Unicomp APL keyset - WOW!

green-squid · 18 Mar 2018, 21:51

Thank you! Good luck with your hunting too!

snoopy · 18 Mar 2018, 23:10

Don't expect too much from the unicomp apl keycapset. The original ibm set looks way better. The unicomp ones look kind of faded. Here's a good comparison in the last picture photos-f62/apl-unsaver-pictures-t8722.html

Elrick · 19 Mar 2018, 02:30

snoopy wrote: Don't expect too much from the unicomp apl keycapset. The original ibm set looks way better.

Why do you think EVERY one and his dog are buying the older gear instead of buying anything Unicomp produces today?

Hence the great Flebay rip-off in pricing for all those old IBM keyboards. If Unicomp actually produced something of QUALITY then this wouldn't be the current situation at all but alas it is for all of us who love IBM hardware.

green-squid · 19 Mar 2018, 06:08

snoopy wrote: Don't expect too much from the unicomp apl keycapset. The original ibm set looks way better. The unicomp ones look kind of faded. Here's a good comparison in the last picture photos-f62/apl-unsaver-pictures-t8722.html

Looks fine to me.

green-squid · 19 Mar 2018, 06:16

Elrick wrote:
snoopy wrote: Don't expect too much from the unicomp apl keycapset. The original ibm set looks way better.
Why do you think EVERY one and his dog are buying the older gear instead of buying anything Unicomp produces today?

Hence the great Flebay rip-off in pricing for all those old IBM keyboards. If Unicomp actually produced something of QUALITY then this wouldn't be the current situation at all but alas it is for all of us who love IBM hardware.

Unicomp are the only ones making this keyset anymore. And they are selling it for a reasonable price.

Elrick · 19 Mar 2018, 06:30

green-squid wrote: Unicomp are the only ones making this keyset anymore. And they are selling it for a reasonable price.

No one is complaining about the cost BUT the QUALITY is not there. If they want more money for their work, then I would be the FIRST one in line to pay it.

BUT I want FIRST CLASS QUALITY for that amount of money otherwise far better to buy the older sets off Flebay these days.

PlacaFromHell · 19 Mar 2018, 18:22

Elrick wrote:
green-squid wrote: Unicomp are the only ones making this keyset anymore. And they are selling it for a reasonable price.
No one is complaining about the cost BUT the QUALITY is not there. If they want more money for their work, then I would be the FIRST one in line to pay it.

BUT I want FIRST CLASS QUALITY for that amount of money otherwise far better to buy the older sets off Flebay these days.

Yeah, Unicomp sucks. Wrong custom printed keycaps, keyboards who mechanically die in months, wrong membrane replacement shippings and even more bizarre testimonies, all with a nice and beautiful "first class quality price"

FXT · 19 Mar 2018, 18:40

I don't think $30 is a "first class quality price" for a full PBT dyesub keyset. Yes there's quality issues but their support is pretty good at getting you replacement caps should there be any issues.

green-squid · 19 Mar 2018, 19:06

FXT wrote: I don't think $30 is a "first class quality price" for a full PBT dyesub keyset. Yes there's quality issues but their support is pretty good at getting you replacement caps should there be any issues.

I agree. I don't like Unicomp in many ways, but we shouldn't completely disregard them for what they do. And not everyone has deep pockets!

daedalus · 19 Mar 2018, 19:57

In case it's not obvious already - the APL keyset in that picture from Amazon, and the original pic are not the same layout - the 'orange' set is the IBM APL2 layout, whereas the blue set is the layout for Dyalog APL. See https://support.pckeyboard.com/knowledg ... article=73

I'm sure if you requested the IBM APL layout with orange legends, they could do something for you. On their part, while it's a bit shit that they didn't update their site's pictures, it's a pretty good idea since Dyalog APL is far more popular and easily available than IBM APL2.

(I would suspect, unless there's an enclave of APL aficionados in Unicomp's corridors, that this was probably a request from APL programmers looking for a more up-to-date APL keyboard)

I actually have a set of the Dyalog keys arriving tomorrow, will show off a picture vs the older Unicomp set I have which has the orange legends and IBM APL2 layout.

green-squid · 19 Mar 2018, 20:18

daedalus wrote: In case it's not obvious already - the APL keyset in that picture from Amazon, and the original pic are not the same layout - the 'orange' set is the IBM APL2 layout, whereas the blue set is the layout for Dyalog APL. See https://support.pckeyboard.com/knowledg ... article=73

I'm sure if you requested the IBM APL layout with orange legends, they could do something for you. On their part, while it's a bit shit that they didn't update their site's pictures, it's a pretty good idea since Dyalog APL is far more popular and easily available than IBM APL2.

(I would suspect, unless there's an enclave of APL aficionados in Unicomp's corridors, that this was probably a request from APL programmers looking for a more up-to-date APL keyboard)

I actually have a set of the Dyalog keys arriving tomorrow, will show off a picture vs the older Unicomp set I have which has the orange legends and IBM APL2 layout.

Thank you! I'm not familar with APL because it looks kind of complicated. Or is it?

FXT · 19 Mar 2018, 20:54

It's my understanding that APL has a very steep learning curve, but allows more code to be written using fewer lines of code. I'm only familiar with Java though, so take my word with a grain of salt.

daedalus · 19 Mar 2018, 20:55

It's a niche language for numeric applications, and is pretty well entrenched in the financial sector from what I have heard.

depletedvespene · 19 Mar 2018, 22:02

Dingster wrote: Colored blank modifier keys from unicomp,... then there are the buckling spring artisans which are expenive as all hell and in my opinion not worth it. You can also try and get your hands on a ruined YU layout model M (what I have), it has a lot of keycaps with side printing

Show us those keycaps!

Blaise170 · 20 Mar 2018, 18:16

Yeah don't feel too bad about the money. Sometimes I have bought things which I have lost 2-3 times what I paid for it while other times things I find for dirt cheap can be sold later at a price many magnitudes higher than what I paid. Eventually I'll get back down to 4-5 keyboards and be done with it, I think I have around 30 laying around work and home right now.

Phenix · 20 Mar 2018, 19:51

pardon but you can't waste money on keyboards: its called investment, unless you buy a mainstream Razer/.... board.

thanks for sharing the pictures: looks really neat! however we all know that these keycaps have to be worn on a Model F - I guess all will agree with me that the Model F is superior to the M in nearly every aspect - even the layout is decent on most (not counting the F XT

, to each his own),

FXT · 20 Mar 2018, 20:08

Phenix wrote: pardon but you can't waste money on keyboards: its called investment, unless you buy a mainstream Razer/.... board.

thanks for sharing the pictures: looks really neat! however we all know that these keycaps have to be worn on a Model F - I guess all will agree with me that the Model F is superior to the M in nearly every aspect - even the layout is decent on most (not counting the F XT , to each his own),

I've used an F XT as my main board for a few months now and I actually like the layout now that I'm used to it. Great board, I much prefer it to my F AT.

Techno Trousers · 21 Mar 2018, 03:23

For selected IBM keyboard pimpage, this guy does some incredible dye subbing on buckling spring caps. I think he might take commissions for custom work too. In the past he's had compete keysets up for sale too... But if $30 is too much for you for a complete key set, then fuggetaboutit.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/DecentKeyboards/items

Phenix · 21 Mar 2018, 15:24

Techno Trousers wrote:For selected IBM keyboard pimpage, this guy does some incredible dye subbing on buckling spring caps. I think he might take commissions for custom work too. In the past he's had compete keysets up for sale too... But if $30 is too much for you for a complete key set, then fuggetaboutit.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/DecentKeyboards/items

And please do not look at SA or GMK sets you might be scared of the prices asked and payed for them

green-squid · 21 Mar 2018, 17:29

Techno Trousers wrote: For selected IBM keyboard pimpage, this guy does some incredible dye subbing on buckling spring caps. I think he might take commissions for custom work too. In the past he's had compete keysets up for sale too... But if $30 is too much for you for a complete key set, then fuggetaboutit.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/DecentKeyboards/items

It's a good price, but don't have the money rn.