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Author Topic: Blue Alps in a Focus FK-2001?  (Read 8494 times)

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Offline chyros

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Blue Alps in a Focus FK-2001?
« on: Wed, 18 February 2015, 02:34:48 »
Does anyone know if the Focus FK-2001 has a kind of giveaway for when it has Blue Alps? A bit like the Northgate Omnikey I mean? There appear to be several subtle differences between FK-2001s and I was wondering whether they mean something.
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Offline fohat.digs

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Re: Blue Alps in a Focus FK-2001?
« Reply #1 on: Wed, 18 February 2015, 07:54:56 »
I think that the ones without Windows keys usually have doubleshot key caps.
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Offline chyros

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Re: Blue Alps in a Focus FK-2001?
« Reply #2 on: Wed, 18 February 2015, 13:00:20 »
Cheers. It also appears that there are models with windows keys, ones with keys where the windows keys out to be (but they're not windows keys), and ones with no keys there at all. Do we know anything about the differences between them other than that?
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Offline Daniel Beardsmore

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Re: Blue Alps in a Focus FK-2001?
« Reply #3 on: Wed, 18 February 2015, 13:07:00 »
This is all I know at the moment:

http://deskthority.net/wiki/Focus_FK-2001

I think they all have doubleshot keycaps, but the Windows and application (menu) keys are pad printed.

Obviously it would be nice if someone were to start a topic to gather up specific details of all the variants (maybe even including the serial numbers in case that's a clue).
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Offline FreeCopy

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Re: Blue Alps in a Focus FK-2001?
« Reply #4 on: Wed, 18 February 2015, 13:21:15 »
Here's what I have:







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Offline chyros

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Re: Blue Alps in a Focus FK-2001?
« Reply #5 on: Wed, 18 February 2015, 13:38:51 »
Cheers for the pics, yeah I agree we should compile stuff. I'll put in some info from the other boards I have on the wiki too at some point :) .

Seems like the semi-windows-keys version with X/A switch is young enough that it can come with clones too. Maybe the one without keys at all there is an even older model? Nive 2001 though mate, looks like it's in great condition :D .

I wonder what the A, S, F tick boxes on the box mean...
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Offline FreeCopy

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Re: Blue Alps in a Focus FK-2001?
« Reply #6 on: Wed, 18 February 2015, 13:54:54 »
Quote from: chyros on Wed, 18 February 2015, 13:38:51
Cheers for the pics, yeah I agree we should compile stuff. I'll put in some info from the other boards I have on the wiki too at some point :) .

Seems like the semi-windows-keys version with X/A switch is young enough that it can come with clones too. Maybe the one without keys at all there is an even older model? Nive 2001 though mate, looks like it's in great condition :D .

I wonder what the A, S, F tick boxes on the box mean...

It seems like the only way to really tell is pulling a cap. Following some of the references in the Deskthority link that Daniel Beardsmore posted it doesn't seem visually obvious in some cases what switch you will get.

I have no idea what the A, S, F tick boxes refer too. The info has to be out there though.

My brother found this at one of his old offices. It was an old board to be thrown out. Said he knew that I liked clicky keyboards and asked for it.
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Poker II | Leopold fc500r | Bolt Modded M 1391401 x2 08NOV90 - 19NOV90 | FK-2001 White Alps Clones | Filco MJ2 104 |  Bolt Modded SSK 1391472 27JUL87 | Winkeyless B.87 TKL | MiniVan GateReds 62g

Offline Daniel Beardsmore

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Re: Blue Alps in a Focus FK-2001?
« Reply #7 on: Wed, 18 February 2015, 15:28:50 »
Quote from: chyros on Wed, 18 February 2015, 13:38:51
Seems like the semi-windows-keys version with X/A switch is young enough that it can come with clones too.

The Windows key versions just used different clone switches. My theory is that OA2 clones were replaced with T1 somewhere around 1995, which is why I wanted to collect data about the switch types of compact Ortek (Ortek MKB-84 FX/Ortek MCB-84 FX) and Monterey (K110) keyboards as both series existed for years on either side of this boundary. It's looking like the OA2-era K110 keyboards used SMK switches instead, hence no-one ever finding a K110/MiniTouch/SunTouch Jr with OA2 switches, only SMK "Montereys" and T1.

Some companies offered real Alps vs clones as an option. It seems that FX model Orteks are Alps clone, while SX models are Alps SKCM and SKBM. Whether this was publicised as an option, I don't know.

Nan Tan (NTC) definitely advertised Alps and NTC switches as alternatives:

http://deskthority.net/photos-f62/old-ntc-brochure-t8359.html

There are no known NTC switches. We don't know if they were lying (Strong Man passed off any unbranded switch as theirs), or whether Nan Tan owned Himake (who seem to have made most of the clones), or whether some switches really weren't Himake after all.
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Offline chyros

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Re: Blue Alps in a Focus FK-2001?
« Reply #8 on: Wed, 18 February 2015, 16:26:30 »
Quote from: Daniel Beardsmore on Wed, 18 February 2015, 15:28:50
Some companies offered real Alps vs clones as an option. It seems that FX model Orteks are Alps clone, while SX models are Alps SKCM and SKBM. Whether this was publicised as an option, I don't know.

Nan Tan (NTC) definitely advertised Alps and NTC switches as alternatives:

http://deskthority.net/photos-f62/old-ntc-brochure-t8359.html
Oh wow, I'd love the idea of being able to choose which Alps switches you'd get in your new keyboard :D .

Quote from: FreeCopy on Wed, 18 February 2015, 13:54:54
Quote from: chyros on Wed, 18 February 2015, 13:38:51
Cheers for the pics, yeah I agree we should compile stuff. I'll put in some info from the other boards I have on the wiki too at some point :) .

Seems like the semi-windows-keys version with X/A switch is young enough that it can come with clones too. Maybe the one without keys at all there is an even older model? Nive 2001 though mate, looks like it's in great condition :D .

I wonder what the A, S, F tick boxes on the box mean...

It seems like the only way to really tell is pulling a cap. Following some of the references in the Deskthority link that Daniel Beardsmore posted it doesn't seem visually obvious in some cases what switch you will get.
That's a shame. I've found vendors on eBay far from always willing to do this.

Quote
My brother found this at one of his old offices. It was an old board to be thrown out. Said he knew that I liked clicky keyboards and asked for it.
Nice, good for you! :D

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Offline Sick Robotron

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Re: Blue Alps in a Focus FK-2001?
« Reply #9 on: Tue, 15 May 2018, 20:58:55 »

Hey guys - I have been a lurker here for some time now, but just created this account to make this post!

I purchased the keyboard in the bottom half of each picture at the link below. What do you guys think? Possible blue alps? I'm dying for it to get here next week regardless!!

https://imgur.com/gallery/yN4Sc9D


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Offline Blaise170

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Re: Blue Alps in a Focus FK-2001?
« Reply #10 on: Fri, 18 May 2018, 08:00:25 »
It could be but who knows.
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Offline chyros

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Re: Blue Alps in a Focus FK-2001?
« Reply #11 on: Fri, 18 May 2018, 09:56:50 »
It's already hard enough to tell from a high-quality picture, it's impossible to tell off of that mate xD .
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Offline jacobalbertus1

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Re: Blue Alps in a Focus FK-2001?
« Reply #12 on: Sat, 23 April 2022, 07:58:12 »
I know I'm late to the party up inhere but the way I usely  tell them apart is I've not seen blue with a painted plate it's always bare and even a board with really whites has a painted plate
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