new in box alps

[chimera15]

I'm sure everyone here has seen this auction before, but just wanted to make sure, I bought one, I'll probably reswitch another one of my siigs.

Same guy that's selling those wangs that were posted here before.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=130346160357&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT

Be pretty cool to have an alps box.  Every alps board I've ever gotten hasn't had a box. lol

Pretty neat to see the original advertisement for these boards and switches also.

Another cool thing is that they're unused.  I can use these switches as a baseline to see how worn in or different feeling my existing alps complicates become, or maybe even already are.

[AndrewZorn]

so which alps switches are these?  i already have too many considering the bad rep they get.

[ch_123]

Sound like Whites.

[Computer-Lab in Basement]

It says "audible key clicks" so I am guessing they are blue or white alps.  Nice find.

[chimera15]

They're from 96 so I would assume they're complicated white alps, especially given the hype calling them "premium" in the ad which I assume is off the box.   I doubt they'd be simplfied alps switches.  I think Sandy said 1995 was the cutoff for blues to whites?  Or was it 1988...


Yeah 1988:

http://geekhack.org/showthread.php?t=5228&highlight=1988+blue+alps

[ricercar]

Could someone please explain, in an idiot's simplicity, how the Alps in this keyboard would feel different than those in a Northgate Omnikey 102? My Northgate appears to have white Alps, but the complicated/simplified discussion eludes me.

thx

[J888www]

I hope they are good, been trying to get one of these for ages

[ricercar]

[Snip] ...They both should feel the same.

Cool. You saved me $50 impulse purchase. I own Alps clickey whites, and that seems to be what this auction is selling.

Only way to tell if you have Complicated White ALPS is to open up the switch.

This leads me to ask, does anyone know/suspect/claim/intuit whether Northgate used complicated whites or simplified or both?

Complicated White ALPS ... should go click when you press down slowly.

My white Alps go click when pressed slowly, but unlike any buckling spring I've tested, the Alps click is independent of the electrical contact event. I can click an Alps without having the letter appear on the computer.

[ricercar]

It's white. It's Alps. It clicks.



Convince me to take one apart.

[ricercar]

So for us dummies, post #11 pics show simplified White ALPS, and post #13 pics shows complicated White ALPS?

[ch_123]

Other way around. 11 - complicated, 13(a, b) - simplified, 13(c) - fake (XM)

[chimera15]

Other way around. 11 - complicated, 13(a, b) - simplified, 13(c) - fake (XM)

13 is simplified real, not fake.  Alps switches can be simplified fake, simplified real, and complicated real.

Don't think anyone's done a complicated fake yet have they?

Imo simplfiied reals are the worst of the bunch.

I think all Northgates used complicated reals.. I would be surprised to see one with simplified's....

[chimera15]

So I just got this board today...wow what a disappointment!!!!  

First, the seller used the box itself to ship, and put the ups tags over the graphics of the box so it's no longer mint.  I suppose I can't fault him for that since he probably didn't understand I wanted the box.

But Second!!!  Alps lied!! WTH!!!  BLACKS DON"T CLICK WTF!!!!  It's a Dell at101w clone!! ARGH!!



It clearly says that it has audible clicks but the board uses blacks!!! WTF!  Is Alps still in business, it has a lifetime warranty, maybe I can sue them or something. roflol






All said, it is still pretty neat to see how original alps boards were packaged, and it was nib as the seller said, it even came with the original windows 3.1 spinmenu software. lol

[bigpook]

Thats pretty neat. So have you tried it out. Does it click, or were they really lying. Maybe its  a 'different' kind of black alps.

[chimera15]

Thats pretty neat. So have you tried it out. Does it click, or were they really lying. Maybe its  a 'different' kind of black alps.

It's standard crappy feeling, non clicky, black alps.  There is no audible click.

I'm a bit pissed I have to say, not at the seller, but at alps.

I'd be surprised if there wasn't a court case over this.  It's clearly misrepresentation.

Is Alps still in business?  I want to call them and see what they say, if they have anything about this board. lol.

I have the lifetime warranty, that protects me against material error in workmanship. roflol

Aha found the number 1-800-825-2577.  I'm going to call it. roflol

When I called it it said that it had a new number:

19006228000
 a 900 number? It said I had to be over 18? roflol

So this was apparently the san jose office..which looking at the directory no longer exists...

http://www.alps.com/e/common/contact_us/wheretobuy/americas.html#americas

I found another number 1-408-432-6000


They don't apparently have a 1800 number anymore?  I really don't want to call long distance. lol

[bigpook]

sorry you don't like the black alps. hopefully you didn't pay too much for it.

[chimera15]

I'm curious if the other people that get them, maybe this board started out with whites, thus the clearly printed thing on the box saying it had audible clicks, but then changed to blacks?  Maybe others will have whites, and I just got bad luck?  I know some others here bought them, let us know huh?

[chimera15]

sorry you don't like the black alps. hopefully you didn't pay too much for it.

Only $50, which was worth it to see the box and everything, and that alps would lie on their boxes I suppose. lol
I can get a dell bigfoot for like $5 though. lol


The other thing I thought, maybe I was a victim of a scam, maybe someone bought these boards, stole all the whites, resoldered in blacks, and resold them? roflol Be pretty unlikely with the state of the board though since it clearly was new.

[chimera15]

I called the 408 number on their website.  I only got an answering machine.  Probably cause of the holidays.  Oh well. lol

[chimera15]

They probably had the same box for different switch configs. What does the label say? Any sub product number?

Not that I can see, it says in several places "Audible Key Clicks" when it lists the features.

[ch_123]

13 is simplified real, not fake.  Alps switches can be simplified fake, simplified real, and complicated real.

The first two were simplified real, the third was fake. I don't bother making the distinction between real simplified and fake simplified, as all fake switches are simplified, so therefore fake implies simplified, and my use of simplified implies real.

[chimera15]

Since this turned out to be such a disaster I broke down and bought the double focus auction.  I was surprised no one had jumped on it before.  I hope the top one will have blue alps, but I'll be really happy if they just both have complicated real alps:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=390131211183&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT

If the logic holds for the 2001's with these 3000's, there should be a good chance that the top one will have blues.

Maybe I'll reswitch the alps board and resell it or something and get my money back. roflol

[sandy55]

So I just got this board today...wow what a disappointment!!!!  

But Second!!!  Alps lied!! WTH!!!  BLACKS DON"T CLICK WTF!!!!  It's a Dell at101w clone!! ARGH!!

So, MCL-101 is actually have mechanical switches but not rubber dome over membrane.

If you don't mind, would post pics of FCC label, key caps from bottom and inner view of a switch?
Can you identify manufactured date of the board?

[chimera15]

So, MCL-101 is actually have mechanical switches but not rubber dome over membrane.

If you don't mind, would post pics of FCC label, key caps from bottom and inner view of a switch?
Can you identify manufactured date of the board?

Anything for you Sandy. hehe

[chimera15]

It's pretty interesting, the pcb is made in Hong Kong, but it's assembled in Mexico. lol  The matrix is SUPER easy to trace.... might be a good candidate for a cut down modification.

[chimera15]

Do you think the key configurations on the Focus 3001 boards, like the 2001's, if they have windows keys or extra blank keys ect is a good indication of the manufacture date and if they'll have blue alps or not Sandy?  Do you have focus 3001 examples?

I checked the configuration of the 3001 I had before and it was like the one on top...so hopefully it at least should have complicated switches if not blues.

[ch_123]

There are Focus 3001s too?

[chimera15]

There are Focus 3001s too?

Yeah, there are 9000's, 5001's, and 555's and bunch of others..the 3001's are the common ones with the calculators...

There's even a nice black one, but I forget which number it has.

[sandy55]

I don't have a 3001.  I have 5001 and 9000( not 9001 ) both with  calculator.

According to FCC ID, 3001 was granted on 12/19/1988.
Key configuration of 3001 ( upper one ? ) is almost same with 2001 with Blues without extra keys between ALT and Ctrl which  was given to me for free by Bilm early this year.  If the board on eBay is one of early lot of 3001 ( and if Focus had kept a large quantity of Blues), there may be a chance for Blues.  But I vote for whites.
Down side of these 2001 and later is loose body construction.
FK-555 is a different beast with heavy and solid body. key caps are not that good among most of Focus boards including 555.
You may happen to see Omron Blue ( or orange-ish yellow ) in 555. Don't know if you feel you're lucky with them. I like Omron switches though it has shorter travel than Alps.

Thanks for pics of MCL-101.
Is it 1995 made?  Is it permissible to request another close up pics like this and this.

[ch_123]

Interesting. Looks like a non-OEM AT101 with that L-shaped enter which people in Asia like for some mad and unclear reason.

[ricercar]

You so bad.

:hail:

[J888www]

Although others maybe disappointed with the ALPS MC-101, I'm quite content. So a DELL with Blacks can be had for cheaper, but would this cheaper DELL be NEW ? Sometimes it isn't the cost of the KBD, but the thought the item being germ invested that matters most.

[sandy55]

Although others maybe disappointed with the ALPS MC-101, I'm quite content.

To my eye key cap of MCL-101 is far better than At101W.  Good caps may change over all feel of switches. Also entire case of MCL-101 looks very close to this rubber dome board. It still kept old ALPS quality in some way as a board made in mid of '90s.

[chimera15]

My focus boards came.

Pretty interesting, although somewhat disappointing again:



The top one is a focus 8000
Fk-8000

It appears that it's a mechanical switch, but one I don't have and haven't seen before.  It feels like it's tactile non clicky.  

It's got an xt/at switch on it, so it's apparently very old.  It's a shame this doesn't have blue alps.



From 1991.  It's interesting it uses yellow alps with diodes for the capslock ect switches.




The 3001 has real complicated whites at least.  I can finish modding another compact and finish my siig pcb with complicateds at least with it. Both are heavily used and disgusting.

[chimera15]

Does the Focus 3001's calculator work?

I'm not sure, I tested the fk-8000 with a blue box, and it's fully functional.  I cleaned it as well.



At least this board I have no temptation to deswitch and pull apart to make better minitouch's.  I wanted a calculator board for back up.


My previous 3001 that I deswitched worked, so I assume this one will...why want to buy it or something? lol

I'm getting ready to deswitch it.


edit: yeah I tested it, it works.

[chimera15]

I was curious about the calculator because the display often doesn't work on the Focus 3001s.

Well, that's interesting.  Both mine work.  Maybe I should sell them for spare parts or something. lol

[chimera15]

MWindows may be interested.

I like the LEDs glowing.

Yeah the led glow is a pretty neat color

[J888www]

For those who purchased this ALPS Alps kbd, do not be disappointed that it has Black Switches with no click.

While swapping the leaves from the Black switches, I noticed there are 4 protruding tabs on all 4 corners. So I bent them (with different configurations) to resemble the click leaves of the White Complicated switches, it did not click as expected. Silly me accidentally broke 1 tab when trying to reverse the process to hoard the leaves, so I proceeded to break the remaining 3. Surprise, surprise, the switch clicks albeit a soft click, after reassembling.
   I then proceeded to break all the Black switch leaves tabs, then reassemble. Eureka, I now have a brand-new keyboard with Black clicky ALPS switches.
It even feels better to type than my non-modded SIIG Mini, but I need the space.
  So no need to worry if they are non clicky.

[microsoft windows]

MWindows may be interested.

I like the LEDs glowing.

Oh, I am interested. If you've got any extra calculator units, please let me know (the one in my FK-9000 has a bad LCD controller)