Neat looking keyboard of Xsphat's - not the hhkbpro2..

[ashort]

...although that's neat looking too.

Hey man, WHAT is this?  

http://www.flickr.com/photos/xsphat/669467236/

Just wondering.

[karlito]

im guessing from his signature that it's "Apple Desktop Bus, pink Alps non-clicky sliders" w/ spray painted key caps... lol

[ashort]

I know this isn't the same thing but...good keyboard or bad keyboard:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=8788449711&ssPageName=ADME:B:EF:US:1123

[xsphat]

ashort, it is the keyboard from my sig, model number MO116. I have another with clicky orange Alps sliders as well. And the paint came off the keys clean, so the keys are normal now.

And that keyboard on eBay is membrane and CRAP! The good ones that look like that are the Apple Extended and the Apple Extended II. They have the same Alps sliders used in the old Northgate Omnikeys.

[ashort]

HOw do you hit F1-F15 and can you do volume control and CD eject with that keyboard?

Here's another one, for $50 it's mine, what do you think?

http://cgi.ebay.com/Original-Apple-ADB-Compact-Keyboard-Mac-Macintosh_W0QQitemZ170179946213QQihZ007QQcategoryZ25444QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[xsphat]

Those keyboards are 20 years old, so they don't have F keys or any other nice things like we have today. The power button works though. I just use the Apple E command to eject CDs.

The boards type great and I really like the retro look, but there are some trade offs when using kit from that long ago.

[xsphat]

ashort, if you can live without the fluff keys, and the F row, buy it, but not for $50:

http://www.macandpcstation.com/servlet/the-96/Apple-Keyboard/Detail

[ashort]

Good find!  Thanks, I may have to try one out.

[ashort]

Awesome.  Just ordered two of them since I am anticipating another Mac in the house before too much longer.  =-D  

Total with shipping:  $39.90

Time to go get an ADB adapter!

[ashort]

Crap!

The ADB-USB Adapter from Griffin is $40 all by itself!  

And...I need to call the keyboard people (Mac $ PC Station) and see if I can add an ADB cable or two to the order....missed that...argh.

=====

Ok, emailed them asking them to add two 7' adb cables to the order.  I'd rather not pay $20 in shipping twice for $30 of product.

And now...the search for an ADB/USB adapter that doesn't cost $40.

[xsphat]

That adapter is the only one I've ever seen, and it is spendy but I've had mine for years without problems. You should be able to pick one up on eBay for less. Another good idea is to call your local newspapers and publishers, they always have those laying around. During the days of the switch from G3 to G4 processors, newspapers bought a lot of those so they could still use their older hardware.

It sounds cheap to do, but I got my Model M 1391401 just by asking about it - the guy said, what that? you can have it. So it's worth a try.

[xsphat]

And that crap about them not including the cord is garbage. I have four ADB keyboards and two cords because of that.

When you get the keyboard, let us know if it's clicky or not - my MO116 with pink sliders isn't but the one I have with orange sliders is really close to the SMK85's black sliders. I think the best feeling Alps switches are the clicky ones that you can hear the springs reverberate when you type, so old orange and new blacks are the way to go, Alps fans.

[ashort]

I ordered two of them so here's to hoping I get at least one clicky one!  =-D

[xsphat]

I'm thinking about picking up an Apple Adjustable Keyboards from them, but I have a feeling it won't be clicky. who cares, at least it has Alps switches.

[ashort]

My keyboard skills are bad enough...I don't need to add to the frustration with "ergonomic angles".  =-D

[xsphat]

I'd keep it in the standard position myself, I just like the form factor.

[ashort]

So I received the Griffin iMate ADB/USB adapters I found on an Amazon store.  These things are either used or hot.  $8 each.  I am almost surprised that they showed up.

Just opened them in the middle of writing this (A.D.D. Theather).  There is no Griffin packaging at all...must be used.  I guess that doesn't exclude the possibility that they could also be hot.  =-D

Now I am just awaiting cabled keyboards from Mac & PC Station.  then I'll be as cool as I can be in this bunch without an HHKB Pro or Model M.  =-D

[ashort]

I'm such a dork.  I've been gone for two days.  I look to my right and there on the floor is my shipment from Mac & PC Station.  Two keyboards, coming up!

(20 minutes later...)

Nuts, I ordered (at $10 apiece) 2 Apple Keyboards, what I got was 2 Apple Extended II keyboards.  If I'd wanted Extended II's I would have paid for them (mpcstation charges another $5 for the Extended IIs).  They do have mechanical switches in them, and they don't feel half bad, but I wanted OLD SCHOOL, not old school.

On this page you can clearly see the difference:

http://www.macandpcstation.com/servlet/the-Peripherals-cln-Keyboards/Categories


Argh...AND....at $10 and $15 each, there is no cleaning.  There is other people's hair in between the keys.  Yuck.

[xsphat]

I like the Apple Extended II, but it is a hulk like the Model M. I'm sure a phone call will clear up your problems. The one thing I really miss with the keyboards you tried to order is the forward delete key. I use it constantly while editing, but in most Apple apps, the standard Unix control+d works. Other than that, I love the boards.

And you don't need an HHKB Pro or a model M to fit in here. I got my M for free and never use it, and the HHKB is whole other story. You have an SMK 88 with blue Cherry's man, that one is so rare it's almost not even real. I would trade you my M for that in a second, I'd even buy you a new set of keys for it since I f'ed mine up.

[ashort]

Companies are leaving their model M's on shelves collecting dust OR eventually just throwing them out.  It's sad but I could've had a free Model M yesterday if I had pushed at all.  I was at a client site for other work and it wouldn't have been kosher to accept as a gift or buy their equipment even if it is not worth anything to them anymore.

Heck they aren't that expensive on clickykeyboards.com, but you have to think that eventually, even they will run out.

[xsphat]

I don't really like the buckling springs that much. I will but the new one from Unicomp, but that is mainly because I want to give that company some money.

[iMav]

I don't really like the buckling springs that much. I will but the new one from Unicomp, but that is mainly because I want to give that company some money.

Why support a company that makes stuff you don't like??  

[xsphat]

Because I respect what they are doing and I would like to have brand new buckling springs to make sure I don't like them.

[iMav]

You have an SMK 88 with blue Cherry's man, that one is so rare it's almost not even real.

No kidding.

ashort, you must owe somebody BIG TIME to hook you up with a blue cherry-equipped SMK-88.  

[ashort]

I thought the return compensation (an afternoon with ME) was more than enough.

[xsphat]

ashort, how does the Tactile Pro rate against the Apple Extended II? Do a side by side once and let us know about the feel.

[ashort]

I'm trying to figure out if I want to keep these keyboards or trade them for the Apple one that you have.  That's really why I went through all this anyway.  Keith at Mac & PC Station acknowledged the mix up and said he'd replace them.  I may make sure both work and keep ONE.  He was perfectly willing to swap them out, and I may make it easier for him by ordering something else so he can piggy back the return shipping on that order.  That'd be nice of me, wouldn't it?  =-D

[ashort]

Since I'll probably never get an actual review or write up on anything, this'll have to do:

1.  Style
     AE II is OLD SCHOOL apple
     TP2 is last gen apple.

2.  Switches
     AE has white Alps
     TP2 has gray, and i am assuming they are Strongman.

3.  tactile feel
     AEII - Some feel, not like a clicky though.
     TP2 - a lot of clicky feedback, but a lot of wobble too.  After removing a key, I saw that this wobble is in the switch, not the keycap.  I don't like that wobble.  

4.  Price
     AEII - $25 used from Mac & PC Station, includes shipping.  My price because of the mixup woudn up being just $20.
     TP2 - $150 retail, got it barely used still in the box locally from a Craigslist ad, for $100.

5.  Hygiene
     AEII - has someone else's hair in it.
     TP2 - no detected biologicals out of the box.

6.  Intangible
     AEII - Still feels very solid.  Could have more feel in the keys.
     TP2 -  I like everything about it except:

• the keys wobble
• the plastic feels cheap
• there is an ECHO inside the board when you type making it even louder.

There.  Count yourself fortunate if you get more than that in the future.  =-D

FWIW, this whole thing was typed on the SMK-88/blue and If I could get the old style with blue cherries, I might not ever use anything else.

Key don't wobble, feels great, and compact.

[ashort]

My point in wanting the old style smk-88 is that all accessory keys are in two vertical rows down the right side.  Since my typing method is, lets say "non-traditional", I don't home to the little nub on the F key, I home to the left Ctrl key and when that isn't bottom left it throws me off.  The new style puts one of those rows down the left side.  I make a lot of bad keystrokes on this one because of that  (In addition to my normal batch of incorrect keystrokes).

[iMav]

My point in wanting the old style smk-88 is that all accessory keys are in two vertical rows down the right side.  Since my typing method is, lets say "non-traditional", I don't home to the little nub on the F key, I home to the left Ctrl key and when that isn't bottom left it throws me off.  The new style puts one of those rows down the left side.  I make a lot of bad keystrokes on this one because of that  (In addition to my normal batch of incorrect keystrokes).

That's easily fixable with some soldering.  Just takes some patience.  (and some blue Cherry switches...)

Buy a m10 or a Das 2 and send it my way and I'll hook you up.  (since I DO have an old style smk88 (with blacks) lying around here)  I'll do the surgery and then swap you old style with blues for new style with blues.

[xsphat]

That's the kind I have that I gave to my girlfriend. iMav, what do you think of the Cherry blacks? I gave them a go and we know what I think of them.

[ashort]

That would be too sweet.  You must have a lot of free time (for now).  =-D

[iMav]

That's the kind I have that I gave to my girlfriend. iMav, what do you think of the Cherry blacks? I gave them a go and we know what I think of them.

I don't like the black [Cherry] keyswitches at all.

That would be too sweet.  You must have a lot of free time (for now).  =-D

For now, yes.  So get a blue-cherry-keyswitch-equipped keyboard in my hands SOON!  

[xsphat]

And them give me the one you have now ...

[ashort]

AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mac & PC Station didn't send me ADB cables, they sent me Apple Brand 8-pin serial cables.

All this trouble, I should just go get an HHKB Pro2 and toss the rest of this junk.

[xsphat]

Maybe you should.