Odd Northgate Gold Label!

[Polecat]

This just popped up on ebay:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/333315674197

It's a Gen1 Northgate with a couple odd variations I haven't seen before. First it has a 1u backspace, with odd positions for the "floating" keys to accommodate that. Second, it has an on/off switch.

Third, it has a "1xxxxxxx" inspection number, which until now I had only seen on unbranded (badgeless) versions. Those were late examples, possibly built by the original vendor after the Gen2 Northgates were also being made.

edit: The unbranded 1xxxxxx examples on my list have 7 digit serial numbers. But I do have one other 1xxxxxxx 8 digit 102 on my list, until now the earliest gold label (Northgate branded) on record, with blue Alps switches, and ironically is my own. The ebay 102 above is even earlier, or at least has a lower inspection number. The Northgate serial numbers and dates were on a separate paper label, which is not present on this keyboard. So this is likely an even earlier 102 than mine, and suggests there was a different layout (and an on/off switch) on very early 102s.

There's no info on the switches, so we don't know if it has blue or white Alps (or something else entirely)? Has anyone ever seen one like this?

[//gainsborough]

I saw this one this morning but didn’t notice the 1u until you mentioned it, haha. I offered the guy 160, but I don’t think he’ll take it. If it’s blues its not a bad deal at its current price though!

[Polecat]

I saw this one this morning but didn’t notice the 1u until you mentioned it, haha. I offered the guy 160, but I don’t think he’ll take it. If it’s blues its not a bad deal at its current price though!

I wish I could afford to buy it just because. From the inspection number, or vendor serial number, whatever you want to call it, I'm thinking it's a very early example, and as such probably blue SKCM. My early example, #10208302, is dated July 1988, and has blue switches. It has the normal 2u backspace and layout. This one is #10206717. I don't have a clue what these numbers meant, but most gold label 102s have an "8xxxxxxx" number.

edit: I see they've updated the listing with a photo and mention of the (blue) switches...just before it sold.

[//gainsborough]

looks like someone got him to pull a cap to confirm blues. It's purchased now. I'm interested to see internals from whoever got it!

[Polecat]

looks like someone got him to pull a cap to confirm blues. It's purchased now. I'm interested to see internals from whoever got it!

Me too, hopefully someone here got it and will post details.

[Ducati_M]

Hello!

I'm the one that purchased it and would happily post pictures on here once I receive it hopefully this week.

[Polecat]

Congratulations! I'm really looking forward to seeing more of this one.

[Ducati_M]

Thanks! I've been wanting to try my hands on blue alps for a while since it's quite the competitor to the capacitive buckling spring. & I've read that the Northgate OmniKey is the vintage keyboard to have where the case is just solid. Finally, the largest itch of my life will finally be relieved (;

Unfortunately, alps in general can feel horribly gritty on how much dirt is inside of it. I do plan on trying to sunbathe the case to hopefully whiten it and give the inside a good cleaning. I might ultrasonic clean the switches and blow dry them with cool air.

Hopefully I enjoy them, if not, I guess I'll resell it.

[Polecat]

Thanks! I've been wanting to try my hands on blue alps for a while since it's quite the competitor to the capacitive buckling spring. & I've read that the Northgate OmniKey is the vintage keyboard to have where the case is just solid. Finally, the largest itch of my life will finally be relieved (;

Unfortunately, alps in general can feel horribly gritty on how much dirt is inside of it. I do plan on trying to sunbathe the case to hopefully whiten it and give the inside a good cleaning. I might ultrasonic clean the switches and blow dry them with cool air.

Hopefully I enjoy them, if not, I guess I'll resell it.

Blue Alps are definitely different than buckling spring. I won't say better or worse, because that's a preference thing.

Back in the late '80s I got the itch to try Alps switches, or more accurately a Northgate keyboard, after reading the reviews and ads in the computer magazines. A buddy and I drove 40 miles to a computer store across the bay when they advertised the Northgates on sale for $69 (regularly $99). We each had one in hand, ready to buy, but the washed-up-used-car-salesman couldn't get his computer to print a receipt, so he wouldn't sell us the keyboards. Disappointing, to say the least. A day or two later I was bitching to one of my customers about that, and he left and came back with a Leading Edge DC-2014, saying it had the same Alps switches as the Northgates. I plugged it into my XT clone that evening when I got home, and I've been using Alps keyboards ever since.

The Gen1 (gold label) Northgates are built differently than most other keyboards, having the plate attached to the top cover with screws, rather than just sandwiched by plastic. The heavy metal base helps also, but that was found on many early keyboards. The one you just bought is the earliest example of a Northgate I've ever seen, so I'm very interested in learning how it may differ from the "normal" Gen1 102 boards. The odd layout with the 1u backspace and the ON/OFF switch are both features I've never seen before.

Hopefully yours will be in good shape. To me a lot of the complaints about Alps switches are related to moisture/corrosion, or to later versions of the SKCM switches, which had different internal parts. I've personally had fantastic good luck with blues and early whites, and I don't do anything special to mine besides trying not to spill food or drink into them.

[Ducati_M]

That's frustrating! A handwritten invoice could've remedied that situation, although not recommended. I guess that salesman couldn't think outside the computer! Those are nice keyboards as well! I've always heard that they have amazing feels and tactility. Quite the roller-coaster in getting into the world of alps.

I contacted a different seller that's selling the same keyboard with the on/off switch and he said that, "It selects between "AT" or "XT mode."

I hope so too! You lucky duck. If I do have that problem, I'll have to look for a solution for it. I don't know how you do it but I cannot eat around my workplace. I'll leave greasy fingerprints everywhere lol

[Polecat]

That's frustrating! A handwritten invoice could've remedied that situation, although not recommended. I guess that salesman couldn't think outside the computer! Those are nice keyboards as well! I've always heard that they have amazing feels and tactility. Quite the roller-coaster in getting into the world of alps.

I contacted a different seller that's selling the same keyboard with the on/off switch and he said that, "It selects between "AT" or "XT mode."

I hope so too! You lucky duck. If I do have that problem, I'll have to look for a solution for it. I don't know how you do it but I cannot eat around my workplace. I'll leave greasy fingerprints everywhere lol

It's normal for the Gen1 Northgates to have an XT/AT switch. But the one you just bought has two switches, with the second labelled "ON/OFF". I'm assuming this disables the keyboard. It's not common on new computers, but back in the 286/386 days there was often a keyswitch on the front of the computer that disabled the keyboard so nobody could type while you were away. Perhaps Northgate put a similar switch on the back edge of the keyboard itself? In any case I have notes and photos from 41 Gen1 Northgates, and none of them but yours has an ON/OFF switch.

Likewise with the small backspace key. The normal Gen1 layout has a 2u (double-wide) backspace, with the backslash next to right shift and the tilde to the right of the spacebar. Yours is the only one I've seen with a different layout, probably because it's a very early example.

Finding a greasy fingerprint around here would be like finding a needle in a stack of needles.