Damped White Alps

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hellothere

06 Jan 2022, 00:31

I bought an Apple Extended Keyboard II off ebay, just because it was inexpensive. I remember noting that there was the "S in a box" icon on the label, so I wasn't expecting salmon Alps or Mitsumi Standard Mechanical. It came in today and I thought it felt odd. Popped a keycap and, hey, damped white Alps. I've bought maybe 10 AEKIIs in this is the first one I've seen with whites.

Questions:
* How uncommon are damped white Alps? The only other keyboard the wiki mentions with whites is the SGI Granite. I've seen 3 or 4 SGI Granites on ebay with whites.

* How should they compare to cream damped? I've not really played with the keyboard. It's pretty orange and dusty, so I think it needs some TLC before I can judge it myself. My current opinion is maybe halfway to black Alps.

User avatar
doomsday_device

06 Jan 2022, 00:53

damped alps with white sliders are the last iteration of them and are fairly common in younger specimen

as i only had skcm ivory, i cant compare to those with white sliders

black alps had several iterations going from pine (housing with slits, complicated (short) switchplate, sometimes lubed), to bamboo (without slits, still complicated (short) switchplate, worse tactile leaf) and even simplified (skbm) with only two contacts touching each other (like matias), so depending with what black-slider switch you compare the comparison is maybe a bit off

/e: my views might be biased by the fact that skcm blacks are one of my favs and in no way comparable to either damped or white-slider switches in general

User avatar
Reimu64

06 Jan 2022, 02:39

hellothere wrote:
06 Jan 2022, 00:31
Questions:
* How uncommon are damped white Alps?
Rarer than the Cream damped from my experience seeing AEK II boards on sale, and ones I've owned.
hellothere wrote:
06 Jan 2022, 00:31
* How should they compare to cream damped?
I have two AEK II boards, one with Cream damped Alps and the other with White damped Alps, both in similar conditions and the switches feel pretty much the same to me.

inozenz

06 Jan 2022, 12:27

doomsday_device wrote:
06 Jan 2022, 00:53
damped alps with white sliders are the last iteration of them and are fairly common in younger specimen

as i only had skcm ivory, i cant compare to those with white sliders

black alps had several iterations going from pine (housing with slits, complicated (short) switchplate, sometimes lubed), to bamboo (without slits, still complicated (short) switchplate, worse tactile leaf) and even simplified (skbm) with only two contacts touching each other (like matias), so depending with what black-slider switch you compare the comparison is maybe a bit off

/e: my views might be biased by the fact that skcm blacks are one of my favs and in no way comparable to either damped or white-slider switches in general
funny i bought 2 in my life span as a vintage enthusiast and both came iwth white sliders. i thought thats the norm.

User avatar
hellothere

06 Jan 2022, 18:38

Maybe white damped are more common in Europe?

Riverman

06 Jan 2022, 22:57

I had owned a few AEK IIs back in the day, and they all had cream Alps. I've bought two in the last few years, and they're both white. I can't tell the difference between the two. I had read somewhere that the whites might be a little stiffer than the creams, but if that's true, the difference is very small.

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Lynx_Carpathica

07 Jan 2022, 09:35

I've got an AEK II from 1995, and it has ivories.

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fohat
Elder Messenger

07 Jan 2022, 15:27

When AEK2 came out at the very end of the 1980s, it (very) briefly had salmon, and then went to dampened cream for the bulk of its run in the early-1990s. Dampened white appeared for a much shorter time at the end of the run.

User avatar
hellothere

07 Jan 2022, 15:47

... And Mitsumi Standard Mechanical switches were used for a while. The only one I've had with those switches wasn't bad. Felt like a bit stiffer salmon Alps.

keyboardnoob

15 Jan 2022, 16:31

I am currently using an AEK2 which I found pretty cheap with dampened cream alps. It was dirty but surprisingly inside the switches it was clean. Personally, I didn't like the feeling as it felt too rounded and somewhat sticky (maybe the rounded tactility was responsible). I would suggest to give it a clean (as you said it is dusty) and try it again. If you still don't like it, maybe follow chyros's guides on cleaning alps switches or even try the linear mod. If it is anything like what I experienced you won't be disappointed by the result.

Chyros cleaning guide playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P ... BSWbSz25vI

Chyros video on linear mod:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsJq434UYTA

P.S. There is also a clicky mod but I didn't try it as you need to break the two of the four legs of the tactile leaf.

User avatar
hellothere

15 Jan 2022, 16:49

Hey. It's a n00b. GET HIM!

Anyhow, yes, I'm aware of Chyros' instructions, but I don't mind seeing them reposted. I think they're pretty decent. As an idea for another thread, maybe we could talk about some updates to those instructions. As an example, for disassembling switches, I use orihalcon's Alps Switch Opener and curved plastic tweezers that look approximately like these. We'd just leave out the lubing your switches part :D.

keyboardnoob

15 Jan 2022, 17:00

Interesting, I was unaware of a switch opener. I used a flat-head screwdriver and a tool from ifixit kit, but was a bit tedious although easy enough since there is no desoldering involved. This was my first ALPS keyboard and I am posting because I was initially disappointed, but now like it. Since I have had an m0116 with orange Alps, which are very nice, but the layout is less than ideal, so I ended up preferring my AEK2 for everyday use.

User avatar
hellothere

15 Jan 2022, 17:21

I try to stay away from metal openers, if I can. I don't want to scratch anything.

Desoldering switches for any Apple keyboard is difficult. I've probably done about a dozen and I've always had a couple of lifted or semi-lifted pads.

I agree that the Apple Standard Keyboard is a bit less than ideal. I do need the function keys and I use both a Mac and a Windows box. The Control key isn't in a bad place for me, but I've also gotten used to Focus keyboards that have the Control key where the "modern" Caps Lock key would be.

I'm not a fan of linear switches, even though I have a very nice linear switch keyboard. I'm also not a terribly big fan of clicky, although I have a lot of clicky keyboards. Tactile is where it's at for me, and I'm currently rocking a Topre and a Nopre as my daily drivers. My hobby is just repairing keyboards then selling them. I don't really "collect," but I do have a bunch of project boards that need repair ...

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