The bank is getting rid of all their old stuff.

[PGibbons]

Let me know how lucky I am!

Basically they have a ton of old computers (desktops, not towers), keyboards (mostly generic white IBMs but also a few unique mechanicals), a huge pile of printers and a huge pile of Mitsubishi DiamondPro monitors. All to be mine.

The manager let me just take a handful of goodies today but wants me to wait on everything else until corporate gives me the go-ahead (they need to wipe all the hard drives first, it IS a bank afterall).

Well lookie what I got!

Bloomberg Keyboard
Mini mechanical
Model M
Memorex 2051, Model 11 Terminal/keyboard (you've seen this in a movie!)

Awesome?

[CeeSA]

very nice! memorex looks so great.

[PGibbons]

very nice! memorex looks so great.

I just have no use for it. The unit itself does literally nothing except display "L 01 C 80      Ready"

The keyboard does not enter text.

[False_Dmitry_II]

How can a keyboard do nothing?

But yeah, that sounds pretty lucky.

[What is X?]

This is how jelly i am.

[PGibbons]

Keyboards and stuff


DiamondTron Monitors (AKA: A pile of cash)

[firestorm]

I'm not familiar with those particular terminals, but we still have several IBM "dumb" terminals around here, one still in use.  I haven't tried typing on one that was disconnected from the server, but I wouldn't expect anything to happen.  It would be the same as typing in a lot of terminal software clients (e.g. Telnet) without connecting to a host - you likely won't see anything, unless you turn on local echo.

[3one5]

Nice find on the keyboards.  Stay away form the monitors.  You won't be able to get rid of them.

[ch_123]

I just have no use for it. The unit itself does literally nothing except display "L 01 C 80      Ready"

The keyboard does not enter text.

It's not uncommon for terminals not to echo characters, that's usually the host system's job.

[BucklingSpring]

PM me if you are selling the mechanical mini.

:-)

[PGibbons]

Nice find on the keyboards.  Stay away form the monitors.  You won't be able to get rid of them.

I thought DiamondTrons were a good ~$100 each? So I could just go to like 50 and see if I could sell them off.

And yes, EVERYTHING is for sale, I just dont know what to charge yet.

[3one5]

I thought DiamondTrons were a good ~$100 each? So I could just go to like 50 and see if I could sell them off.

And yes, EVERYTHING is for sale, I just dont know what to charge yet.

You may be in a better area for that sort of thing.  I am in NE Colorado along the front range and it's tuff to give CRT monitors away.  Even the real nice Sony's.

Just be careful, you don't want to be the one paying to get rid of the things.

[PGibbons]

You may be in a better area for that sort of thing.  I am in NE Colorado along the front range and it's tuff to give CRT monitors away.  Even the real nice Sony's.

Just be careful, you don't want to be the one paying to get rid of the things.

Valid concerns. I do know for a fact that these are about the only type of CRT that sells anymore. However, there is always risk in this sort of thing. I live in PDX, Oregon and I posted this on one website already and had a few offers to buy a few of the monitors already. But yes, there is still a risk in this stuff.

I do know that I want the servers after they wipe the HDDs. Even just the shells are worth a bit.

[PGibbons]

Get the copy machines.

You can dig through the memory and sell the account numbers and credit card numbers in Russia and get more than you'll get for the monitors (after you dispose of the non-sold ones and pay the Recycling fees).

Call me a cynic but it wouldn't surprise me if Bank Corporate nixes the deal.

LoL. Nah, the bank is sending in their IT team from Seattle to come and deal with all the memory. Whether this means removing memory or bringing in magnets, i dont know.

[PGibbons]

Bribe the IT team.  They probably aren't paid well.

...no

[hoggy]

Bacon baps make the best bribes...

[PGibbons]

So I am going to possibly end up with a bajillion IBM KB-9910 keyboards. Are these worth anything to anyone?

[digitalleftovers]

I live in PDX! What bank is this?

EDIT: Google indexer loves geekhack, so feel free to be cryptic... Or pm me.

[PGibbons]

I live in PDX! What bank is this?

EDIT: Google indexer loves geekhack, so feel free to be cryptic.

Rather not say yet

[digitalleftovers]

Rather not say yet

No problem.  But, I might be interested in a board depending on what they let you get away with.

[PGibbons]

No problem.  But, I might be interested in a board depending on what they let you get away with.

Ill be more specific after they give me the go ahead.

[Hak Foo]

The Bloomberg board looks to have an interesting layout, and are those speakers, like in the early days of 'it's a multimedia PC, it needs to come with awful speakers'

[PGibbons]

So does anyone want to give me a clue value wise what I'm looking at here?

[sixty]

Depends.

The bloomberg stuff is sadly also probably membrane based. I had a few of those. Junk.

The mechanical mini looks like Siig Minitouch, $40ish value on eBay each, more if you got blue montery switches instead of ALPS.

IBM Model M prices depend on age and condition, usually around $30+ used it seems for eBay US.

The rubberdome IBMs are utter garbage that no one will want.

[False_Dmitry_II]

Well, if you put all the rubber dome (maybe of each type) into a lot you might get some bites. I mean, if you're a system builder and can get a bunch of cheap keyboards cheaper to hand out with the computers you build/sell, why not? Or part of acquisitions for some random small company. I think there are a few niches for such things.

Out of us snobby mech keyboard users, no, nobody will want them.

[PGibbons]

Depends.

The bloomberg stuff is sadly also probably membrane based. I had a few of those. Junk.

The mechanical mini looks like Siig Minitouch, $40ish value on eBay each, more if you got blue montery switches instead of ALPS.

IBM Model M prices depend on age and condition, usually around $30+ used it seems for eBay US.

The rubberdome IBMs are utter garbage that no one will want.

Ill crack open the bloomberg tomorrow

[PGibbons]

Well, if you put all the rubber dome (maybe of each type) into a lot you might get some bites. I mean, if you're a system builder and can get a bunch of cheap keyboards cheaper to hand out with the computers you build/sell, why not? Or part of acquisitions for some random small company. I think there are a few niches for such things.

Out of us snobby mech keyboard users, no, nobody will want them.

Yeah, I figured the "newer" IBM keyboards were pretty cheap garbage. Functional but definitely bargain bin. There's a bunch of black Dell/IBM keyboards that are all new looking but not mechanical.

Also some Compaq clit-mouse keyboards, but not mechanical either.

[Shuki]

I don't know why everyone is dismissing those CRTs as garbage. If they are in anywhere decent condition they are quite in demand (albeit a niche market - people who care about quality/results rather than aesthetics).

[Scarzy]

I am so jealous of that Monitor pile. My Mitshibishi is 10 years old this year, and still going strong. I noticed a night club in Manchester has some old Trinitrons and some Dell Quietkeys, going to give them an email about them because it's closing later this year.

[hansmuff]

Dell Quietkeys

All the Dell Quietkeys we have are horrible rubber dome junk. Were there QuietKeys keyboards with mechanical switches?

[3one5]

Also some Compaq clit-mouse keyboards, but not mechanical either.

Clit-mouse eh?

[False_Dmitry_II]

Like I said, just try those in lots. Starting at .99 with whatever actual shipping is, and they should be taken off your hands by someone at least.

[3one5]

I don't know why everyone is dismissing those CRTs as garbage. If they are in anywhere decent condition they are quite in demand (albeit a niche market - people who care about quality/results rather than aesthetics).

I had a pile of close to 200 CRT monitors, some of them being quite nice Trinitron monitors.  I was unable to give away even a single one after doing quite a bit of word of mouth and internet advertising.  I worked for a bank at the time and didn't want to pay to have them disposed of.  Guess who had to pay to dispose of them anyway?

[digitalleftovers]

Oregon E-Cycles will accept your monitors for free, as long as you only take in 7 items at a time.  They accept at all of the PDX area Goodwill stores, as well as the Metro area recycling center.  They advise that the monitors should not be damaged, though.  Larger numbers of items dropped at once would incurr a fee.

http://www.oregonmetro.gov/index.cfm/go/by.web/id=10755

[keyboardlover]

Someone likes CRTs?

Where's MW?

[PGibbons]

Think I could sell the old Memorex and keyboard or should I just recycle it?

[digitalleftovers]

I think its worth an ebay listing... That is just my opinion though.  I'm not sure how much it appeals to collectors in comparison to other antique terminals.  It just seems to be very good condition for it's age.

[Scarzy]

All the Dell Quietkeys we have are horrible rubber dome junk. Were there QuietKeys keyboards with mechanical switches?

No, there were not QKs in Mechanical format, instead they are rubber dome sliders (higher quality than everything in the market today) and steelbackplated. I do not generate a high enough income to finance my keyboard hobby, so I accept everything I can get as long it is credible.

[Scarzy]

I had a pile of close to 200 CRT monitors, some of them being quite nice Trinitron monitors.  I was unable to give away even a single one after doing quite a bit of word of mouth and internet advertising.  I worked for a bank at the time and didn't want to pay to have them disposed of.  Guess who had to pay to dispose of them anyway?

Such a pile would make my eyes water, instead, i'm putting up with my 3 (Mit. Diamond Plus 220, Dell P991, Dell M992). I did have 5 but one of them was pretty much unusable (PSU was dying) and one I simply didn't have the room for and was meant to be for a friend, he decided he didn't want it when he fixed his 120hz LCD.

[Findecanor]

Good CRTs are also in demand by gamers who want high frame rate, good picture and low lag.
All (?) LCDs have either lower update rate or lag (IPS and VA)
or bad display angles (TN) compared to CRTs.

Think I could sell the old Memorex and keyboard or should I just recycle it?

I am curious about the Memorex's keyboard. What kind of switches does it have?

If the switches are cheap (rubber dome or foam and foil) but the caps are compatible with anything, then I would like to buy just them.
I like the retro look of the whole keyboard, but I would prefer something that I can use, or build something nice out of.

[Surly73]

No, there were not QKs in Mechanical format, instead they are rubber dome sliders (higher quality than everything in the market today) and steelbackplated. I do not generate a high enough income to finance my keyboard hobby, so I accept everything I can get as long it is credible.

There are many, many different keyboards out there that say "QuietKey" on them, but most of them aren't the good ones.  I have a room full of QuietKeys that are all crap.

I'd do a search to look for the good model#s and country of manufacture that help to identify the good QKs.  The QKs we had around the office ~14 years ago locked up my forearms like the worst RSI ever (even though it wasn't RSI).  Hate'em, hate'em, hate'em.

[Pylon]

Depends on the model.

SK-1000REW is garbage.
SK-8000 is mediocre.
RT7D5JTW (made in Thaliland) are exceptionally good for rubber domes. Dedicated Delrin sliders and individual domes. However, they yellow really easily.

[Scarzy]

Depends on the model.

SK-1000REW is garbage.
SK-8000 is mediocre.
RT7D5JTW (made in Thaliland) are exceptionally good for rubber domes. Dedicated Delrin sliders and individual domes. However, they yellow really easily.

Thanks for this, I will write these down and make sure I get the correct one, do all three models use the sliders, or is just one of them? I like the slider feel compared to standard rubberdomes, although my G83 (cymotion) has high quality rubber domes compared to the rest of the domes I've used. What can I say? My Model M makes far too much noise when I decided to have a type-out-stake-out next to my parents rooms.

There are many, many different keyboards out there that say "QuietKey" on them, but most of them aren't the good ones. I have a room full of QuietKeys that are all crap.

I'd do a search to look for the good model#s and country of manufacture that help to identify the good QKs. The QKs we had around the office ~14 years ago locked up my forearms like the worst RSI ever (even though it wasn't RSI). Hate'em, hate'em, hate'em.

Hoping for the Thailand model! Sounds weird with your fingers though.

Good CRTs are also in demand by gamers who want high frame rate, good picture and low lag.
All (?) LCDs have either lower update rate or lag (IPS and VA)
or bad display angles (TN) compared to CRTs.

CRTs are indeed still better but with burn in and the PSUs slowly dwingling on them it is hard to find one with a good amount of colour and will last a long time. Saying that, i've been on a Mitshibishi Diamond 220 since October or something that I got for free and it's treating me very well, it will be ten years old this year.

LAG/HZ wise the only comparison truly available is the 120hz LCDs, which cost ~£200. Until the prices lower I will continue using my CRTs, even if the quality is smaller and I get asked why I have a 'big ass' monitor hanging out of my window. Might take a picture of it soon. It saddens me that people just dismiss the things as junk, something that lasts for 10 years and does 160hz can not be junk. Going to be a sad day when it dies.

[spolia optima]

Depends on the model.

SK-1000REW is garbage.
SK-8000 is mediocre.
RT7D5JTW (made in Thaliland) are exceptionally good for rubber domes. Dedicated Delrin sliders and individual domes. However, they yellow really easily.

This right here. +1

[Pylon]

Thanks for this, I will write these down and make sure I get the correct one, do all three models use the sliders, or is just one of them?

The SK-8000 uses 1 piece keys, so no. Not sure about SK-1000REW, but probably not.

Also, the RT7D5JTW isn't quiet - quieter than an M? Yes. But still makes quite a bit of noise. In addition, the keycaps are really thin so be careful when prying them off.

[Pylon]

Actually, I take SK-1000REW back. There was one at church that I presumed to be SK-1000REW but turns out it's a fourth variant, and that one's the garbage one. The one there has pad printed keys with much thicker lettering than the other keys, but the feel is terrible.

[PGibbons]

Cool.

And I'd definitely sell the Memorex.... with the terminal. Call me crazy but I can't be the one to separate two pieces of tech from that long ago that were meant to be twins.