Apple Keyboard II SMK

Daniel Beardsmore · 22 Mar 2014, 19:37

After finding an Apple Keyboard II lot on eBay (while researching wangs), I made another attempt to confirm whether the Apple Keyboard II was ever made by SMK. Success at last — Tammy from Apple Rescue of Denver has done a partial disassembly of both types and confirmed that one of them is indeed SMK:

http://www.applerescueofdenver.com/prod ... -ii-parts/

We can now see that it is definitely SMK (SMK branded case and PCB), and that it appears to be spring over membrane. I looks to be some sort of spring over membrane, but it's hard to tell from the photos. It looks like she has the pale cyan version; there is also a yellow version:

http://imgur.com/a/rVE55#20

Annoyingly, there isn't one listed for sale right now, but I'll see if I can get hold of one from her.

This is a good step in settling my fear that Monterey might not truly be SMK. We know have proof that at least some Alps-mount switches are real SMK.

Muirium · 22 Mar 2014, 19:51

Lots of variation indeed. I have the one on the right, if it's of any interest:

I don't envy you your archaeological quest, Prof. Beardsmore!

Daniel Beardsmore · 22 Mar 2014, 21:12

At least from my perspective, the one on the right is the bog standard one. I have one at the moment. The SMK one seems to be comparatively rare.

sjk · 10 May 2020, 13:03

Sorry for bumping an old thread, but pretty much nobody is discussing these particular keyboards.

I've got one of these with white switches. Probably a stupid question, but where does this spring go? I'm fairly sure (but not 100% sure) that it's got something to do with the numpad enter.

What seems obvious, putting it in the hole on the upper part of the enter key, doesn't work. There's a plunger on the key which goes right down to the bottom of the hole and leaves no room for a spring.

I wish I'd paid a bit more attention when dismantling it for cleaning. I thought it'd be obvious how everything goes back together.

Willy4876 · 12 May 2020, 00:08

I think that it goes under the spacebar. I pulled the numpad enter on mine and there is no spring there just a short wire stablizer. but if you pull the spacebar to the right there is a place for a spring.

sjk · 12 May 2020, 02:24

It's not the spacebar spring. I have the correct one under that key (it's a little smaller than the one in the photo).

So your keyboard matches mine with the same keyswitches? How strange. I'm sure the spring flew out when I removed the numpad enter. Maybe it wasn't even supposed to be there, and it fell down between the keys at some point and got stuck there...

Willy4876 · 12 May 2020, 03:28

Mine has yellow sliders instead of white. but other than that it looks the same. I checked under all of the large keys and the only spring that I saw was under the spacebar. Underneath the sliders there are also smaller springs which actually actuate the the switch(?)/membrane(?). Try pulling the sliders. They just pull straight out. You might be able to fell a missing spring by looking for a difference between key feel after the dome collapses.

Willy4876 · 12 May 2020, 03:31

Alternately, if you have either an ADB converter, or an old apple computer with ADB you could just look for the switch which doesn't actuate, or actuates lower than the others.

sjk · 13 May 2020, 03:19

The sliders all have their springs installed. The keys feel okay when pressing down too. I got the keyboard just recently and it was pretty dirty so I totally dismantled it for cleaning. This spring is the only part unaccounted for.

If yours doesn't have this spring anywhere then I'm leaning towards it's not even supposed to be there and a previous owner dropped it down between the keys. Although, it seems too wide to fit between the keys... But I can't think of any other logical explanation.

I'll just leave it out then. Maybe I'll tape it to the bottom of the keyboard just in case one day I need it.

Thanks for checking your keyboard for me.

Willy4876 · 14 May 2020, 02:07

No problem.

joebeazelman · 15 May 2020, 07:20

I have a ton of Monterrey blues (SMK 2nd GEN blue) switches I plan to salvage from some broken PCBs. Are they transplantable onto any or all of these SKM keyboards? I like the form factor and it would make a great ANSI layout keyboard. The main concern would be the pin layout of the switch. The keycaps could also pose a problem, but I wouldn't mind transplanting them from an Apple Extended Keyboard II, which has the ho hum dampened ALPS. Will there be any issues with keycaps?