Philips P2812

Kurk · 06 Jan 2013, 15:27

: Philips_Data_Entry_smallpic.jpg (84.78 KiB) Viewed 7023 times

I've bought this Philips P2812 keyboard which was advertised as a "Philips data entry keyboard". From the blurry pictures in the ad, I was hoping for a re-branded Model F. Meh, should have done more research. As far as I know now, it was sold with a Philips P3105 personal computer. This baby needed some serious cleaning but it came out rather well.
It has linear NMB Hi-Tek "space invader" switches which, in my opinion, feel rather similar to Cherry MX blacks. They are a pain to clean because the slider (space invader face) comes off with the key cap and putting this back on the base can be fiddly. Surprisingly, there aren't any stabilizers underneath the larger keys except for the space bar.
The legends look dye-subbed and the caps feel like PBT, not sure though.
The board doesn't seem to work on modern day PCs, although it comes with an AT DIN plug (5 connectors in a 180 degree arc); not via a DIN->PS/2 adapter nor with a DIN->PS/2->USB adapter chain. The LEDs light on shortly so the power should be ok. I haven't tried Soarer's converter yet, though.
DT user maxrunner apparently had a NIB one: http://deskthority.net/marketplace-f11/ ... tml#p89822

More pictures behind the spoiler.

Spoiler:

Kurk · 06 Jan 2013, 15:31

More pics:

Spoiler:

maxmalkav · 06 Jan 2013, 15:53

NMB are a nice switch if you like stiff ones. Do you find them totally linear of feel some tactility?

maxrunner · 06 Jan 2013, 16:22

Yep, i still have it. It's not mine but the owner wants to sell it. I can also confirm it doesn't work on modern machines. But i don't know about that converter Kurrk.

Kurk · 06 Jan 2013, 17:51

maxmalkav wrote:NMB are a nice switch if you like stiff ones. Do you find them totally linear of feel some tactility?

I feel no tactility whatsoever.

Daniel Beardsmore · 06 Jan 2013, 19:38

It's the tactile ones that confound me. I've concluded that the white follower arm at the back of black and cyan switches is the clicker, but I cannot identify anything in the remaining switches that makes them tactile. The linear switches in the keyboard above just look the same as tactile switches, i.e. completely linear. Also, what purpose the "eyes" serve, as some switches have them, and some don't. Eyes seem to be on the clicky ones, but some grey (tactile) ones have them, too.

NMB are on my growing list of people and companies who haven't responded (including Futaba, Monterey and SMK). It should be possible to get some details out of NMB — year introduced (probably 1985), year discontinued etc. Possibly specs. Preferably the correct product name!

Also, scroll down to the bottom of http://www7.ocn.ne.jp/~hisao/jiku.htm — there's a soap-dispenser-handle one that I've never seen anywhere else, alongside the typical blind white one, and the grey variety that does have eyes. And another Omron variety (slider with flat front and back instead of stepped). He doesn't say what keyboard that was in.

The keyboard cleaned up well, though; you should post that to the wiki too. Looks like it's an XT keyboard from a Philips P3100 or P3105 XT clone: http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=5362.0

Daniel Beardsmore · 06 Jan 2013, 19:43

Ah, same as this Tandon version of the Hi-Tek 725: http://deskthority.net/keyboards-f2/pic ... t3909.html

What colour is the spacebar slider? They're often different.

maxrunner · 07 Jan 2013, 16:27

Still trying to sell the one i have if anyone is interested.

Daniel Beardsmore · 07 Jan 2013, 16:43

Tactile?

maxrunner · 07 Jan 2013, 17:52

It feels like the linear black MX's. Specifically the stiffness is identical too.

Daniel Beardsmore · 07 Jan 2013, 17:55

Ah, no, I'd be interested in a tactile or clicky one just to figure out how the blighters work. They all look linear to me!

Kurk · 07 Jan 2013, 21:29

Daniel Beardsmore wrote:...............What colour is the spacebar slider? They're often different.

The space bar switch is identical to rest but it has a stiffer spring. Oh, there's also a blob of green paint on it.

Daniel Beardsmore · 07 Jan 2013, 22:00

Cheers. Yeah, it seems to depend on the board — some have the spacebar switch in a separate colour, others do not. The most bizarre is keyboards where the lock keys are not only a different colour, but a different shaped slider, with no explanation: http://kbd.rzw.jp/nmb/aq659zrt-101a/ — they loved their neon colours.

Wiki page updated with confirmation that spring is stiffer even though switch is the same colour.

Daniel Beardsmore · 08 Jan 2013, 18:59

OK, taking how far I got in trying to diagram this one, I've knocked up a measurements diagram, attached (I've taken care of this for anyone who can't draw). Could someone please fill in the measurements — I had a really hard time trying to figure out the shape of this one from photos due to perspective skew.

rzwv · 20 Jan 2013, 07:03

NMB RT-101+ AQ659ZRT-725M HI-TEK Grey Slider Tactile

Spoiler:

YouTube, Typing

Spoiler:

Details http://kbd.rzw.jp/nmb/rt-101_aq659zrt-725m/

Daniel Beardsmore · 20 Jan 2013, 14:42

You should create a wiki page for that keyboard, and add the switch images to [wiki]NMB Hi-Tek[/wiki].