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got my SMK-85 from EBAY today
elmomax:
As some of you know, I have a SMK-85 with black ALPS switches. I recently ordered from DSI on EBAY a SMK-85 which apparently had white ALPS switches. I am so not happy. It feels and sounds different. The touch is stiffer and the sound is less clicky. I now have two of these white alps keyboards. It is also the same keypad color combo as my beloved keyboard, but the case is this ichy almost spray paint looking silver finish. I will hook one of these up and try it out for a few days and I hope it will break in and become like my familiar old black ALPS -- but I am not optimistic. What other keyboards have black ALPS switches == I know I may not find another compact keyboard, so I think I may need to compromise. Had I known I would have bought five of these two or three years ago.
I popped the key off the new keyboard and it is white....
I am so sad.
:cry:
iMav:
Sorry about your disappointment. Definitely give it a try for a couple of days and let us know your impressions.
(some pics would be nice too!)
elmomax:
Will do iMAV. I will have my sweetie take some pix of the silver wonder -- it is really odd coloring, but I can get beyond that if the feel and click are good.
I am by no means an expert reviewer, but I will do my best given that my only comparison is the ichy membrame keyboard I have at work and my SMK 85 with black ALPS.
I am also not the most proficient soul at popping keys off to see sliders -- mangled the plastic a bit with my two steak knives LOL The switch on this SMK-85 is labelled differently than my beloved black ALPS keyboard which distinctly says ALPS. Peering through my magnifying glass, this switch says IAI -- a capital A framed on each side by a straight line. Is there a recommended way to pop keys off without making a mess? WIth this logo, are these ALPS switches?
Also some of the keys on my SMK-85 with black ALPS are feeling stiffer than others -- can one do anything to clean or remedy the situation. I am so hesitant to touch that keyboard in anyway. Need to stop drinking coffee and eating dinner while I type. Crumbs and keyboards do not mix.
xsphat:
Hook a couple paper clips on opposing corners and you should be able to pop it right off. I made a key puller out of 2 paper clips and some tape that words good enough.
mr_sf_applet:
I use the key puller that came with the Avant Stellar. It looks like this.
For the IBM Model M's with two-part keys (not all the buckling spring keyboards have two-part keys; I think it's mostly the early models, and most of the 84-key space savers have one-part keys, I believe), I use this. You turn it one way, and it removes just the key cap. You turn it 180 degrees and it removes the key stem.
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