Foldable mechanical ALPS keyboard - the return

Masterchief79

25 Jan 2021, 13:31

Hello everyone,
first off, a few impressions of the keyboard at hand:
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I posted about this board more than 7 years ago (here is the original thread if you're interested), and it seems like no one has seen something like this before, or since.
Why am I digging this up again? Well, a lot has happened since then. My interests evolved and shifted towards being a massive simracing nerd, I finished Uni (twice), I survived 2020, got a job and while I obviously still enjoy a good mechanical keyboard, I don't have the time or feel the need to collect or obsess about them any more. In other words: I'm ready to sell a few boards, including this one. I'm sure, someone can appreciate them more at this point.
Now, posting this in the Price Check thread wouldn't make a massive amount of sense, if this is as rare as I think it is. (I have found one archived reddit thread from 6 years ago about it, and that might even be based on my original post here). That's why I'm posting it in this forum first, to gather impressions and opinions. Maybe you can reference it to some other eccentric designs. With the PCB being soldered by hand, and it lacking every form of manufacturer signature or serial number, it might even be some sort of prototype.

A few words in terms of condition: From my test this morning, it's working flawlessly. Every key works and feels great. From the front, it's looking like new - no dirt, no yellowing. The doubleshot keycaps look and feel like new, without any sign of wear. From the outside, it has gotten a bit dirty over the years. I can clean most of it, but I won't be able to make it look like new. The folding mechanism works as intended, but the plastic has gotten a bit brittle and two small pieces (<1cm) have broken off two hinges. Barely noticeable though.

So, what do you think? First impressions? Cool novelty or useless design study?

headphone_jack

25 Jan 2021, 15:57

Generally, I would consider this to be something of a novelty, as I can only see a very specific number of scenarios where this would be useful. For me personally however this is actually very interesting, as I am planning a custom laptop build that utilizes a fold out Alps keyboard. Could you provide more pictures of the inside of the case?

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hellothere

28 Jan 2021, 17:27

Definitely cool. Does this keyboard have a plastic mounting plate and 5-Pin DIN?

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Lynx_Carpathica

29 Jan 2021, 10:02

hellothere wrote:
28 Jan 2021, 17:27
Definitely cool. Does this keyboard have a plastic mounting plate and 5-Pin DIN?
Yes.
And judging by the locklights, it's made by Ortek.

headphone_jack

29 Jan 2021, 15:36

Hilariously, another one of these was just listed on eBay. It has a US layout rather than a German one, and from the pic of the switch looks like it might be cream dampened rather than SKCM white.

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hellothere

29 Jan 2021, 17:29

headphone_jack wrote:
29 Jan 2021, 15:36
Hilariously, another one of these was just listed on eBay. It has a US layout rather than a German one, and from the pic of the switch looks like it might be cream dampened rather than SKCM white.
Hey, share a link!

headphone_jack

29 Jan 2021, 17:32

hellothere wrote:
29 Jan 2021, 17:29
headphone_jack wrote:
29 Jan 2021, 15:36
Hilariously, another one of these was just listed on eBay. It has a US layout rather than a German one, and from the pic of the switch looks like it might be cream dampened rather than SKCM white.
Hey, share a link!
Here you go! Interested to see what this will go for. I would buy it myself if I wasn't already invested in so many restoration projects.

Razerban

29 Jan 2021, 17:41

headphone_jack wrote:
29 Jan 2021, 17:32
hellothere wrote:
29 Jan 2021, 17:29
headphone_jack wrote:
29 Jan 2021, 15:36
Hilariously, another one of these was just listed on eBay. It has a US layout rather than a German one, and from the pic of the switch looks like it might be cream dampened rather than SKCM white.
Hey, share a link!
Here you go! Interested to see what this will go for. I would buy it myself if I wasn't already invested in so many restoration projects.
You forgot to add the link :p
Here you go: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Rare-Foldable- ... 3980817430

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Polecat

29 Jan 2021, 17:50

Razerban wrote:
29 Jan 2021, 17:41

You forgot to add the link :p
Here you go: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Rare-Foldable- ... 3980817430
4 tab clones, not Alps.

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hellothere

29 Jan 2021, 18:04

38 Euros / $46 US. Free shipping to Americas, Europe, Australia, Japan.

The seller takes worse pictures than I do, and that's saying something.

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hellothere

29 Jan 2021, 18:18

I think 4-tab-clones, too. I like the caps on Masterchief79's keyboard more, but I also think that the QWERTZ layout would drive me insane.

I wouldn't necessarily call this a novelty. It's a collectable, at the very least, and if I still had to bounce between offices where I didn't have a dedicated computer, this would be nice to have. I'd replace the 5-pin DIN with a Soarer's to USB adapter, if possible, though.

OP, do you have a rough idea of the thing's weight?

Masterchief79

10 Feb 2021, 11:55

Thanks for all the responses. Work is currently keeping me from looking into this thread too often. Regarding ther request of me opening it up for more details, there are some pics in the thread I linked in the start post. I'm not keen on taking it apart again as the plastic might have gotten a bit brittle and it's working perfectly fine.

I can confirm it has a 5 pin DIN connector. Other than that, I'm happy to snap a pic of something specific if you're interested.

In terms of the weight, it's pretty light as it doesn't have a metal mounting plate on the inside. Little bit less than 1kg.

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hellothere

11 Feb 2021, 02:27

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I can't say that I've seen an eBay ad closed due to "lost or broken" before.

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