Beltron OK-100M Question

500rwcoupe · 11 Feb 2017, 20:47

Hello all,

I purchased a Beltron OK-100M keyboard at an estate sale, new in box. I'm not able to find anything on the internet about Beltron making these, but on this site did find the general OK-100M fact page.

Questions:
How would I go about submitting information to update the OK-100M fact page on Deskthority?

I collect vintage computer parts, been a hobby for a couple of years (noobish). What is the rarity of this item?

500rwcoupe · 11 Feb 2017, 20:58

Here is the Deskthority page for the OK-100M:

wiki/Oriental_Tech_OK-100_series

seebart · 11 Feb 2017, 22:20

Welcome to Deskthority 500rwcoupe! That is a very nice looking keyboad you bought, I have not seen it here before but that does not mean it's super rare. I'm sure you've found the wiki help section, if that seems like a bit too much right now you can start by taking more pictures of your nice Beltron OK-100M that we can then later add to the corresponding wiki page.

https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Contents

Cheers

Daniel Beardsmore · 12 Feb 2017, 00:46

That is quite possibly the worst keyboard I've ever had (the one you see on the wiki). Even if you forgive the messed up key weighting and keys getting stuck, you literally cannot touch type on it. Fast typing causes it to send gibberish — either ghosts or misordered keystrokes (I forget which). The controller is absolute garbage and only suits hunt and peck. So much for the "professional Manufacturer of Enhance Keyboard"!

I used mine as a keycap donor to replace the pathetic keycaps on the Dell AT101W with nice doubleshots. I still have it though. One day I'm going to document exactly which keys are heavy weighted.

It's not hugely common, which is merciful!

500rwcoupe · 12 Feb 2017, 18:47

Excellent information. Thank you both for the replies, and warm welcome to this forum. I'll add this keyboard to my collection and let it sit until 50 or 60 years from now and then I'll pose my question again. I still think it's pretty cool to have a keyboard this old in brand-new condition.

Daniel Beardsmore · 12 Feb 2017, 18:55

It is of course still worth adding that variant to the wiki, under the existing page as a variant (along with any evidence you have to date it, e.g. box, MCU date etc). The wiki contains knowledge of products both good and evil, the latter potentially serving as a reminder of how not to build a keyboard!

The funny thing is, I took OK-100M to be the first ever low force linear keyboard I've ever used, and I liked it. Then I got a Poker II with MX red, and that felt very different. The OK-100M switches are progressive rate, which is a less common switch type. It feels nice, but types nonsense. Too bad — with good QC and good MCU programming it would be a nice keyboard. Does yours have the stupid heavy keys in weird places, like shift? Where Topre et al put light keys, they preferred putting heavy keys!

I want to type on a whole keyboard of bridge contact RAFI switches, as those are also progressive rate, with a sharp force increase after the contacts engage (the transition is smoother with the OK-100M as I recall). It's like a linear MX clear, if that makes sense. (I only have sample switches.)

500rwcoupe · 12 Feb 2017, 20:34

Not sure about the keys, it still has a plastic shell over the keyboard that I prefer to not remove since I'll be storing it for now. On a side note, I'm enjoying the extensive amount of information available here. I feel like I have learned a lot in the last 2 days here.

500rwcoupe · 12 Feb 2017, 20:36

I'm still surprised that I cannot find anything, ANYTHING about a Beltron variant of this keyboard.

Daniel Beardsmore · 12 Feb 2017, 20:56

The plastic shell with mine is just a sheet of plastic that rests on the keyboard; I use it on my AT102W instead. (The keyboard I meant earlier when I said AT101W!) Filco keyboards come with these, too, as do several other brands.

As for the Beltron variant — my OK-100M is now 25 years old, so it's no huge surprise that information on those is scarce. Some Far East brands are still around to this day, such as BTC, but most of these brands just dissolved away into nothing. All that's left of them is the odd keyboard here or there.

Bob Tibbetts has one like yours (2/3 the way down the page):

http://www.northgate-keyboard-repair.com/

Here's another Beltron keyboard, a TK-M501C using Chinese buckling springs, in the topic called What's the worst keyboard you've ever bought? Warnings for keyboard buyers!

Yeah, so, whoever Beltron were, they didn't seem to be aiming high!

500rwcoupe · 12 Feb 2017, 21:24

Ha! That seems to be true. Thanks for the information Daniel!