deskthority

Posted: **10 Jul 2022, 12:46**

I recently bought a Keyboard that was sold to me from a Collector that specializes in old Toshiba Laptops.
Those Laptops use Keyboard´s manufactured by Alps.

The Keycaps are a beautiful color and they are double shot and the best part, they are alps compatible.

While the switches arent from the SKCL/SKCM series, the board sounds surpringly good for being a laptop keyboard.
While i dont recognize the switches , i thought this was an interesting find.
Also , it was dirt cheap, under 20 euros , shipping included.

Best Regards and Happy Typing,

Nick

Posted: **13 Jul 2022, 07:51**

These switches are Alps SKFL switches, by the way.

The caps are quite nice, yeah -- although it may be a little difficult to find keycaps with colorways matching it exactly, in case if you're thinking of using the caps on something else.

Edit: SKFL, not SKFM. Whoops.

Posted: **13 Jul 2022, 13:01**

Those are Alps SKFL not SKFM.

Posted: **18 Jul 2022, 00:37**

I dont think we have many chances to come across ansi layout alps AE caps, charming.

Posted: **18 Jul 2022, 19:09**

mcmaxmcmc wrote: ↑
13 Jul 2022, 07:51
The caps are quite nice, yeah -- although it may be a little difficult to find keycaps with colorways matching it exactly, in case if you're thinking of using the caps on something else.

why should i match them ? cant i just use them on a normal alps board, if the sizes of the shift , enter , space etc. fit ?

Posted: **18 Jul 2022, 19:10**

John Doe wrote: ↑
18 Jul 2022, 00:37
I dont think we have many chances to come across ansi layout alps AE caps, charming.

Iam quite new to the scene , if you dont mind asking, what are AE caps ?

Posted: **18 Jul 2022, 19:17**

the perfect hero to combat my Toshiba 1500 keyboard!! Brilliant find!

Posted: **19 Jul 2022, 00:10**

guidemetothelight wrote: ↑
18 Jul 2022, 19:10

John Doe wrote: ↑
18 Jul 2022, 00:37
I dont think we have many chances to come across ansi layout alps AE caps, charming.
Iam quite new to the scene , if you dont mind asking, what are AE caps ?

I'm not and I don't mind anyone asking anything, because I had to look it up: Alps Electric. Alps made a bunch of really nice keycap sets. I've currently got a Leading Edge DC-2014 with Alps-made caps. They're decently thick double-shots.

If you're just going to harvest the keyboard for key caps, there are at least one of us here (me) that wouldn't mind buying the rest. Or having your collector friend post some more for sale.

Tab, left ctrl, shift(s), and caps lock will probably not fit on any other Alps keyboards, except other Toshibas. I think that the left shift might fit on Focus/OmniKey keyboards. You're also missing a bunch of keys that are on other keyboards, like the F11 and F12 keys.

Posted: **19 Jul 2022, 10:15**

Thank you for clarifying !

Since the Keycaps probably wont fit anything else, i guess i will keep the board and switches for now.
If that changes , ill let you guys know !

As for my collector friend, its just a guy i met on ebay kleinanzeigen (like craigslist), he has a lot of working thoshiba laptops but to my knowledge he only had 1 for spare parts that still had the keyboard.

I can search for the seller again if you are inerested. i guess he only ships to germany , but in theory , i can proxy to other countries

Posted: **28 Jul 2022, 19:12**

guidemetothelight wrote: ↑
18 Jul 2022, 19:09

mcmaxmcmc wrote: ↑
13 Jul 2022, 07:51
The caps are quite nice, yeah -- although it may be a little difficult to find keycaps with colorways matching it exactly, in case if you're thinking of using the caps on something else.
why should i match them ? cant i just use them on a normal alps board, if the sizes of the shift , enter , space etc. fit ?

The sizes and stem positions of those keycaps are pretty standard, I believe -- so if you don't care about color-matching or anything like that, then it's all fair play for you can you can use the keycaps just fine. I, on the other hand, care a lot about having it match, and I've found some difficulties in using the caps my way. This is, of course, if you were thinking of using these keycaps on some other board -- the original keyboard holds all the original keycaps by default, so you won't have an issue with keeping the original keycaps on the original keyboard module.

Posted: **29 Jul 2022, 17:59**

mcmaxmcmc wrote: ↑
28 Jul 2022, 19:12
, on the other hand, care a lot about having it match, and I've found some difficulties in using the caps my way. This is, of course, if you were thinking of using these keycaps on some other board

I wanted to use the caps on another board someday , but i have nothing in mind so far.
Maybe on day ill find fitting modifiers to make a set with two colours but maybe this will become another handwire project. lol

Posted: **29 Jul 2022, 20:16**

Nothing beats Alps made keycaps in my book. They’re a cut above most double-shots.

Posted: **30 Jul 2022, 15:09**

snacksthecat wrote: ↑
29 Jul 2022, 20:16
Nothing beats Alps made keycaps in my book. They’re a cut above most double-shots.

They do look very sexy and high quality

Posted: **30 Jul 2022, 20:35**

guidemetothelight wrote: ↑
30 Jul 2022, 15:09

snacksthecat wrote: ↑
29 Jul 2022, 20:16
Nothing beats Alps made keycaps in my book. They’re a cut above most double-shots.
They do look very sexy and high quality

I've purchased a few Alps and Cherry sets from Tai-Hao in the recent past and I'm really fond of them. During Amazon Prime Day, I bought this SA cap set for my MX-mount Nopre. I think it's pretty nice and I'm very fond of the larger legends.

If we just want to go vintage, I'd agree on Alps ... for Alps mount switches. I have and had caps on some Fujitsu leaf spring keyboards and a Stackpole keyboard that were ludicrously thick double-shots.

Posted: **30 Jul 2022, 20:55**

I strongly suspect those caps are actually "G-MKY AFSA" (or in turn whatever product they rebadged). The MG WAHTSY product was a very specific thing that this is supposedly a clone of (notice the lack of novelties specific to the set) I bought the same set off of Aliexpress, where it's like $5 cheaper. I liked them enough that I bought a bigger set (basically three solid-colour sets in one box, designed for mix-and-match) They're pretty nice as cheap caps go-- perhaps not as precise with the lettering as Akko's ASA caps, but if you want a tall-spherical set that's not GAMERFONT and doesn't break the bank, it's a fair choice.

The one problem is that if you aren't buying basically OEM profiles or something Signature Plastics offer, blanks are hard to find, so if you're not in the layout they cover (feels like they basically did US-ANSI and UK-ISO) you're going to compromise.

Posted: **01 Aug 2022, 12:29**

hellothere wrote: ↑
30 Jul 2022, 20:35
I've purchased a few Alps and Cherry sets from Tai-Hao in the recent past and I'm really fond of them.

i actually have sets from Tai-Hao as well and i really like them. Both double shot ABS , one of them mx mount and one of them alps.

Can really recommend them, also very kind ( had a problem with support , they were super helpful and very quick), even got a few 1.75u /2u coloured Alps Keycaps as a gift and a few stickers.

Posted: **02 Aug 2022, 05:09**

Hak Foo wrote: ↑
30 Jul 2022, 20:55
I strongly suspect those caps are actually "G-MKY AFSA" (or in turn whatever product they rebadged). The MG WAHTSY product was a very specific thing that this is supposedly a clone of (notice the lack of novelties specific to the set) I bought the same set off of Aliexpress, where it's like $5 cheaper. I liked them enough that I bought a bigger set (basically three solid-colour sets in one box, designed for mix-and-match) They're pretty nice as cheap caps go-- perhaps not as precise with the lettering as Akko's ASA caps, but if you want a tall-spherical set that's not GAMERFONT and doesn't break the bank, it's a fair choice.

The one problem is that if you aren't buying basically OEM profiles or something Signature Plastics offer, blanks are hard to find, so if you're not in the layout they cover (feels like they basically did US-ANSI and UK-ISO) you're going to compromise.

Just to clarify, the SA caps I got weren't from Tai-Hao. I seem to be forgetting to type sentences that I have in my head

.

One of the advantages of buying from Amazon: if the caps don't look right, you can easily exchange them. A couple of mine on that SA set looked a bit wonky, so I asked for a replacement. No problems.

I do get you that you're probably not going to be able to get a single cap from whatever no-name company I got my set from, but I can always go back to the original set or, more probably, buy a new set. There are so many pretty sets out there!

Posted: **17 Oct 2022, 15:36**

hellothere wrote: ↑
19 Jul 2022, 00:10
If you're just going to harvest the keyboard for key caps, there are at least one of us here (me) that wouldn't mind buying the rest.

Hey Man , iam selling the whole thing , are you still interested ?

Posted: **17 Oct 2022, 22:00**

Yup. PM shortly.

Posted: **22 Nov 2022, 10:56**

Well I'll be damned, seems the Toshiba - ALPS connection isn't a one time thing, my personal Toshiba T1500 Keyboard uses Alps SKCL switches

(about which I wrote my very first post)

Posted: **22 Nov 2022, 16:53**

The Laptop Lagger wrote: ↑
22 Nov 2022, 10:56
Well I'll be damned, seems the Toshiba - ALPS connection isn't a one time thing, my personal Toshiba T1500 Keyboard uses Alps SKCL switches

(about which I wrote my first post)

Very cool ! which version of the switch does it use ? greens ?

Posted: **23 Nov 2022, 17:05**

guidemetothelight wrote: ↑
22 Nov 2022, 16:53

The Laptop Lagger wrote: ↑
22 Nov 2022, 10:56
Well I'll be damned, seems the Toshiba - ALPS connection isn't a one time thing, my personal Toshiba T1500 Keyboard uses Alps SKCL switches

(about which I wrote my first post)
Very cool ! which version of the switch does it use ? greens ?

Yep! SKCL green, the keyboard is from (circa since I can't date it exactly) 1984 so it predates yellow by at least a few years.

Very happy with it myself, although at least 1 of the switches is dead it seems. I've got an XT to USB adapter on the way so I may be able to diagnose and fix it properly however.

Posted: **23 Nov 2022, 19:10**

The Laptop Lagger wrote: ↑
23 Nov 2022, 17:05
Yep! SKCL green, the keyboard is from (circa since I can't date it exactly) 1984 so it predates yellow by at least a few years.

Very happy with it myself, although at least 1 of the switches is dead it seems. I've got an XT to USB adapter on the way so I may be able to diagnose and fix it properly however.

I just looked at your T1500 , what a beautiful board ! Hope you get it working

I have a little Greens Alps Goodness to get to myself this december

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=27476

Posted: **23 Nov 2022, 20:07**

guidemetothelight wrote: ↑
23 Nov 2022, 19:10

The Laptop Lagger wrote: ↑
23 Nov 2022, 17:05
Yep! SKCL green, the keyboard is from (circa since I can't date it exactly) 1984 so it predates yellow by at least a few years.

Very happy with it myself, although at least 1 of the switches is dead it seems. I've got an XT to USB adapter on the way so I may be able to diagnose and fix it properly however.
I just looked at your T1500 , what a beautiful board ! Hope you get it working

I have a little Greens Alps Goodness to get to myself this december
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=27476

Just realized nobody interacted with you on that post

Best Alps Chassis period!

Posted: **23 Nov 2022, 20:32**

TNT wrote: ↑
23 Nov 2022, 20:07
Just realized nobody interacted with you on that post

hard knock life i guess

TNT wrote: ↑
23 Nov 2022, 20:07
Best Alps Chassis period!

Good to hear ! very stoked to get it back to its former glory

deskthority

Toshiba T3200 Alps Keyboard

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