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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: Zen on Mon, 08 November 2010, 17:25:41

Title: Is this iCollectible ?
Post by: Zen on Mon, 08 November 2010, 17:25:41

Is this iCollectible ?

(http://i.imgur.com/TWc8z.jpg)
Extended Keyboard II Family Number M3501 DANISH LAYOUT !! (cable not shown, is included)

I'm not a iMac iGuy AT ALL - owner says it's from 1989 but that doesn't sound right to me, more like 1990-91 ?
Asking Price :
About 40$ incl shipping, but won't I also have to shell out for something to convert the iKeyboard-signal into PC-lingo ?
And what are the key-caps ?

Title: Is this iCollectible ?
Post by: clickclack on Mon, 08 November 2010, 21:16:47

I wouldn't say that it is a collectable per se unless you happen to value something in particular about it. The AEKII was not really uncommon, but that one would be less common, but again unless there is something specific about it you happen to fancy I probably wouldn't drop anything for it.

Indeed you would have to use a converter to use in on a PC, I think there was a converter (kinda hard to find now) called the Griffen imate (sp? try a search here on geekhack for it, I am sure it's somewhere).
Someone also mentioned at one point a device by Belkin that could/would do the trick. I think the prices run between $15-40 (i think). Belkin being the cheaper one I believe.

The switch is ALPS and the keycaps are nice and thick with a dye sub print. Pretty durable. Like many older keyboards they were very suseptable to yellowing (the cases a bit more than the keys). They are usually known for the dampened slider, which keeps the key stroke a little bit on the quiet side for a mechanical board. The switch is tactile but not clicky, and some mod other ALPS switches with these dampened ones.

I hope some of that info helped =)

p.s. It was my first mechanical keyboard in 1992 along with my first compy Apple IIci. (although different layout)
good times =)

Title: Is this iCollectible ?
Post by: ch_123 on Tue, 09 November 2010, 05:10:37

If you stand near a computer skip in my college for long enough, it starts to rain Dell AT102Ws and AEKIIs.

Too bad they're two of the most mediocre mech boards around.

Title: Is this iCollectible ?
Post by: Findecanor on Tue, 09 November 2010, 06:21:07

Notice how wide the leftmost keys are. AFAIK, they are wider than on the US layout AEKII.

An AEKII with Swedish layout sold at Tradera (Swedish auction site) yesterday for equivalent to 110 DK + s/h, and another one for just a little more a week ago. I would not give more for it.
BTW, the seller has a NIB AEKII with Spanish layout, in case someone is interested.

I bought one for 1 SEK and scavenged the dampened sliders to put into another board. The key caps are not very compatible with any other ALPS board.