KB-4412 - What is it?

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HaaTa
Master Kiibohd Hunter

17 May 2011, 04:27

Found this is a random surplus/junk bin at my university along with some old Sun terminals and workstations.
I have no idea what company made it, or what kind of switch it uses. They are linear, but have some locking switches on a bunch of the keys.
Keycaps are doubleshot, and very similar (if not the same maker) to my Atari Keypad (http://kiibohd.com/Keyboards/CX85/).

The case is made out of MDF, which is strange (but seeing how old it is, maybe normal). I found the keyboard in pieces, and the one keycap that is missing has it's switch glued down and slider removed (epoxy or resin of some sort).

Anyways ideas on what it is?
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Full set of dismantle pics (including switch disassembly): https://picasaweb.google.com/1138456619 ... directlink

User avatar
HaaTa
Master Kiibohd Hunter

17 May 2011, 17:47

Damn I was tired, never saw the "WEAB" on the switches.
Reference to it here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/anachrocom ... 741969030/

Still looking though.

There is also "MEI" on the PCB.

ripster

17 May 2011, 17:54

Stick some nickels on it. USA preferred.

User avatar
HaaTa
Master Kiibohd Hunter

17 May 2011, 17:56

Ugh, I'll see what I can do.

But the drama continues.

From this page: http://www.stronic.fr/en/index.php?rech ... egorie=150
Search for "weab".

And you'll find both terms "WEAB" and "MEI", manufacturer: Xerox
Not the same switch, but at least I know who made the switch now.

User avatar
kps

17 May 2011, 20:18

It's from a Volker-Craig terminal. They used to be very common here. I don't recognize the specific model, but it seemed there were hundreds of variations with no two alike, anyway. In my experience their keyboards were pretty awful, taking a lot of force to get started and bottoming out hard, and prone to bouncing and skipping.

May I ask which dumpster?

ripster

17 May 2011, 20:30

My experience wandering through a warehouse of these linear terminal keyboards was the same. This was before I walked around with nickels in my pocket so I never collected the numbers.

Here's some other oldies I tried in a different computer museum.

http://geekhack.org/showthread.php?8271 ... post145777

My conclusion is nostalgia effect for anybody who praises these things.

User avatar
webwit
Wild Duck

17 May 2011, 20:55

I think those keycaps are Key Tronic style.

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User avatar
HaaTa
Master Kiibohd Hunter

18 May 2011, 02:24

kps wrote:It's from a Volker-Craig terminal. They used to be very common here. I don't recognize the specific model, but it seemed there were hundreds of variations with no two alike, anyway. In my experience their keyboards were pretty awful, taking a lot of force to get started and bottoming out hard, and prone to bouncing and skipping.
Yeah, I wouldn't say it's an great keyboard to type on.
kps wrote: May I ask which dumpster?
Not a dumpster, more like a bin with wheels in my University (of Waterloo). In one of the privileged (i.e. has a door code) labs on campus. Unfortunately, I've only ever seen the bin there once, when I found this keyboard, in the 2 years I've been using the lab.

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kps

18 May 2011, 16:43

HaaTa wrote:Not a dumpster, more like a bin with wheels in my University (of Waterloo).
Oh, I see. For a long time Central Stores had a dumpster outside that often contained interesting things. Sadly they removed it (or moved it inside) a few years ago.

The ribbon cable puts this in the 'early half' of Volker-Craig history, since later models used coiled phone cord. Most of their keyboards had a black metal faceplate with the sides and bottom molded like yours. My memory is vague, but I think this one was one of their earliest free keyboard models (after the all-in-one and exceedingly dumb VC303) -- VC403 comes to mind, but I'm probably wrong. The early models had only primitive control sequences -- no insert/delete line, no reverse or standout or anything -- so editing on them was slow, and nobody used them unless the terminal rooms were crowded.

rea5245

13 Jul 2022, 18:25

Would it be possible for me to borrow, rent, or buy this Volker Craig 4412 keyboard? I have a photography project, and I really want this specific keyboard for it.

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Bjerrk

13 Jul 2022, 20:39

Ah! A thread from Obama's first term! I remember that! I had a cool phone at the time:
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(You may have more luck if you message HaaTa directly (or at least quote his post). Cheers.)

User avatar
Muirium
µ

13 Jul 2022, 22:18

Correct! This was my desktop at the time:

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Message these people directly. (The various users you’re finding who post pictures of these boards.) No one’s following threads 11 years after they started them.

rea5245

13 Jul 2022, 22:21

I'm hoping they get e-mail notifications, and they never bothered to unsubscribe.

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Bjerrk

13 Jul 2022, 22:26

I never subscribe to threads, to be honest.

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depletedvespene

13 Jul 2022, 22:27

Muirium wrote:
13 Jul 2022, 22:18
No one’s following threads 11 years after they started them.
Speak for yourself, kiddo. :mrgreen:

User avatar
Muirium
µ

13 Jul 2022, 22:30

Maybe we can test you on that in 2028. :P
Bjerrk wrote:
13 Jul 2022, 22:26
I never subscribe to threads, to be honest.
Same. I’m subbed to zero. Think I tried once, on Soarer’s converter thread back in the day, and was…

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