IDENTIFY THE KEYBOARD thread

[Daniel Beardsmore]

Any idea on how much it's worth or model #?

Not me, no.

[clickityClackity]

Any idea on how much it's worth or model #?

Not me, no.

Thanks for the info anyways, gives me something to start with!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk

[uttindar]

Any ideas about keyboard model?



It's kinda have similarities with Cherry keyboard cases but I doubt it's Cherry board.

Ended up buying it. It is Sejin keyboard with Futaba MA switches.

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Spoiler:

IMG_3013.JPG (997.4 KiB) Viewed 5648 times

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First time trying Futaba switches and they definitely feel differently.

[Lustique]

Ok, I know it's probably a long shot because the picture is so small, but does anyone here have any idea what the following keyboard could be?



Is there any realistic chance that it might be mechanical? Does anyone maybe recognise the colour scheme? The yellow legends on the arrow keys remind me of Wyse keyboards, but that's about it…

[uttindar]

Ok, I know it's probably a long shot because the picture is so small, but does anyone here have any idea what the following keyboard could be?

Looks like typical BTC 51x9 keyboard.
Also someone asked here about that exact keyboard https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=73732.0
Anyway it's not a bad rubber dome keyboard at all. Some might say one of the best.

[Lustique]

Thanks! I just didn't know what to search for… Too bad it's not mechanical. However, it's so cheap that I consider getting one, anyway.

EDIT: I think I have found a review by Chyrosran22 of this exact keyboard. Although I'm not such a big fan of his reviews (because of all the Cherry bashing), I'm just going to trust him if he says they feel nice and are a cheap approximation of Topre switches.

EDIT №2: I just bought one.

[IKSLM]

Well it's cheap allright

How much did you pay for it?

[Chyros]

That's definitely a BTC board, but I can't tell if it's a dome with slider or just normal rubber dome model. BTC made lots of keyboards of both types and they sometimes really look like each other. Their standard dome boards are okay too, but the dome with slider ones definitely feel significantly better.

[IKSLM]

I have this exact keyboard. It has a slider.

[seebart]

I have this exact keyboard. It has a slider.

Yes that looks like BTC.

[IKSLM]

Yes, with WYSE badge.

[Lustique]

Well it's cheap allright

How much did you pay for it?

1.29€ + 6.95€ shipping, and there are still 70 keyboards available.

Should I post this in the ‘Great/Interesting Finds’ thread? When I found the video review, I also found a comment by Wodan about this exact keyboard for the same price, so I figured DT knew about it already.

[Chyros]

Well it's cheap allright

How much did you pay for it?

1.29€ + 6.95€ shipping, and there are still 70 keyboards available.

Should I post this in the ‘Great/Interesting Finds’ thread? When I found the video review, I also found a comment by Wodan about this exact keyboard for the same price, so I figured DT knew about it already.

Is this from the same stash I got mine from? I got mine sent in by someone.

[Lustique]

[…] Is this from the same stash I got mine from? I got mine sent in by someone.

I guess so. It seems you got your keyboard from Wodan, and he commented

Aaaw so excited that Wyse board made it into a review! Got them for 1,29€ NIB and the seller still had 100+ available.

under your review of this board (I guess you forgot, as the video is more than a year old already). Unless other people also sell the board for the exact same price, the seller is probably the same.

The eBay listing: http://www.ebay.nl/itm/102-Tasten-Keybo ... 2641026551
The listing on the seller's website (an even smaller picture, but with some actual information besides ‘AWERTY’ and PS/2, which I found only when I received my payment notification from the seller; only in German though): https://www.cbo-do.de/Eingabe-und-Leseg ... :4260.html Here the price is higher, but the shipping is lower… 乁| ･ 〰 ･ |ㄏ

[space_ghost]

So this is obviously a Acer kb101-as

IMG_5242.jpg

But the back label is a little strange. No FCC ID, no logos of any kind, very generic looking. And "Acer" is missing altogether. The maker seems to be "Multitech Industries Corp", which was Acer's name until 1987. But this board came out in 1988

IMG_5246.jpg

Also the serial number inside reads PB 87014-1. Of all the pictures I could find online the serial number ends in "-2"

IMG_5244.jpg

So what is this thing exactly?

[Daniel Beardsmore]

PB 87014-1 looks like the part number of the PCB. PB could even stand for "printed (circuit/wiring) board".

How do you know that this came out in 1988?

[space_ghost]

How do you know that this came out in 1988?

[wiki]Acer KB-101A[/wiki] Although there's not much info out there on the AS

[Daniel Beardsmore]

I only listed the FCC final action date — I don't know whether it's possible to publicly obtain the filing dates for FCC IDs.

[depletedvespene]

Well it's cheap allright

How much did you pay for it?

1.29€ + 6.95€ shipping, and there are still 70 keyboards available.

I saw that price and decided to get TWO of those... but shipping to where I live costs 34.95€. Nope.

[xxhellfirexx]

What type of switches are these? It looks like an Alps switch, but it is not.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Mechani ... SwblZZEIMQ

[Engicoder]

What type of switches are these? It looks like an Alps switch, but it is not.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Mechani ... SwblZZEIMQ

Looks like some type of slider over membrane switch; most likely rubber dome.

[xxhellfirexx]

Looks like it is a Mitsumi miniature switch.
wiki/Mitsumi_miniature_mechanical

What type of switches are these? It looks like an Alps switch, but it is not.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Mechani ... SwblZZEIMQ

Looks like some type of slider over membrane switch; most likely rubber dome.

[pfoff]

I found two Apple Extended Boards, they are great, seem to have lived their entire life inside a max bag, which stood in an empty server rack!-) They feel great, despite a little different. Can someone tell by the serial numbers, what the differences are?
One seems to be made in USA, the other one in Ireland. The USA made one seems stiffer and smoother, the irish one is soft.
Both have pine orange switches, right? Sorry for the picture quality. Will have to shot the switches oncemore...

Spoiler:

Both

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num1

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num2

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switches

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[seebart]

I found two Apple Extended Boards, they are great, seem to have lived their entire life inside a max bag, which stood in an empty server rack!-) They feel great, despite a little different. Can someone tell by the serial numbers, what the differences are? One seems to be made in USA, the other one in Ireland. The USA made one seems stiffer and smoother, the irish one is soft.Both have pine orange switches, right?

See here:

wiki/Apple_Extended_Keyboard

[pfoff]

Sorry not all the images were uploaded in the first try! They are orange and both are almost completely clean inside. I have cleaned the keycaps of one, the other one is still like it came. Looks as if one is older than the other one. I tend to like the irish more!-) I will try to measure the force they need to actuate!

[Polecat]

Newb here, but not new to mechanical keyboards. Found this site in a search for Multitech KB-101A, as I was about to part one out for the blue Alps switches to redo an Avant Stellar, figured I'd better look it up first. Mine doesn't have the Acer logo (blank, long since removed whatever was there...) but the back has a similar sticker to the one here, with an earlier, serial number, MK101009662. Mine is a 101-A, not -AS. Board is PB87014-2. Keycaps on mine are double shot, yellowed unfortunately, and the lower edge of the case is cracked a bit where someone pried it open the wrong way, but it seems like I shouldn't kill this one off, yes? Thanks, glad to see the interest in something I've been fanatical about since the mid '80s.

[E3E]

Newb here, but not new to mechanical keyboards. Found this site in a search for Multitech KB-101A, as I was about to part one out for the blue Alps switches to redo an Avant Stellar, figured I'd better look it up first. Mine doesn't have the Acer logo (blank, long since removed whatever was there...) but the back has a similar sticker to the one here, with an earlier, serial number, MK101009662. Mine is a 101-A, not -AS. Board is PB87014-2. Keycaps on mine are double strike, yellowed unfortunately, and the lower edge of the case is cracked a bit where someone pried it open the wrong way, but it seems like I shouldn't kill this one off, yes? Thanks, glad to see the interest in something I've been fanatical about since the mid '80s.

My first Acer had that same kind of crack actually, from someone opening it improperly. Mine was Datapoint branded and had some additional information related to the branding on the back.

Really, it's up to you. KB101As are fantastic, but if you'd rather put blues into your Avant, if you prefer using that board more, then go for it. If you want to save your KB101A, just put different switches in it.

Yeah, that's fine, the model. The Acers can be KB101A or AS. We used to believe that AS denoted doubleshots, but it does not. You'll have to pay attention to the legend differences between the two to distinguish them.

If you do decide to just part it out and don't plan on keeping it intact, I would be interested in the keycaps. It's one of the few ANSI doubleshot sets I'm looking for but don't have in my collection. My Acers were both printed thin caps.

[Polecat]

Thanks, I worked in an electronic recycling/surplus place back in the '80s and '90s and had first shot at anything that came through, so I saved a bunch of mechanical keyboards, mostly Alps. I've been using a Monterey K104 (factory industrial gray including the caps and branded Infotrac, from an auto parts tracking system...) but I've worn the printing off the keys. It's literally never missed a character or bounced even once in ten or more years, but it's time for a replacement. I have a couple blue Alps Northgates, but they're also yellowed and grungy, so I just bought the black Avant on ebay that needs some work. No big deal, I'll switch the guts from one of the Northgates or scavenge some switches from a Leading Edge XT board if I can remember where I stashed those. I'll look at the Acer again, and if it gets parted out I'll save the caps for you. They're all there but heavily yellowed, as is the case.

[E3E]

Thanks, I worked in an electronic recycling/surplus place back in the '80s and '90s and had first shot at anything that came through, so I saved a bunch of mechanical keyboards, mostly Alps. I've been using a Monterey K104 (factory industrial gray including the caps and branded Infotrac, from an auto parts tracking system...) but I've worn the printing off the keys. It's literally never missed a character or bounced even once in ten or more years, but it's time for a replacement. I have a couple blue Alps Northgates, but they're also yellowed and grungy, so I just bought the black Avant on ebay that needs some work. No big deal, I'll switch the guts from one of the Northgates or scavenge some switches from a Leading Edge XT board if I can remember where I stashed those. I'll look at the Acer again, and if it gets parted out I'll save the caps for you. They're all there but heavily yellowed, as is the case.

Oh wow, an Industrial Monterey, huh? That's really interesting. I didn't imagine other companies taking after IBM's Industrial SSK like that. Good to hear that you were saving these keyboards back then! That's awesome.

I don't mind so much if the caps are yellowed as I can always give them a retrobright! No worries there. It's a shame the Monterey K104 has worn out, but I do hope you find a good replacement for it soon with your Avant.

[Polecat]

Infotrac was one of the companies that sent us stuff to recycle. They sold a parts tracking system used by auto parts stores, and these were the keyboards used in the stores. We got their monitors also, pretty generic but also gray. Most of their keyboards were gray Costar CSK-2101 or 2102 (white Alps) but they had a few of the gray Montereys also, which were a bit older. Wish I had saved more than one. The switches in mine are still 100 percent, but the caps are shot and I'll never find another set in gray. I was using a black Focus FK-2002 before that, ISO layout, white Alps, but I wore that one out, switches and caps. Still got it here someplace. Almost never see those in black. That one came from a computer show. The guy had a small stack of them, new in the box; by the time I walked the rest of the show and came back there was only one left, which I bought.