Bloomberg collection

snuci · 07 Jun 2017, 00:22

I don't have all of them but I'm trying. I know, they are rubber domes, but I think they look pretty cool. I took one apart. Never again. The Bloomberg 4 Starboard is the latest one that I just got. Still looking for any other model and to supplement my Reuters collection too.

EDIT: My Mistake, I have 1, 3 and 4 and am missing 2 so the image names are incorrect.

: Bloomberg keyboards 1 to 4 (minus 2); Bloomberg keyboards 2 to 4.JPG (460.03 KiB) Viewed 3287 times

: Bloomberg 1 Centerboard CTB100 - front. No date made; Bloomberg 2 Seaboard - front.JPG (441.33 KiB) Viewed 3287 times

: Bloomberg 1 Centerboard CTB100 - back; Bloomberg 2 Seaboard - back.JPG (343.46 KiB) Viewed 3287 times

: Bloomberg 3 Freeboard FRE100 - front - Made 3/29/2012; Bloomberg 3 Freeboard - front.JPG (509.7 KiB) Viewed 3287 times

: Bloomberg 3 Freeboard FRE100 - back; Bloomberg 3 Freeboard - back.JPG (456.34 KiB) Viewed 3287 times

: Bloomberg 4 Starboard STB100 - front. Made 4/6/2015; Bloomberg 4 Starboard - front.JPG (445.48 KiB) Viewed 3287 times

: Bloomberg 4 Starboard STB100 - back; Bloomberg 4 Starboard - back.JPG (376.5 KiB) Viewed 3287 times

seebart · 07 Jun 2017, 08:29

Very nice, on the first two what are these?

: Seaboard.JPG (43.07 KiB) Viewed 3249 times

arkanoid · 07 Jun 2017, 08:53

seebart wrote: ↑Very nice, on the first two what are these?

Seaboard.JPG

Probably a fingerprint reader?

I am not very familiar with Bloomberg keyboards, but I could find a different model on Taobao. Is this the one you are missing?
https://world.taobao.com/item/534442508995.htm

Chyros · 07 Jun 2017, 12:29

They are fingerprint scanners. They are part of a security system integrated into the Bloomberg terminal.

snuci · 07 Jun 2017, 12:58

arkanoid wrote: ↑I am not very familiar with Bloomberg keyboards, but I could find a different model on Taobao. Is this the one you are missing?
https://world.taobao.com/item/534442508995.htm

Thanks for looking into this but that is definitely a good clone. From the Bloomberg documentation Centerboard 1 and Seaboard 2 look almost identical. I can't tell them apart. Maybe their connectivity changes because the Seaboard has a ton on wires as shown above.

I am missing at least one that I think is the earliest. I did manage to find one last night and bought it today here with a best offer: http://www.ebay.com/itm/252957745648 I found pictures of this here. It had square rubber dome key switches and was made by Maxiswitch.

seebart wrote: ↑Very nice, on the first two what are these?

The attachment Seaboard.JPG is no longer available

As Chyros mentioned, they are fingerprint scanners. The Bloomberg 4 also has a fingerprint scanner here:

: Bloomberg 4 fingerprint scanner; Bloomberg 4 Starboard - fingerprint scanner.JPG (150.37 KiB) Viewed 3217 times

There is a neat video here by Bloomberg on their peripheral manufacturing. It also details security that is beyond finger print readers and the beginning part shows the early Bloomberg keyboard (which is chicklet based).

Daniel Beardsmore · 07 Jun 2017, 19:16

That Maxi Switch–made keyboard reminds me a lot of Silitek. I can't read the dates on it, but I guess it was made after EECO sold Maxi Switch to Silitek.

XMIT · 07 Jun 2017, 20:09

Not only are these rubber domes, they are some of the worst rubber domes ever made. The top board in your first photo has these horrible top hat shaped caps, is short-travel rubber dome, and is easily one of the worst keyboards I've ever used. What a disappointment. As horrible as they were they sold for like $400 from Bloomberg if you needed to get a replacement. I worked at a hedge fund that had a bunch of these a decade ago.

There is an older variant with speakers that is also rubber dome. That one is just terrible, not extra terrible.

What a missed opportunity here to have made an amazing keyboard. Reuters had the right idea with their GMK made boards!

cookie · 08 Jun 2017, 18:07

I am wondering if they might even be capacitive? I believe they are used in stock exchange so they need to be 100% fail proof, which capacitive switches basically are. But that's just a guess, some images of the internals would be nice and if you can, add them to the Wiki.

Thanks for sharing.

stratokaster · 16 Jun 2017, 12:47

It's interesting that the first two are apparently using the same font as Apple keyboards before 2007.