This evening's pickup. Found an Apple AEK II on Craigslist!
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- Location: Bensalem, PA, USA
- Main keyboard: IBM Model M
- Main mouse: Kensington Slimblade Trackball
- Favorite switch: Buckling Spring
- DT Pro Member: -
- Contact:
Not sure what switches those are. Can anyone identify them? Are they dampened cream or white?
- Myoth
- Location: Strasbourg
- Main keyboard: IDB60
- Main mouse: EC1-A
- Favorite switch: Cap BS
- DT Pro Member: -
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- Location: Bensalem, PA, USA
- Main keyboard: IBM Model M
- Main mouse: Kensington Slimblade Trackball
- Favorite switch: Buckling Spring
- DT Pro Member: -
- Contact:
Assembled in Japan. Mitsumi linear switches.
I was hoping to get the dampened cream switches.
I was hoping to get the dampened cream switches.
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- Location: Germany
i'd be happy to trade for a white dampened one, if you are interested.apastuszak wrote: ↑07 Oct 2022, 01:38Assembled in Japan. Mitsumi linear switches.
I was hoping to get the dampened cream switches.
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- Location: Stockholm, Sweden
- DT Pro Member: 0011
Don't knock them 'til you've tried them. The Mitsumi ones are a little bit more unusual also, I'd think.
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- Location: Bensalem, PA, USA
- Main keyboard: IBM Model M
- Main mouse: Kensington Slimblade Trackball
- Favorite switch: Buckling Spring
- DT Pro Member: -
- Contact:
Let me get my converter in and use it for a few weeks and I'll get back to you.inozenz wrote: ↑07 Oct 2022, 11:17i'd be happy to trade for a white dampened one, if you are interested.apastuszak wrote: ↑07 Oct 2022, 01:38Assembled in Japan. Mitsumi linear switches.
I was hoping to get the dampened cream switches.
- Muirium
- µ
- Location: Edinburgh, Scotland
- Main keyboard: HHKB Type-S with Bluetooth by Hasu
- Main mouse: Apple Magic Mouse
- Favorite switch: Gotta Try 'Em All
- DT Pro Member: µ
I've had a few AEKs (and proxied at least half a dozen more), but all of them were Alps so you're either unlucky or have an interesting one. The interpretation is up to you!
Definitely a good idea to give it a fair test. You might find you like it.
Definitely a good idea to give it a fair test. You might find you like it.
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- Location: Germany
sure, you can always dm me.apastuszak wrote: ↑07 Oct 2022, 14:03Let me get my converter in and use it for a few weeks and I'll get back to you.inozenz wrote: ↑07 Oct 2022, 11:17i'd be happy to trade for a white dampened one, if you are interested.apastuszak wrote: ↑07 Oct 2022, 01:38Assembled in Japan. Mitsumi linear switches.
I was hoping to get the dampened cream switches.
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- Location: Bensalem, PA, USA
- Main keyboard: IBM Model M
- Main mouse: Kensington Slimblade Trackball
- Favorite switch: Buckling Spring
- DT Pro Member: -
- Contact:
I need to retrobrite this thing. But don't want to spend the money on that till the adapter gets here and I can see that it works.
- doomsday_device
- Location: Germany
- Favorite switch: alps
rare specimen! pretty sure you could sell off easily if you dont like it.
if you have a minute it would be great to know what you think of the switches.
if you have a minute it would be great to know what you think of the switches.
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- Location: Bensalem, PA, USA
- Main keyboard: IBM Model M
- Main mouse: Kensington Slimblade Trackball
- Favorite switch: Buckling Spring
- DT Pro Member: -
- Contact:
Have to wait for the Tinkeyboy adapter to get here. 3-4 weeks from The Philippines to the US. I don't know if I have the patience to wait that long.doomsday_device wrote: ↑07 Oct 2022, 16:34rare specimen! pretty sure you could sell off easily if you dont like it.
if you have a minute it would be great to know what you think of the switches.
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- Location: Vermont
- Main keyboard: BFO-9000
- Main mouse: Logitech G600
- Favorite switch: MX Blues
- DT Pro Member: -
Making a TMK/QMK adapter is pretty easy if you have a spare ProMicro lying around.apastuszak wrote: ↑07 Oct 2022, 22:57Have to wait for the Tinkeyboy adapter to get here. 3-4 weeks from The Philippines to the US. I don't know if I have the patience to wait that long.doomsday_device wrote: ↑07 Oct 2022, 16:34rare specimen! pretty sure you could sell off easily if you dont like it.
if you have a minute it would be great to know what you think of the switches.
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- Location: Bensalem, PA, USA
- Main keyboard: IBM Model M
- Main mouse: Kensington Slimblade Trackball
- Favorite switch: Buckling Spring
- DT Pro Member: -
- Contact:
I do not.Lanrefni wrote: ↑08 Oct 2022, 02:28Making a TMK/QMK adapter is pretty easy if you have a spare ProMicro lying around.apastuszak wrote: ↑07 Oct 2022, 22:57Have to wait for the Tinkeyboy adapter to get here. 3-4 weeks from The Philippines to the US. I don't know if I have the patience to wait that long.doomsday_device wrote: ↑07 Oct 2022, 16:34rare specimen! pretty sure you could sell off easily if you dont like it.
if you have a minute it would be great to know what you think of the switches.
- hellothere
- Location: Mesa, AZ USA
- Main keyboard: Lots
- Main mouse: CST2545W-RC
- Favorite switch: TopreAlpsHallEffectTopreAlpsHallEffectTopreAlps
Drakware. I've used at least a half dozen of them.
They're Mitsumi Standard Mechanical tactile switches, not Mitsumi Miniature Mechanical, which is the one a lot of people don't like. I have no opinion on the Minis.
I've had two with the Standard Mechanicals. They feel reminiscent of salmon Alps, but not as smooth. But, yeah, you might find that you really like them.
They're Mitsumi Standard Mechanical tactile switches, not Mitsumi Miniature Mechanical, which is the one a lot of people don't like. I have no opinion on the Minis.
I've had two with the Standard Mechanicals. They feel reminiscent of salmon Alps, but not as smooth. But, yeah, you might find that you really like them.
- Muirium
- µ
- Location: Edinburgh, Scotland
- Main keyboard: HHKB Type-S with Bluetooth by Hasu
- Main mouse: Apple Magic Mouse
- Favorite switch: Gotta Try 'Em All
- DT Pro Member: µ
You’ll learn.
Honestly, I’ve at least 3 Teensy 2s still ready to go for such projects. Old keyboard restorer’s trick.
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- Location: Bensalem, PA, USA
- Main keyboard: IBM Model M
- Main mouse: Kensington Slimblade Trackball
- Favorite switch: Buckling Spring
- DT Pro Member: -
- Contact:
I ordered the Wombat ADB to USB adapter and it came in yesterday. I have the AEK II up and running.
These Mitsumi switches are linear and REALLY quiet. The space bar is pretty loud. But the rest of the switches are as quiet as a rubber dome keyboard.
Still want to get an AEK II with dampened ALPS cream switches. But so far, the typing experience on this keyboard has been very pleasant. It would be cool if I could get the power switch on the keyboard going.
Still waiting on my Tinkeyboy adapter to come in. I plan to flash that with QMK and try to set up a few macros.
These Mitsumi switches are linear and REALLY quiet. The space bar is pretty loud. But the rest of the switches are as quiet as a rubber dome keyboard.
Still want to get an AEK II with dampened ALPS cream switches. But so far, the typing experience on this keyboard has been very pleasant. It would be cool if I could get the power switch on the keyboard going.
Still waiting on my Tinkeyboy adapter to come in. I plan to flash that with QMK and try to set up a few macros.
- Muirium
- µ
- Location: Edinburgh, Scotland
- Main keyboard: HHKB Type-S with Bluetooth by Hasu
- Main mouse: Apple Magic Mouse
- Favorite switch: Gotta Try 'Em All
- DT Pro Member: µ
TMK can map that key to System Power, as I recall, which will sleep the computer but not power it up from cold. USB doesn’t have native support for starting up or powering the computer down like ADB does. You can get some of the way there with TMK/QMK or Karabiner though.
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- Location: Bensalem, PA, USA
- Main keyboard: IBM Model M
- Main mouse: Kensington Slimblade Trackball
- Favorite switch: Buckling Spring
- DT Pro Member: -
- Contact:
I don't need it to power off and on the computer. I'd just like to program it to do SOMETHING. Right now it's just a dead key.Muirium wrote: ↑16 Oct 2022, 22:59TMK can map that key to System Power, as I recall, which will sleep the computer but not power it up from cold. USB doesn’t have native support for starting up or powering the computer down like ADB does. You can get some of the way there with TMK/QMK or Karabiner though.
- Bjerrk
- Location: Copenhagen, Denmark
- Main keyboard: Cherry G80-1800 & Models F & M
- Main mouse: Mouse Keys, Trackpoint, Trackball
- Favorite switch: IBM Buckling Springs+Beamspring, Alps Plate Spring
In TMK/QMK ADB converters, that key behaves just like any other. I have it mapped to open a calculator, for instance. Murium just gave one example use for it.
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- Location: Bensalem, PA, USA
- Main keyboard: IBM Model M
- Main mouse: Kensington Slimblade Trackball
- Favorite switch: Buckling Spring
- DT Pro Member: -
- Contact:
The Tinkerboy adapter came in the mail today. I've had a chance to compare the Tinkerboy to the Wombat, and I have one immediate observation. On the Wombat, if you press down on CAPS LOCK on the AEK II with even the slightest force, it will engage caps lock. Even when the key is not locked. The AEK II has a locking CAPS LOCK key.
With the Tinkerboy, you have to lock the key in the down position in order to get CAPS LOCK engaged. So, my accidental engagement of CAPS LOCK with typing has gone away with the Tinkerboy.
With the Tinkerboy, you have to lock the key in the down position in order to get CAPS LOCK engaged. So, my accidental engagement of CAPS LOCK with typing has gone away with the Tinkerboy.
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- Location: Bensalem, PA, USA
- Main keyboard: IBM Model M
- Main mouse: Kensington Slimblade Trackball
- Favorite switch: Buckling Spring
- DT Pro Member: -
- Contact:
And another AEK II arrived today via Fedex. This one has Cream Dampened ALPS switches.
The foot on this one is broken, but from what I have seen online, that is not uncommon for this keyboard. I put some self-adhesive rubber feet in the back corners and I am good.
As expected, I much prefer the ALPS tactile switches over the Mutsumi linear ones.
This keyboard also has almost no yellowing, so no need to retr0brite this one. This one also has the function key overlay on it.
The foot on this one is broken, but from what I have seen online, that is not uncommon for this keyboard. I put some self-adhesive rubber feet in the back corners and I am good.
As expected, I much prefer the ALPS tactile switches over the Mutsumi linear ones.
This keyboard also has almost no yellowing, so no need to retr0brite this one. This one also has the function key overlay on it.
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- Location: Bensalem, PA, USA
- Main keyboard: IBM Model M
- Main mouse: Kensington Slimblade Trackball
- Favorite switch: Buckling Spring
- DT Pro Member: -
- Contact:
A note about the Wombat firmware. I reported the "problem" to them and I got a fixed firmware the next day from them. Very cool.apastuszak wrote: ↑19 Oct 2022, 23:08The Tinkerboy adapter came in the mail today. I've had a chance to compare the Tinkerboy to the Wombat, and I have one immediate observation. On the Wombat, if you press down on CAPS LOCK on the AEK II with even the slightest force, it will engage caps lock. Even when the key is not locked. The AEK II has a locking CAPS LOCK key.
With the Tinkerboy, you have to lock the key in the down position in order to get CAPS LOCK engaged. So, my accidental engagement of CAPS LOCK with typing has gone away with the Tinkerboy.
The Wombat is nice because it's a 2-way adapter. So you can use your old ADB keyboards and mice with a new computer, and you can use newer USB peripherals on older ADB Macs.