deskthority

I saw this vintage laptop for sale, and noticed the Siig MiniTouch like layout. It has full function keys though and better ANSI compatible layout (such as the return key). Researching it, it was made in 1987, an interesting time for mechanical switches. I got it and it turned out to have some kind of light linear Alps clone (like green Alps or Cherry MX Red) and doubleshot keycaps. DOS still runs from a floppy, someone left a mortgage administration on it.

What happened to you cat?

I hope keyboard cat likes his present.

I wish modern laptops were a bit more like that, I'm not into this 'thin' nonsense.

Cat is fine but evilly photobombing as usual.

Nice! Do you think this one has Alps as well? Nice dolch style keycaps there: http://www.ebay.it/itm/Retrocomputer-tr ... _500wt_971

Now I get it!
That's the mouth, not a poked/missing eye
Was worried for your cat there^^

Grond wrote:Nice! Do you think this one has Alps as well? Nice dolch style keycaps there: http://www.ebay.it/itm/Retrocomputer-tr ... _500wt_971

I've got that one too a month ago, although not the 20 version (an earlier one).

This had the vintage metal Alps, and orange/dark doubleshots (the later versions have white/dark for better contrast). Still need to clean it, then I'll post pictures. So far only the Alps:



I think each of these different Toshiba vintage laptop series/models has a different kind of surprise Alps or Alps compatible switch.

webwit wrote:Cat is fine but evilly photobombing as usual.

Spoiler:

Is that your garden? Looks lovely.

Nice1!

I have that Sharp "portable" PC-7000 from 1985 which also had some kind of Alps type copy switch and dual floppy bays. I also have a fully working Compaq Aero sub-laptop from 1994...havent yet peaked under caps on what kind keyboad solution it has.

I believe it would be handy to make a list of all known models of portables (or vintage computers in general) which sported Alps or MX compatible keyboards.

I knew this would happen.

Might as well post the T3100 now. It has...geekhack keys. Also has the Big Ass Enter.

It looks like the Choc Mini is a ripoff of the T1200 layout.

Grond wrote:I believe it would be handy to make a list of all known models of portables (or vintage computers in general) which sported Alps or MX compatible keyboards.

The old GeekHack wiki had extensive lists of switch sightings; I suspect that data is all still there in the Wayback Machine if anyone wants to reconstruct all that information.

One of the limitations of wikis is the inability to create database tables, e.g. a many-to-many map of keyboards and switches; a table for each type of infobox for querying and presentation; things like that. Hoggy's collection of keyboard widths could be driven from this, for example.

A lot of listing information is just a big hack with no querying capability. Maybe there's an extension somewhere for MediaWiki for that :)

Of course, we first need to replenish details of the switches themselves. We're missing pages for several Alps switch types (plus names for them and a new name for Alps CM), inverse Futabas, details of white Montereys and other SMK or Monterey variants, KPT, and of course SMK.

The reason I changed my Ping award vote to Ripster's downfall is that I realised just how much information he does have, that's now out of our hands. (Those are all Ripster's photos — no-one else has any of this information, that I'm able to see.)

[Account and posts deleted on request]

Daniel Beardsmore wrote:One of the limitations of wikis is the inability to create database tables, e.g. a many-to-many map of keyboards and switches; a table for each type of infobox for querying and presentation; things like that. Hoggy's collection of keyboard widths could be driven from this, for example.

Yes, I ran into the same problem when making categories, which is usually like the most popular relational queries you can think of. But it's rather limited. You can't say, give me all keyboards with linear Cherry switches, unless you make a category for it, but considering the number of possibilities, that is not an option and we must stick with main categories.

Maybe something like this?
http://semantic-mediawiki.org/
I haven't researched it yet though. One thing that can possibly be said against it, is that it makes things too difficult for our purpose, where the mediawiki syntax already creates a barrier to entry.

Semantic Mediawiki is pretty cool (I have it installed on my personal wiki) but indeed too complicated to use. Then again we only have a few hardcore contributors for the wiki anyway.