Alps Electric
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Industry | Electronic devices |
---|---|
Founded | 1948 |
Founder(s) | Katsutaro Kataoka |
Headquarters | Ota, Tokyo, Japan |
FCC grantee code | GYI |
Website | www.alps.com |
Alps Electric Co. is a Japanese company that is known in the keyboard community primarily for the Alps SKCL/SKCM series of mechanical keyswitches. This switch has not been in production for a long time though, but Alps clone switches are still manufactured.
The company name of "Alps" is often mistakenly written as "ALPS" based on the Alps logotype; the correct spelling is "Alps".[1] "ALPs" is another common misspelling.
Contents
Alps Electric (USA)
Alps Electric (USA), who were a major supplier to Apple, bought the Accessory Products Division from Apple.[2]
Overseas joint ventures
Alps Electric has established several overseas joint ventures; these include:
- Gold Star Alps Electronics in Korea, established in August 1970; GoldStar is now LG, and it appears that Alps may have renewed the venture in 1996[1]
- Forward Electronics in Taiwan, established in December 1970; this 30-year venture ended in 2000
Products
- Alps switches
- Alps keyboards
- Keycaps, including double-shots
Gallery
Keycaps
Alps double-shot keycaps have a distinctive style that makes them easy to recognise. Evidence suggests that they were only ever sold with keyboards made by Alps; they have been found on keyboards with a variety of Alps switches, including Alps SKFL, Alps integrated dome and Alps SKCL/SKCM series.[3]
As with other double-shot manufacturers, the moulding patterns vary between keycaps.
Alps double-shot keycap from a NeXT keyboard (Alps SKCM Black)
Alps double-shot keycap on an Alps integrated dome keyboard
Assorted IBM 5556 keycaps, top view
Logos
Products
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Alps Electric — [About Alps] History
- ↑ oldmouse.com — Apple Lisa Mouse
- ↑ Deskthority — Alps as a doubleshot manufacturer?