The Oracle Answers

[Redmaus]

I can help you out there, Mimi.

I think you could find a Varmillo keyboard for an affordable price.

[Mimi]

Thanks Redmaus, this is exactly what i am looking for but looks like i just missed a Massdrop for the VB87M, nothing on ebay and any other similar sites any one have another resource i could use to find one of these?

[Redmaus]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Varmilo-VA87M-K ... 3641.l6368

Is that wireless?

[Blaise170]

No, but I'm thinking of selling my wireless Varmilo.

[Mimi]

blaise170, looks like we might need to talk

[Scarpia]

I am planning on doing my first keyboard build, and I have a bit of a n00b question:

Let's say I'm doing an Alps 60% build (spoiler: I am) and I am sourcing the switches, caps and stabs from, say, an AEKII or an AT101, and going for one of those layouts. I order a case from Aliexpress, and wait for the next Alps group buy. The group buy finally happens and I'm able to get a PCB and a plate matching the layout of my caps, that is, AEKII or AT101. As far as I can understand, this plate has to be match my specific desired layout, because apparently you can't make a multi-layout plate for Alps due to the stabs.

That's all well and good, BUT here's my question: If I already have the desoldered carcass of the donor board, then why would I need another plate? Both those boards are plate-mounted, so why don't people just cut the existing plate to fit a 60% case and save the cost of the new plate? In the GB's I've seen lately, those standard layout plates have sold like hotcakes, and I don't quite understand who would need them?

Is it just for people who are too lazy/timid/under-tooled to cut their plate? Is it just to get a nicer looking plate? Or just for those who have managed to throw away the plate from the donor board?

Or is there something about the plates in the donor boards that prevents them from being cut neatly and used in a 60% build?

[HzFaq]

Nothing to stop you using a donor plate, it's exactly what I did with my first Alps64 and what I'll be doing again with the second.

[scottc]

Nasty, rusty, bent old plates aren't the nicest. I had one of those and dumped it. Getting new plates cut is sometimes a much better option. I screwed up my Dell plate trying to cut it down to size (note - don't use an actual hacksaw).

[jhl2600]

Wise and all-knowing Oracle, is there a keyboard that meets the following criteria:

• White/beige
• 104 key
• Cherry MX Green switches
• Standard layout

[downtownHippie]

Oh wise Oracle, since your dumber younger brother Larry Ellison took over my keyboard source has vanished from the face of the earth.

I love my UNIX style keyboards, but the caps lock/control key is not the issue in the programmable keyboard world - the issue I'm facing is where and how big the backspace key is. On a traditional Sun/UNIX keyboard the backspace key is on the 2nd row BELOW the \| and `~ keys and only about 1.5 keys wide...I prayed to the Unicomp gods and a Sun Space Saver bucking spring bestowed upon me, and I like it. But I'd like to have more keycap choices and join with the others with Cherry style switches and be able to bathe in a variety of keycaps. I'd also prefer a tenkeyless 80% keyboard (another reason I'm looking beyond what the Unicomp gods have to offer). Massdrop had Sentraq TK78 kit that seemed to have an alternate key layout where the backspace key looked correctly sized/shaped/placed, but it was a 60% with the tenkey instead of the arrows and insert/del/home/end/pgup/pgdn set...

Is there another keyboard for me? I'm handy with a soldering iron and a dremel so I'm not afraid to DYI, but building PCBs is outside of my skill set...I'm also a 45yr old childless IT professional - the Sentraq would have been expensive but it wasn't outside my "budget"...

[Muirium]

1.5u Backspace you say? Correct answer!

You can move the caps around on a Model M (and indeed a Model F) quite a bit: including doing things like splitting the typical 2 unit Backspace into 2x 1 unit keys. There's a picture around here somewhere of all the options. Can't find it myself. So here's a pic of my Kishsaver, with a modified layout:



Doing stuff like this is *much* easier on IBMs than Cherry MX keyboards. But it does depend exactly what you're looking for. Pics / a diagram is probably required.

[downtownHippie]

You can move the caps around on a Model M (and indeed a Model F) quite a bit: including doing things like splitting the typical 2 unit Backspace into 2x 1 unit keys. There's a picture around here somewhere of all the options. Can't find it myself. So here's a pic of my Kishsaver, with a modified layout:

very nice, but I already have a hhkbd so I'm looking for more than a compact...looking for 80%...
thanks

[downtownHippie]

You can move the caps around on a Model M

I do see that there was an 80% Model M...thanks

[Muirium]

The SSK, I presume?

photos-f62/ibm-ssk-club-t2885.html

Obligatory NIB SSK pic:



SSKs are the most desirable, and highest price, form factor of Model Ms. I have mine (but not my new in box one!) in heavy rotation. They're epic boards.

[downtownHippie]

SSKs are the most desirable, and highest price, form factor of Model Ms.

couple SSK's on ebay right now - all $359, $459, $499 and $579...and not usb, or bt, or nkr...wow...

[emdude]

Well those (the used ones at least) are all asking for way too much. Realistically, it should be around 200 or so.

[photekq]

couple SSK's on ebay right now - all $359, $459, $499 and $579...and not usb, or bt, or nkr...wow...

Let's not forget that the $579 is both NIB and expertly bolt modded by 1avidcollector. I still don't think that price is too overpriced considering the rarity and expertise.

[downtownHippie]

Let's not forget that the $579 is both NIB and expertly bolt modded by 1avidcollector. I still don't think that price is too overpriced considering the rarity and expertise.

very true - NIB is pretty cool...and NIB upgraded - wow - just not sure I want to spend $600 to cut up NIB keyboard...

[scottc]

couple SSK's on ebay right now - all $359, $459, $499 and $579...and not usb, or bt, or nkr...wow...

Let's not forget that the $579 is both NIB and expertly bolt modded by 1avidcollector. I still don't think that price is too overpriced considering the rarity and expertise.

I think it's a rip-off considering that those two attributes are mutually exclusive...

But that's just because us Socialist European scum don't value the cost of an honest day's work. Since we're all communists and such. Right, M'er Forever aka 1avidcollector?

[photekq]

The only part that isn't brand new is the internals, and in the case of the internals you don't want brand new; you want bolt modded!

[Muirium]

Ah, Emmer. He's still at it!

No, I wouldn't pay that much either. My NIB SSK was $150, Cindy style. And my other two SSKs were fair prices too. I do have a lot more patience than money, however. Sometimes, if your wallet is willing, it can be worthwhile to splurge. But not for me. Even hypothetical rich Mu would still feel ripped off, and that's a whole other kind of price not worth paying. Not for a good Scot!

[adhoc]

Isn't yours not NiB as well, Mu? I'd call that LNiB.

[Muirium]

As well?

Far as I can tell, it's perfectly NIB. That picture I like posting of it highlights the apparent shine on the caps — look at Backspace and \ in particular — but having handled lots of Unicomp's caps, they seem to be manufactured that way. There was no dirt, no smooth patches on the case, no flaws that I could detect with the SSK. And I'm quite picky! Tellingly, the polystyrene is also clean and mint. The only wear is on the external box, which has been in warehouses most of the last 30 years.

Whatever condition it is technically, it was a bargain at the price. I'm keeping it in the box, a pristine relic from another age…

[adhoc]

Absolutely, the board looks stunning, no argument there. I was wondering what NiB really meant, I always thought of it as still sealed and LNiB being opened, but same condition as a new one.

[Muirium]

My understanding is that you mean "sealed in box". New in box is more general and a lot easier to sell: true SIB is impossible to take pictures of as you can't open the box!

In this case, me and a bunch of DTers were buying these NIB SSKs sight unseen from Cindy. Naturally we trust her—the Indiana Jones of recyclers!—and she knew what she'd found by part numbers and the design of the boxes. All I knew is I was getting a blue one. The box, you see…


post207271.html#p207271

But yes, it wasn't sealed. Not sure it had ever been opened before, either. Did IBM use those ubiqutous inner plastic bags that everything comes in nowadays all the way back then?

[adhoc]

No idea, never owned a SSK, let alone a new one. That's a type s, isn't it? I never should have sold mine. Ah well, live and learn (and lose money on the way :d).

So, the point about nib discussion was, if it's opened how do I know it's really new and not used? Surey if you opened it you tried at least a switch out, maybe if it works? At how many hours used/keys pressed is it no longer NiB then? You know what I mean?

I'm probably just over complicating things again.

[Scarpia]

The only part that isn't brand new is the internals, and in the case of the internals you don't want brand new; you want bolt modded!

I think you misspelled "screw and FSSK modded" there

[Alkhar]

Hello Oracle

How do you protect a beautiful old Cherry Case ?
I would love to use polish or something similar to protect it, but i dont know what product use.
Any idea ?

[Muirium]

I think everyone hates clear coated keyboards. So you probably don't want to do that if you want to ever sell the board for a good value one day!


@Adhoc: Overthinking it. The main thing about NIB is appearance. It needs to be spotless, no wear, no dirt. How long it takes any individual to dirty up a nice new board is down to them! I'm pretty good with boards, but that SSK is staying in it's pretty box. I've two more, after all.

[fohat]

In this case, me and a bunch of DTers were buying these NIB SSKs sight unseen from Cindy. Naturally we trust her—the Indiana Jones of recyclers!—and she knew what she'd found by part numbers and the design of the boxes.

But yes, it wasn't sealed. Not sure it had ever been opened before, either.

I got one, pretty sure that it was still sealed - albeit with horrible old yellowed cellophane tape.

But when I did break down and crack it open, I discovered that over 1/3 of the rivets were broken.