deskthority

Yup, TMKs ADB converter is really nice. With a cheapy pro-micro controller you just need to solder 3 wires and a resistor and you're up and running for less than a tenner. The hardest part is getting the pro-micro into bootloader mode so you can flash the damn thing .

http://deskthority.net/workshop-f7/how- ... ml#p232820

I've a soft spot for Apples older Alps keyboards, they're nicely insane for the most part. I've held off getting an AEK for a while as they're too "boring" compared to the more interesting M0116/AAK/M0110s. Infinitely more practical though, I'll give them that .

jou wrote: TMK has a ADB converter which I'm using for my AEK2:https://github.com/tmk/tmk_keyboard/tre ... er/adb_usb

since everybody except jou forgot to mention; you know you need a ADB converter to use an Apple keyboard right ShivaYash? The Griffin iMate is nice but not cheap and somewhat hard to come by. The TMK solution cheaper. I believe there are other ADB adapters out there.

or just use a mac with an ADB connector on it

Don't forget System 7. They're not the same with anything Steve Jobs was in charge of! The AEK's are pure Sculley. Their native environment is really anything from a Mac SE up to a Quadra.

Looks like I could order a 4.50$ pro micro for you and convert it for you.

I already know how to flash a pro micro.

Shipping from Texas (plus god awful UK taxes) is always going to cost more than the keyboard, mind.

Muirium wrote: Shipping from Texas (plus god awful UK taxes) is always going to cost more than the keyboard, mind.

I don't live in UK, so I don't know about taxes, but the board is under 4lbs so shipping shouldn't cost too much.

International shipping rates may surprise you. And UK tax definitely will. They can double the price at their discretion. But they're the government, so it's not criminal…

Muirium wrote: But they're the government, so it's not criminal…

Right, these guys are not my friends and I try to avoid them...

At least they've got a catchy name. Here they are Her Majesty's Customs & Excise.



This place costs a lot to heat, after all.

Muirium wrote: At least they've got a catchy name. Here they are Her Majesty's Customs & Excise.

sounds elegant, like they're doing good deeds. That's an impressive building. They got their stash in there...and they got chains on their logo.

That red truck is full of seized Kishsavers and 60% beamsprings.

Muirium wrote: That red truck is full of seized Kishsavers and 60% beamsprings.

in your dreams...or nightmares.

That's what their logo is all about. They have an epic stash of seized goods, behind the gates…

So technically, all those seized goods belong to Her Majesty. I'm picturing the Queen bending over a large bin rummaging for goodies.

Enough talk of customs, I need someone to buy the keyboard!!

Her Madge doesn't need it, for exactly the reasons A500 said. And all the rest of us plebs have to wait for her to make her mind up first, this being her country.

The way things are going it won't be Madge's country for ever.

I prefer having a monarchy to a politician playing head of state. All my griping is really about government — an inescapable fact of life, unless you take a holiday in Somalia — rather than the name on the letterhead.

An independent Scotland with its own monarch (who may or may not be the current Queen of England, Scotland and the Colonies) is my preferred approach. But I'm likely in the minority. And we'll wind up moaning about President Connery's institutions instead.

Any monarchy is outdated in my opinion. Anywhere. Relics. Expensive relics.

Tell that to the tourist industry. We make a profit from ours. But I doubt any of the other monarchies do. No one knows who the queen of Denmark is besides Danes. There can be only one!

Canada's queen is the UK one. We can't even afford our own queen. We have to share one. What a ripoff.

At least she doesn't get to rummage through our customs stash.

The monarchy have themselves to blame for losing the Empire. Why is the queen's husband the Duke of Edinburgh, yet there's not an Earl or a even a bloody Marquis to be found across the whole Americas? Thinking too small…

I'd never make mistakes like that in Civ. When a massive new territory opens up that dwarfs the homeland, move the capital and seize it with both hands!

Muirium wrote: I'd never make mistakes like that in Civ. When a massive new territory opens up that dwarfs the homeland, move the capital and seize it with both hands!

That's no fun. You have to start by slowly angering them. Growing your army gradually. Find out which city-states they ally with, and ally with them yourself or intimidate them. Expand near their borders and steal their land with your Great Generals. Denounce them and vote against their proposals to World Congress. Eventually they'll become angry enough to declare war on you theirselves, and you'll have no choice but to retaliate, but at that point you'll be strong enough to take them. Split their empire down the middle, plundering all of their trade routes, and rendering both halves helpless.

I only go for direct, unprovoked attacks on a Civ if they're getting close to a culture or science victory, or getting in the way of my expansion.

Tsk. Young 'uns. Never used to work like that in Civ II. I preferred the "expand over the surface of the globe and surround your allies until they are mere city states" approach, while brutalising my enemies with nukes and purposefully antiquated ground units. Ain't nothing quite like invading bombed out New York with pointy sticks.

(I searched a bit, but it seems to me this is the most recent AEK thread going on, so I'll just put this here)

I was under the impression that AEK II was "best" of the bunch and thought it was kinda implied by the wiki. Muirium, I saw you comparing the build quality of the cases, but is there a difference when typing (comparing just the salmon keys on both; I don't know much about ALPS, so I need to read up on what different colour switches mean).

How does Apple Standard Keyboard compare to AEKs? Keycaps, switches, etc. Based on looks alone it would maybe appeal to me most, because it is more compact, with CTRL in its proper place and CAPS LOCK the right size.

And one more thing. Do different rows have different profile on these boards or are they all the same? I'm looking at a QZERTY layout which has M next to L, and would like to know if these can be swapped around. And speaking of layouts, I don't know for other boards, but AEK II would probably be a b***h to found in Europe with an ANSI layout.

I'll be selling a bunch soon. With a VERY low reserve price.

But shipping to Europe will suck. :/

In the EU:

http://www.ebay.de/itm/Computertastatur ... SwUdlWcVtV

http://www.ebay.de/itm/Apple-Extended-K ... SwP~tW1var

https://www.ebay-kleinanzeigen.de/s-anz ... -225-15597

I have this for sale / trade, it's not Apple but SGI Alps Bigfoot:

keyboards-f2/silicon-graphics-granite-i ... ?hilit=sgi

alh84001 wrote: I was under the impression that AEK II was "best" of the bunch and thought it was kinda implied by the wiki.

I like the keycaps on the AEK II marginally better, but the case and overall build quality on the AEK I better. The foot design on the AEK II is “innovative”, and useful if you want arbitrary height adjustment, but in practice isn’t very effective, and gets broken very easily.

The orange Alps switches in the original AEK are IMO much nicer.

“Best” is subjective, but in general with Alps keyboards, the earlier the better. (Actually, this is true of keyboards generally. All the best stuff was made in the 70s.)

How does Apple Standard Keyboard compare to AEKs? Keycaps, switches, etc. Based on looks alone it would maybe appeal to me most, because it is more compact, with CTRL in its proper place and CAPS LOCK the right size.

I like the M0116 better than either of the AEK’s. I also really like the Alps version of the Apple IIGS keyboard, wiki/Apple_Desktop_Bus_Keyboard – it’s very compact and solidly constructed.

And one more thing. Do different rows have different profile on these boards or are they all the same?

The aggressive keycap profile is one of the biggest advantages to these keyboards. If you don’t like the legends, I recommend dyeing the caps solid black.

AEK / AEK II:

(M0116 and Macintosh Portable are also this profile but without the F row.)

A9M0330 / 658-4081: