$0.99 USD PS/2 adapter is working perfectly with my Model M... what?

[RoflCopter4]

I received two things in the post today. One of them is an Apple Extended Keyboard (model M0115) with what I'm fairly certain are orange Alps key switches... assuming I'm not colourblind. This was left for me on my porch by some courier I've never heard of called CanPar, courtesy of that irritating eBay Global Shipping racket program. It also came with an ADB mouse for some reason. The mouse is filthy and the keyboard will need a good washing. Oh well. Ebay.

However, I also had the wherewithall to go out and check those dumb postal boxes that only seem to exist here in Canada to which all mail is delivered. There's one for every postal code (a dozen or so houses) and everone gets a box. I'm told this way is much cheaper than door to door deliveries. Anyway, in it I found a small parcel which I later discovered contained the second of two very cheap PS/2 to USB adapters I bought a while back, also on eBay. The first one showed up around a week ago and the first time I tried it with my Model M nothing happened at all, exactly as I would have suspected. When I plugged my Model M into the second one however, to my shock I saw all three LEDs triumphantly light up, and turn off a few seconds later. I tentatively pressed the num lock key and the num lock light lit up. The caps lock and scroll lock did the same. I opened notepad and again to great surprise the keyboard seemed to be working just fine.

The two converters look very similar, the only differences seem to be very much superficial. The first one is made from a white plastic with an oval indentation in which the MADE IN CHINA logo is centered, while the second one is a grey plastic with a rectangular indent. In fact, it looks a tad cheaper. When I took it out of it's "packaging" the plastic cover for the tiny PCB promptly split in two and revealed the sparce innards of the device. I was surprised enough to see this piece of crap work that I decided to dig out the first one again and give it another go. Well, this time, it worked. In fact, I'm typing with it right now. I did not expect that, to tell the truth.

I was assured by various people that cheap adapters like this would simply not work. They supposedly cannot provide enough juice for the board and in fact don't convert the signal at all but instead require the keyboard to be able to send both a USB or PS/2 signal through the one cable and simply redirect the signal wires to a USB out. And yet these two seem to work. I don't understand. They're actually working better than another more expensive converter I bought, which failed to actually light up the LEDs for some reason, and they seem to be about the same as my Blue Cube. They definitely only provide 6-key roleover but as far as I know the venerable Blue Cube does no better.

Anyone know what the heck is up here?

I suspect that this one was the first to arrive: http://www.ebay.ca/itm/221604670639

and this was the second: http://www.ebay.ca/itm/301227345051

but honestly I don't know for sure. I bought them on the same day and the photos are probably not representative of the actual product.

This converter did not activate the LEDs: http://www.ebay.ca/itm/280839328798

[E TwentyNine]

I was assured by various people that cheap adapters like this would simply not work.

The fact is that you're gambling with those adapters, quality varies and there's a good chance they won't work.  Your computer hardware and the converter both factor into whether it will.

I had one of those cheapo adapters working with an M for maybe a decade, then I got a new laptop and it wouldn't work.  Bought a bluecube and it was fine.

[fohat.digs]

I have had a bunch of those cheap-o "Y" adapters and they have mostly worked fine.

[mr.squishy]

What are you planning on doing with the Apple Extended Keyboard? I just acquired an Apple Standard Keyboard with orange alps (M0116) that is unfortunately missing a few caps, but should be functional (hey, it was free  )

[dorkvader]

I have had a bunch of those cheap-o "Y" adapters and they have mostly worked fine.

I just gave mine away recently because it would "reset" every few days. Very annoying for long-term use.

But yeah: mostly works fine.

[MGH]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/270962163563?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

These are absolutely flawless and do mouse and keyboard. Only problem is its a little big for my liking, but its awesome for my M13

[RoflCopter4]

I was assured by various people that cheap adapters like this would simply not work.

The fact is that you're gambling with those adapters, quality varies and there's a good chance they won't work.  Your computer hardware and the converter both factor into whether it will.

I had one of those cheapo adapters working with an M for maybe a decade, then I got a new laptop and it wouldn't work.  Bought a bluecube and it was fine.

This may be the case, but they are around 1/20th the cost of a Blue Cube.

I have had a bunch of those cheap-o "Y" adapters and they have mostly worked fine.

I just gave mine away recently because it would "reset" every few days. Very annoying for long-term use.

But yeah: mostly works fine.

I can imagine there being problems with something this cheap. I just thought it was actually impossible for it to work at all. Looking at the Deskthority Wiki page on converters and on several forum posts on the topic the general opinion seems to be that these "adapters" don't actually have the capacity to actively convert a PS/2 signal, especially from something like a Model M. Clearly either I've misread something quite terribly or there is some misinformation going around.

What are you planning on doing with the Apple Extended Keyboard? I just acquired an Apple Standard Keyboard with orange alps (M0116) that is unfortunately missing a few caps, but should be functional (hey, it was free  )

Cleaning it and using it at work probably. I feel bad using a Chicony 5181 there, it's a tad loud. Nobody has complained but I get the feeling it's annoying nonetheless. This is actually the first tactile non-clickey board I've used for more than just a minute or two in a store. I didn't like the Cherry Browns I tested but I actually kind of like this board. Thankfully it isn't that dirty. Mostly just a fair amount of dust and lots of yellowing by the look of it. My Chicony board was absolutely filthy. It was just caked in this strange unidentifyable orange filth. Very unpleasant.

Damn lucky you got one for free. Mine wasn't all that expensive but shipping things to Canada is always horrible, and the Canadian dollar is just terrible right now.

[mr.squishy]

What are you planning on doing with the Apple Extended Keyboard? I just acquired an Apple Standard Keyboard with orange alps (M0116) that is unfortunately missing a few caps, but should be functional (hey, it was free  )

Cleaning it and using it at work probably. I feel bad using a Chicony 5181 there, it's a tad loud. Nobody has complained but I get the feeling it's annoying nonetheless. This is actually the first tactile non-clickey board I've used for more than just a minute or two in a store. I didn't like the Cherry Browns I tested but I actually kind of like this board. Thankfully it isn't that dirty. Mostly just a fair amount of dust and lots of yellowing by the look of it. My Chicony board was absolutely filthy. It was just caked in this strange unidentifyable orange filth. Very unpleasant.

Damn lucky you got one for free. Mine wasn't all that expensive but shipping things to Canada is always horrible, and the Canadian dollar is just terrible right now.

Yeah, it needed a deep cleaning, but now all I need to do is figure out how to convert it to usb and also source a few alps caps.
Although the spacebar is missing, and that seems pretty non-standard. It could be pretty difficult finding a new spacebar 

[RoflCopter4]

What are you planning on doing with the Apple Extended Keyboard? I just acquired an Apple Standard Keyboard with orange alps (M0116) that is unfortunately missing a few caps, but should be functional (hey, it was free  )

Cleaning it and using it at work probably. I feel bad using a Chicony 5181 there, it's a tad loud. Nobody has complained but I get the feeling it's annoying nonetheless. This is actually the first tactile non-clickey board I've used for more than just a minute or two in a store. I didn't like the Cherry Browns I tested but I actually kind of like this board. Thankfully it isn't that dirty. Mostly just a fair amount of dust and lots of yellowing by the look of it. My Chicony board was absolutely filthy. It was just caked in this strange unidentifyable orange filth. Very unpleasant.

Damn lucky you got one for free. Mine wasn't all that expensive but shipping things to Canada is always horrible, and the Canadian dollar is just terrible right now.

Yeah, it needed a deep cleaning, but now all I need to do is figure out how to convert it to usb and also source a few alps caps.
Although the spacebar is missing, and that seems pretty non-standard. It could be pretty difficult finding a new spacebar 

That's really unfortunate. I doubt you'll easily come accross a spare spacebar for this board. Are the keycaps on Matias boards significantly different from these old Alps boards?

Incidently, I got this thing cleaned up and so far I really like it. I'm surprised at how tactile it is. I wouldn't have thought a non-clicky board would be capable of this. It does bottom out really hard and loud though.