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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: msiegel on Tue, 13 October 2009, 22:01:27
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Here's a blast from the past: a tiny prototype keyboard developed by frog design and Apple. Although it never saw the light of day, this design is still interesting to contemplate :)
(http://www.applefritter.com/images/kb2-292.jpg)
(http://www.applefritter.com/images/side-311.jpg)
article and links to more images:
http://www.applefritter.com/node/294
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Hah, nice. :-)
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Reminds me of the previous Apple Keyboard model (http://www.empirisoft.com/images/directin_apple.jpg). (So does lowpoly's board.)
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What I like on the Cassie is how the bezel goes inside the keycaps. You can see how they had to adapt the keycap shape for this.
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That looks pretty slick for a 'board from 1982.
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That looks pretty slick for a keyboard from 2009! I so wish they'd gone to production with this...
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I like the real curve similar to BS keyboards instead of the different shaped keys of mechanical and rubber dome ones.
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I like the real curve similar to BS keyboards instead of the different shaped keys of mechanical and rubber dome ones.
I like this better too, as you can switch any letter key to any position on the keyboard, and it will fit perfectly in place.
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That's a neat design, especially for 1982!
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there's a few firsts.
Tiny keyboard that I like that's not an IBM Spacesaver, and an Apple product I like.
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There's a lot of production in that keyboard, it looks like it was taken directly from the Apple IIc, and the style was later used on some of the ADB-based Apple IIgs models. We had several of those in Junior High...
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Hah, nice. :-)
I knew you would see this :) (yours would walk all over this one though)
What I like on the Cassie is how the bezel goes inside the keycaps. You can see how they had to adapt the keycap shape for this.
I like that too, I don't know if I like it because it looks clean or because I think it looks more solid.
That looks pretty slick for a keyboard from 2009! I so wish they'd gone to production with this...
No kiddin!!!! especially with mechanical keyswitches...DAMN!
I like this better too, as you can switch any letter key to any position on the keyboard, and it will fit perfectly in place.
I really, really think that is a good idea and not just from a "hey that would be nice to mod"... but from a manufacturing standpoint too!
I like the idea of simplicity and efficiency in manufactuing and the idea of transcending seasonal market trends. And I find the products that are slick and functional tend to stick around for a while.
I find apple to be a realatively niche market (not as much now but still...) yet I have always been perplexed as to why they never really truly embraced it (product and hardware wise, apart form their looks). I think they have missed out on many opportunities on current needs in favor of being seemingly soley dedicated to innovation. I do however think they obviously hit a market with the imac, iphone, and ipod. But I am thinking more about components, not all in one devices.
anywho back to the keyboard, I figure if the AEKII was such a hit and still has a following then this keyboard could have been iconic!
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Reminds me of the previous Apple Keyboard model (http://www.empirisoft.com/images/directin_apple.jpg). (So does lowpoly's board.)
Those are some of the crappiest keyboards ever made.
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Here's a blast from the past: a tiny prototype keyboard developed by frog design and Apple. Although it never saw the light of day, this design is still interesting to contemplate :)
What a gorgeous keyboard! I'm jealous of that guy (Tom Owad) who laid his hands on one specimen of this masterpiece...
Nice find msiegel!
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Unless it was a temporary kludge of some kind, the interface box looks like an inelegant solution for such an elegant keyboard. I bet it was only used as a way to get the prototype working with existing equipment, though.
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Unless it was a temporary kludge of some kind, the interface box looks like an inelegant solution for such an elegant keyboard. I bet it was only used as a way to get the prototype working with existing equipment, though.
The Applefritter site says:
This interface box is an adapter which allows the Cassie keyboard to be used with a Mac 128k - Plus.
This sounds like the interface box was made to connect the prototype to a then current computer for testing purposes.
I wonder where they hid the controller.
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I wonder where they hid the controller.
good point... maybe it's under the space bar?
come to think of it, since the is whole thing is on a curve, how would the switches be mounted??
this thing just gets more and more mysterious...
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The Malton and/or the Kenesis 'boards have curved PCBs. Either that, or they went spaghetti wire.
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... or rubber dome.
Edit: what's up with the cursor keys on the old Apple keyboards, there don't seem to be any.
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True that. The membrane would be flexible.