"Vandal-proof" K-TEK-A361-MTB trackball keyboard

[sharktastica]

Saw this strange thing on eBay (UK). I couldn't find a previous mention of it here, so thought I'd post it.

s-l1600.jpg (190.75 KiB) Viewed 1478 times

Photo from the listing.

The best details the listing and its manufacturer website says about the keys is that they are "carbon-on-gold" switches. It's got a 38.1mm trackball and is rated IP65. Probably the most interesting things about it for me are the web-centric keys, but those single-unit modifiers, tab, and backspace wouldn't suit me personally at all.

If you're curious, the eBay listing (I don't intend to buy it): https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/K-TEK-A361-M ... 3845680455.

And the website: http://key-tek.cn/Productview.asp?id=119. Be warned that there's pesky Adobe Flash elements on it!

[Findecanor]

Ewww. I remember those. They were part of the terminals at the local rail-way station some twenty years ago.

[kmnov2017]

Most public kiosks have some form of this metal keyboard. The key feel is horrible.

[sharktastica]

Ewww. I remember those. They were part of the terminals at the local rail-way station some twenty years ago.

Guess I should glad I haven't came across this one yet!

Most public kiosks have some form of this metal keyboard. The key feel is horrible.

Interesting! I've seen something similar without the trackball a few times here in Wales (and once a trackballed one at a library I used to go to when I was young), but I thought most public terminals had long switched to touchscreens (for better or for worst). I'm relatively young (22) so I don't completely remember pre-touch age that this would have been prevalent in.