintage keyboard I would care to own (as a collector), even though it would never work with a contemporary computer.

But, seebart, where did that earlier photo of the Space Cadet come from? I've never seen one with a black case!

I think it's from here but I'm not sure:

photos-f62/space-cadet-t6450.html

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[vometia]

The Space Cadet is desirable from a "it looks awesome" viewpoint, as well as being incredibly rare, but I wonder what it'd be like to use IRL, especially for those of us used to today's layouts and keyswitches? Based on the assumption it could actually be used on today's computers, I do wonder if the novelty wouldn't wear off quite quickly.

I dunno. Probably my favourite keyboard was some IBM twinax thing from way back. I know little about it except it was connected to an IBM midrange and the terminal it belonged to almost gave me a hernia even though there was two of us lifting the bugger. The keyboard was completely useless by modern standards, I forget its designation but the layout was the same as an original PC only with various esoteric miscellany in place of the function keys and the infamous clunk solenoid. I think it probably had beam-springs. It was actually lovely to use, even though it looked like a VIC-20 that had been hit with the ugly stick.

[zslane]

Okay, I see. Seems the earlier version of the board (the one intended for the CADR machine) had a black case to match the black front of the monitor. I now have to reconsider my stance on putting this keycap set on a black board.

I love the Space Cadet for its aesthetic qualities (and its Hall Effect switches of course!), but its non-standard layout would annoy me more than thrill me today. That's why I am quite content to put Round 6 caps on a standard ANSI board and claim victory.

[Chyros]

In all fairness, the Space Cadet keycap set looked amazing. Never really felt the need for custom keycap sets, but that one made me think .

[seebart]

Those beautiful blue Micro Switch doubleshots look better in the black case but the layout is mad.

[zslane]

And in all fairness, I like the Granite set despite a general dislike of two-tone gray keyboards. In fact, I have enough Granite to cover two full-size boards, and then some.

But I don't think I would have given Granite any consideration had it not been for: its spherical tops, its icon modifiers, its monolegend caps, and the splash of color available from the RGB mod kits. Oh, and the Sindarin alphas were simply irresistable.

I guarantee you IBM would never have produced a keyboard with caps like Granite Sindarin + RGB icon mods. So despite the prosaic aesthetics that originally inspired it, Granite is far more than just another boring two-tone gray keyset. Granite found a way to make two-tone gray elegant and stylish, which can't be said for all the keycap sets out there that just try to faithfully mimic IBM and its innumerable clones.

[zslane]

Those beautiful blue Micro Switch doubleshots look better in the black case but the layout is mad.

Really? I'm not convinced myself. I mean, look at this beauty:

https://goo.gl/images/MkJIH7

I kind of feel that's how a Space Cadet keyboard is really supposed to look. That white case is just damn sexy.

[seebart]

Hmm it's a close call but I think I like the black case better. Of course I'd have to see it in person.

[zslane]

You got me curious about how my (forthcoming) Space Cadet keycaps would look on a black keyboard in a workplace context:

space_cadet_keyboard_atwork_05.jpg (393.61 KiB) Viewed 2990 times

Of course, my Filcos won't be able to accommodate the complete 108-key layout seen here, but I might be able to put them onto a RealForce MX board in the future. I'm still not convinced it looks better than white...

[seebart]

I'm still not convinced it looks better than white...

No one is trying to convince you. I would probably buy that set though, very nice.

[zslane]

Well, in a way, I'm trying to convince myself.

When the RealForce RGB comes along, it will be a very compelling keyboard option for my Cadet keycaps. But it will likely only be available in black. If I can convince myself that I like the black look, then I can avoid the hassle of painting the case white.

I have a white Varmilo 108VA keyboard, which currently has a set of Round 4 SPH on it, sort of as a placeholder for the forthcoming Cadet caps, but there are technical reasons why it may cease to be a viable option for me at work (it is already not usable at home). I may be in desperate need of a replacement before long.

With so few 108-key options out there, I realize I can't be too picky, and so I may have to become more open to a black case (I really don't want to resort to a 104-key board if possible because I really want to put the I-IV roman numeral keys above the numpad). Not that black 108-key boards are all that common either, but like I said, that RealForce board is on the way, and the prototype Topre showed had 108 keys, so...

This is perhaps where it pays to be a fan of IBM boards; one never has to be faced with such agonizing aesthetic dilemmas.

[seebart]

Well, in a way, I'm trying to convince myself.

I know, and why not. Yes RealForce RGB will be interesting.

This is perhaps where it pays to be a fan of IBM boards; one never has to be faced with such agonizing aesthetic dilemmas.

Exactly. But of course IBM keycaps can be quite nice, just no official color options past Beamspring unless one manages to get APL.

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[zslane]

Those look like dyesub to me, and with corner legends. Yuck. Gimme nice big, centered double-shots and I'm a happy camper. Comparing keycaps from the golden age of spherical double-shots to keycaps from IBM PC keyboards is like comparing The Songs of Innocence to the phone book.

[seebart]

Haha I love your IBM enthusiasm. Oh look it's spherical double-shots from the golden age...

IMG_20160120_190716.jpg (792.79 KiB) Viewed 2981 times

...from I B M.

[zslane]

Yes and fairly yummy.

I am pretty careful to only disparage the IBM PC era, not the beamspring era that was abandoned in the name of cost-cutting.

[Chrisism]

I dunno, IBM had some pretty cool double dye sub keycaps..