IDENTIFY THE KEYBOARD thread

[swampangel]

I have a possibility to buy this box of keyboards. I have only four photos of it, the box is already sealed and ready for shipping.
Can you someone indetify keyboards - the whites one?

Two of those are Acer keyboards (in the box, bottom left and 2nd-from-bottom right, the ones with the vertical lines on the base)

They could be 60xx-series (white alps), 63xx (acer switch) or 65xx (slider-over-dome, some of them have alps mount keycaps but I don't know if that's the only option).

[hrbatik.h]

I made some research now and maybe one KB could be Hewlett Packard HP C1405B

[Findecanor]

In the box: 2nd from-top right: Mitsumi KPQ. Middle vertical: Key Tronic KT-800 cheap rubber dome.
The four with dark feet are the HP rubber dome, in the image above. The thick curved keyboard must be the one with the in-key lock-lights. That leaves the top/right, which I suspect would be a modern rubber dome.

[hrbatik.h]

Oh, great, thanks. I hope that will be worth - the whole box is for 22$, so I think good price

[Muirium]

To be honest, that board has nineties rubber dome written all over it. The case shape and the windows keys… to a trained eye it’s as obvious as the black one above it!

[ppCircle]

Any idea what is that?

For me it looks like chicony 5161 with aruz switches. I through they are only in Tai-Hao TH-5539.

Friend got two of them. And yes, white switch is white alps.

[Findecanor]

The FCC ID leads to OEM "Meng Chieng Trading Co Ltd" in Taiwan. I've never heard of them before, and the only hit on Google was to FCC's grantee page itself .. which is peculiar.
There seem to be a number of people named Meng Chieng though.

[uttindar]

This gives a slight Cherry vibes but it's probably not Cherry. Although doesn't look like Chicony\Keytronics either.
Could be something good?

[Muirium]

The red legends are pretty cool. The overall vibe: hmm. The chassis is a bit too slimline and those Windows keys are always a bad sign. But it could be worth a punt.

Anyone recognise it?

[Rezene]

The seller of this keyboard claims that it has blue alps with no proof. Is there any way to tell if its white or blue?

[Polecat]

The seller of this keyboard claims that it has blue alps with no proof. Is there any way to tell if its white or blue?

I have over 300 Focus boards in my database, and by the serial number that one is well into white Alps territory. That isn't "proof", but it's very unlikely to have blue Alps unless someone swapped the switches.

[Rezene]

The seller of this keyboard claims that it has blue alps with no proof. Is there any way to tell if its white or blue?

I have over 300 Focus boards in my database, and by the serial number that one is well into white Alps territory. That isn't "proof", but it's very unlikely to have blue Alps unless someone swapped the switches.

Thank you. I won't buy unless he provides pictures

[Polecat]

No pictures with a keycap off, but it's now listed as having "Alps SKCM White switches".

[Rezene]

No pictures with a keycap off, but it's now listed as having "Alps SKCM White switches".

yea I messaged him and he said that he didn't realize it had white alps and updated the listing. Apparently someone else bought it before that and he canceled the order or something

[Polecat]

Probably not a bad deal still. That one's from around 1990 or 1991, fairly early in the white Alps timeline.

[Rezene]

Probably not a bad deal still. That one's from around 1990 or 1991, fairly early in the white Alps timeline.

I thought about it because I'm looking for a white alps board and that one is pretty clean, but I think I'd prefer to get something like an omnikey

[cli]

I thought about it because I'm looking for a white alps board and that one is pretty clean, but I think I'd prefer to get something like an omnikey

Omnikeys are very good... Look for a good copy with Alps Pine white switches, the later models had Bamboo switches and I saw even one with simplified Alps. The Bamboo switches are not bad, but given the choice I would pay extra for Pine switches.

[Rezene]

I thought about it because I'm looking for a white alps board and that one is pretty clean, but I think I'd prefer to get something like an omnikey

Omnikeys are very good... Look for a good copy with Alps Pine white switches, the later models had Bamboo switches and I saw even one with simplified Alps. The Bamboo switches are not bad, but given the choice I would pay extra for Pine switches.

which models had pine alps? I'm not very familiar with omnikeys and the switches that they came in.

[Polecat]

which models had pine alps? I'm not very familiar with omnikeys and the switches that they came in.

Aaaah, but this is the World of Alps, where nothing is ever that simple! There were internal changes to Alps SKCM blue switches, and to white SKCM within the Pine period, so not all were created equal. Add to that condition, and differences between keyboards that affect sound and feel. Plus differences in individual preferences. I have probably forty or fifty Alps keyboards here, including 14 Northgates, and there are some major differenes in sound and feel between the different models. Another keyboard of the same model, even with the "same" switches, may sound and feel completely different. You have to try a specific keyboard to see if you're going to like it. That said, most people prefer the earlier versions of the Alps switches. I don't think anyone knows the whole story of the changes in Alps switches, but there's some good info here in the posts and wiki if you dig for it. Maybe some day.

Strangely, despite having a big and loyal following, there isn't a lot of info available for the Omnikey keyboards. Basically they can be divided into four generations.

Gen1 was the gold label version, available only in the 102 model. Blue or white Pine Alps switches. F-keys on the left, and Ctrl above left shift. Double shot keycaps. Those had the (arguably) best switches, but the layout isn't for everyone. And being the oldest version, condition is especially important.

Gen2 had a blue/gray label and white Pine Alps switches, 3 or 8 dipswitches accessible through a slot on the back edge, and a detachable cable. Double shot keycaps. Some had ADB connections as well as PS/2. Models (spotted so far) were 102, Plus, 101I, OmniMac, Ultra, and 101NCS. Ctrl and CapsLock could be swapped by flipping a switch and swapping caps (provided).

Gen3 had a blue/gray label on a hinged door with dipswitches underneath. Detachable cable. Double shot keycaps. Switches changed from Pine to Bamboo (white) Alps sometime during this period, but to me the switches were already in decline before that happened. Ctrl and CapsLock again swappable by dipswitch. Models spotted are 102, Ultra, 101, Ultra-T, and Ultra-T OB.

Gen4 Omnikeys were programmable, with an LED for programming in the up arrow switch. No dipswitches, but the door on top is still there. This was the only version with Windows keys. The EEPROM which stored the programming frequently dies, but can be removed to restore normal (non-programmable) operation. Cable was not detachable. Simplified Alps switches (SKBM) on most or all examples. Keycaps were printed (not double shot) on later Gen4s. Some were branded Avant Prime (101) or Avant Stellar (Ultra-T). Avants were also available in black. Models were 102P, 101P, Ultra TP, and the Evolution ergo.

I'd post photos and more detailed info, but that should really go in the wiki and that's way beyond me on how to do it.,

[kralcifer]

I've recently come across some older keyboards and would like to share and ask questions about them. This is my first post so please correct me on etiquette.

This post is about one of 3 identical Key Tronic keyboards I received.

Key Tronic OEM for Microstar Labs


plastic top, metal bottom case
[/spoiler]

FCC ID: CIG8AVKB5151 lookup says 1987-10-22 which is later than case and pcb?
[/spoiler]

Seems like Key Tronic may have numbered consecutively across all models
[/spoiler]

case indicates date of August 1984


PCB indicates date of November 1984


Foam and foil switches


closer look, double shot keycaps


close up of slider and switch in plate


back of switch plate showing foam and foil pads


top side of PCB showing where the foil on the pads meets the PCB when switch is pressed down


bottom side of PCB

[kralcifer]

haha, was trying to figure out whether to attach or do imgur. Couldn't find the attach so did imgur but just as I posted I saw the attachment tab at the bottom of the full editor page. I would think either are fine but please let me know if there's a preference.

[kralcifer]

I first went to the deskthority wiki to find my keyboards and most were not there. I'd love to add to the wiki. Are people still updating it?

[kralcifer]

Is there a way to put a imgur gallery post link into here to bring in a sequence of images and their text or do I really need to do it the long way that I just did by copying each image bbcode tag and the text and pasting in the editor?

[DDD]

Very good. I advice you post the topic here first and link it to the wiki for reference. Let some professional people do it is the suggest.

[Polecat]

Very good. I advice you post the topic here first and link it to the wiki for reference. Let some professional people do it is the suggest.

...which leads back to the question, is there someone here who will take the info and photos for a particular keyboard and properly post it on the wiki? I also have several keyboards I'd like to see added, as well as a growing database of info and photos on Northgate, Focus, and Monterey boards.

[DDD]

It will be, but need more waiting. If you just post some photo with simple real info is good to post on wiki, add professional task is not the suggestion. The professional task should be the wrong info. I've seen much wrong info out there and lead people to learn it.

[Keybug]

This pile (slightly different pics in eBay auction) went to someone for almost 60€. Not sure if it was a great deal.

I can see one really beaten up Wyse board, a very yellowed board with space invaders and at least one keycap missing (the 'Columbia'-branded one could be another Hi-Tek?), one Cherry Krankenkassen-board, one Cherry Artist - never any good, at least one other WKL G80/1-3000, a couple rubber domes, that MCI board looks like BTC foam and foil. One Fujitsu board seems to be hiding at the very bottom. The grey one at the top of the pile - no idea! The very yellowed one at the top of the picture also looks interesting...

[ppCircle]

This pile (slightly different pics in eBay auction) went to someone for almost 60€. Not sure if it was a great deal.

I can see one really beaten up Wyse board, a very yellowed board with space invaders and at least one keycap missing (the 'Columbia'-branded one could be another Hi-Tek?), one Cherry Krankenkassen-board, one Cherry Artist - never any good, at least one other WKL G80/1-3000, a couple rubber domes, that MCI board looks like BTC foam and foil. One Fujitsu board seems to be hiding at the very bottom. The grey one at the top of the pile - no idea! The very yellowed one at the top of the picture also looks interesting...

Imo it's worth the money. I think i saw that gray keyboard on the top some time ago but i don't remember what is that. It uses those weird units keycaps like zenith.

[Findecanor]

The one at the top is a keyboard Key Tronic made for Hewlett Packard, but it looks like winkeyless innards put in a case for the model with Windows keys. The Windows key-variants have 1.25u modifiers, not 1.5u-1u-1.5u.

[4sStylZ]

Here is some french auction that I cannot identify : 

nixdorf.jpg (73.24 KiB) Viewed 7674 times

nixdorf3.jpg (47.85 KiB) Viewed 7674 times

nixdorf2.jpg (60.22 KiB) Viewed 7674 times

It supposed to be a Nixdorf keyboard. All the pictures are from the same board.