Vintage find: 2 NOS Maxi-Switch Kaypro replacement keyboards

[mr_a500]

I just got these new Maxi-Switch keyboards, made in 1984:

NEW.jpg

...but I didn't just uselessly buy these vintage keyboards because they were pretty (..for once) - no, I have two Kaypros with worn keyboards that I want to replace with brand new ones.

They're definitely new, never used. One was opened to take pictures, but the other one obviously hadn't been opened for decades. The tape was so old, it disintegrated when I removed it. It even has "new keyboard smell" (off-gassing toxic plastic vapours). You can see the perfect texture on the keys:

KayproNEW.jpg

Maxi-Man strikes again:

MaxiMan.jpg

The date of birth:

Date.jpg

Here's one of the old keyboards to be replaced, from the Kaypro "New 2" (that's what it's called). As you can see, the texture has worn off many of the keys. This keyboard was made by SMK (also 1984), not Maxi-Switch. The font is identical. (but Maxi-Switch version has "BELL" on G key)

KayproNew2.jpg

SMK logo on back of "New 2":

KayproNew2SMK.jpg

Here is the second old keyboard, from the Kaypro II - another SMK board, made in 1982. It has a different font from the newer ones. I like this older font better, but I'd rather have brand new keys.

KayproII.jpg

SMK logo on II:

KayproIISMK.jpg

[mr_a500]

Here are the switches on the Kaypro II (SMK):

KayproIIswitch.jpg

KayproIIswitches.jpg

Notice where the 9 key was on the Kaypro II keypad, the switch housing is blue. There are other blue switches randomly placed on this board. Obviously you can't assume a keyboard is Maxi-Switch by removing one key and checking if it's blue.

Switches on the Maxi-Switch keyboard (out of focus, but my batteries were dying):

KayproNEWswitches.jpg

(There is white stuff under the keycaps - lithium grease?)

Besides the Kaypro II font difference, the Kaypro II keys are thicker, more angled and the top is smaller and rounder:

KayproKeys.jpg

(I like that style better, but until I find brand new 1982 keys, I'll have to live with it )

I transferred the blue keycaps to the new board (have to keep those!), reassembled, et voila! - brand new keyboards in my Kaypros:

Done.jpg

[Okeg]

Very nice, and an impressive collection.
The keyboards looks nice, and they probably feel great, eventhough i'm not familiar with the switches.
Btw, i've been wanting to get into retrocomputing and i was looking for some suggestions. It must fit these criterias: Be easy and hopefully cheap to ship(I live in norway and the assortment of retrocomputers here is slim.), and have be command-line based(I hate gui.)

[mr_a500]

Btw, i've been wanting to get into retrocomputing and i was looking for some suggestions. It must fit these criterias: Be easy and hopefully cheap to ship(I live in norway and the assortment of retrocomputers here is slim.), and have be command-line based(I hate gui.)

Get one of these:


It has ALPS switches, double-shot keycaps, is fairly cheap these days (around $50), fairly light & small - so cheap to ship, has internal BASIC and word processor, lasts 21 hours on 4 AA batteries and saves the RAM state (written document, BASIC program) when turning off. Not bad for 1983, eh? Get the 32k model.

I've got the 24k model, but also have the 1MB Rex chip and SD card reader.

[Okeg]

Wow, that seems to solve two problems for me, my vintage lust and my need for a "notebook". Would it be possible to change out the alps with for example the quieter matias alps?
Also, could a get a picture of it without a key?

[mr_a500]

I don't know why you'd want to bother changing the ALPS. It's not that loud. There's even a bit of felt to dampen sound:

TRS ALPS.jpg

(I also bought this one "new in box". Oh how I love "new" vintage. The only way to get any better is to travel through time.)

If you want even quieter, get the 1986 Model 102 - which I hear is quieter, though not as nice to type on.

Don't expect to do much with this thing though. It's mainly only useful for typing notes. Any program you can get for it is written in BASIC and is slow. (but it's nice that you always see the code and can modify it)

[Okeg]

well, it'll be used in a school environment.
And that's exactly what i need, something to take notes on.
Thanks for the help, I shall now try to not hijack your thread.

[Daniel Beardsmore]

OK, now that's fascinating.

Too bad the branding is on the bottom instead of the top, as it would be interesting to see whether the random blue ones say "Maxi" or "SMK" on the bottom.

There's a suggestion that some sort of changeover occurred sometime around 1984, with all-black SMK being older (my SMK switches are likely to be 1984 or earlier; I've asked what revision of BBC B they came out of).

[kbdfr]

Btw, i've been wanting to get into retrocomputing and i was looking for some suggestions. It must fit these criterias: Be easy and hopefully cheap to ship(I live in norway and the assortment of retrocomputers here is slim.), and have be command-line based(I hate gui.)

Get one of these:


It has ALPS switches, double-shot keycaps, is fairly cheap these days (around $50), fairly light & small - so cheap to ship, has internal BASIC and word processor, lasts 21 hours on 4 AA batteries and saves the RAM state (written document, BASIC program) when turning off. Not bad for 1983, eh? Get the 32k model.

I've got the 24k model, but also have the 1MB Rex chip and SD card reader.

Same innards than the Tandy TRS-80 but in a different case: NEC PC8201A and Olivetti M10. The Olivetti one has a tilting display:



Size: quite exactly like a DIN A4 paper sheet, weight: under 2 kg.

(still off-topic, I know, but I think useful information)

[Daniel Beardsmore]

From Wouter Scholten's site it appears that the BBC Micro used (all black) SMK-branded switches in the 1984 production runs (Futaba in 1981–1983, and SMK and PED in 1984; the Master, introduced in 1986, used a cheaper, smaller and much less reliable Futaba switch before switching to Cherry MY).

[Muirium]

These were the kind of computer I should have owned, back in the day when "real laptops" lasted an hour on battery in reality, and when the internet was still out of reach.

[mr_a500]

From Wouter Scholten's site it appears that the BBC Micro used (all black) SMK-branded switches in the 1984 production runs (Futaba in 1981–1983, and SMK and PED in 1984; the Master, introduced in 1986, used a cheaper, smaller and much less reliable Futaba switch before switching to Cherry MY).

Fascinating. I always liked the look of the BBC Micro keyboard and wanted to get one - but it seems, just like most computers of the era, there are multiple keyboard manufacturers and you have to be careful about which version you get.

[terrycherry]

Nice found! Is the "Brown slider begie shell" linear?(from Kaypro II, SMK, blue keycap one)
How about the another brand new Kaypro II(SMK) having the same color as the blue keycap one?
Are they having the (Linear)Pale blue slider and lacthing lock inside?