« previous next »
Pages:  [1]     Go Down

Author Topic: Is this an old Digital mechanical keyboard?  (Read 10710 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline rowdy

  • HHKB Hapster
  • * Erudite Elder
  • Thread Starter
  • Posts: 21175
  • Location: melbourne.vic.au
  • Missed another sale.
Is this an old Digital mechanical keyboard?
« on: Sat, 08 September 2012, 05:38:45 »
Searching through my keyboard collection (mostly membrane) uncovered this one, which seems to have some sort of switch under each key.  I have no idea whether it is really mechanical or not, and searching on the model number doesn't reveal anything coherent.

It has a PS/2 connector, and at a guess I'd say it was about 10 to 15 years old (so circa 1997 to 2002).

Anyone got any ideas?







Logged
"Because keyboards are accessories to PC makers, they focus on minimizing the manufacturing costs. But that’s incorrect. It’s in HHKB’s slogan, but when America’s cowboys were in the middle of a trip and their horse died, they would leave the horse there. But even if they were in the middle of a desert, they would take their saddle with them. The horse was a consumable good, but the saddle was an interface that their bodies had gotten used to. In the same vein, PCs are consumable goods, while keyboards are important interfaces." - Eiiti Wada

NEC APC-H4100E | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED red | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED green | Link 900243-08 | CM QFR MX black | KeyCool 87 white MX reds | HHKB 2 Pro | Model M 02-Mar-1993 | Model M 29-Nov-1995 | CM Trigger (broken) | CM QFS MX green | Ducky DK9087 Shine 3 TKL Yellow Edition MX black | Lexmark SSK 21-Apr-1994 | IBM SSK 13-Oct-1987 | CODE TKL MX clear | Model M 122 01-Jun-1988

Ị̸͚̯̲́ͤ̃͑̇̑ͯ̊̂͟ͅs̞͚̩͉̝̪̲͗͊ͪ̽̚̚ ̭̦͖͕̑́͌ͬͩ͟t̷̻͔̙̑͟h̹̠̼͋ͤ͋i̤̜̣̦̱̫͈͔̞ͭ͑ͥ̌̔s̬͔͎̍̈ͥͫ̐̾ͣ̔̇͘ͅ ̩̘̼͆̐̕e̞̰͓̲̺̎͐̏ͬ̓̅̾͠͝ͅv̶̰͕̱̞̥̍ͣ̄̕e͕͙͖̬̜͓͎̤̊ͭ͐͝ṇ̰͎̱̤̟̭ͫ͌̌͢͠ͅ ̳̥̦ͮ̐ͤ̎̊ͣ͡͡n̤̜̙̺̪̒͜e̶̻̦̿ͮ̂̀c̝̘̝͖̠̖͐ͨͪ̈̐͌ͩ̀e̷̥͇̋ͦs̢̡̤ͤͤͯ͜s͈̠̉̑͘a̱͕̗͖̳̥̺ͬͦͧ͆̌̑͡r̶̟̖̈͘ỷ̮̦̩͙͔ͫ̾ͬ̔ͬͮ̌?̵̘͇͔͙ͥͪ͞ͅ

Offline Findecanor

  • Posts: 5036
  • Location: Koriko
Re: Is this an old Digital mechanical keyboard?
« Reply #1 on: Sat, 08 September 2012, 07:05:53 »
Slider over rubber dome made by NMB. You can also find this keyboard with the Compaq brand on it.
Logged

Offline rowdy

  • HHKB Hapster
  • * Erudite Elder
  • Thread Starter
  • Posts: 21175
  • Location: melbourne.vic.au
  • Missed another sale.
Is this an old Digital mechanical keyboard?
« Reply #2 on: Sat, 08 September 2012, 07:12:39 »
Ok, thank you for that. Back on the pile it goes ...
Logged
"Because keyboards are accessories to PC makers, they focus on minimizing the manufacturing costs. But that’s incorrect. It’s in HHKB’s slogan, but when America’s cowboys were in the middle of a trip and their horse died, they would leave the horse there. But even if they were in the middle of a desert, they would take their saddle with them. The horse was a consumable good, but the saddle was an interface that their bodies had gotten used to. In the same vein, PCs are consumable goods, while keyboards are important interfaces." - Eiiti Wada

NEC APC-H4100E | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED red | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED green | Link 900243-08 | CM QFR MX black | KeyCool 87 white MX reds | HHKB 2 Pro | Model M 02-Mar-1993 | Model M 29-Nov-1995 | CM Trigger (broken) | CM QFS MX green | Ducky DK9087 Shine 3 TKL Yellow Edition MX black | Lexmark SSK 21-Apr-1994 | IBM SSK 13-Oct-1987 | CODE TKL MX clear | Model M 122 01-Jun-1988

Ị̸͚̯̲́ͤ̃͑̇̑ͯ̊̂͟ͅs̞͚̩͉̝̪̲͗͊ͪ̽̚̚ ̭̦͖͕̑́͌ͬͩ͟t̷̻͔̙̑͟h̹̠̼͋ͤ͋i̤̜̣̦̱̫͈͔̞ͭ͑ͥ̌̔s̬͔͎̍̈ͥͫ̐̾ͣ̔̇͘ͅ ̩̘̼͆̐̕e̞̰͓̲̺̎͐̏ͬ̓̅̾͠͝ͅv̶̰͕̱̞̥̍ͣ̄̕e͕͙͖̬̜͓͎̤̊ͭ͐͝ṇ̰͎̱̤̟̭ͫ͌̌͢͠ͅ ̳̥̦ͮ̐ͤ̎̊ͣ͡͡n̤̜̙̺̪̒͜e̶̻̦̿ͮ̂̀c̝̘̝͖̠̖͐ͨͪ̈̐͌ͩ̀e̷̥͇̋ͦs̢̡̤ͤͤͯ͜s͈̠̉̑͘a̱͕̗͖̳̥̺ͬͦͧ͆̌̑͡r̶̟̖̈͘ỷ̮̦̩͙͔ͫ̾ͬ̔ͬͮ̌?̵̘͇͔͙ͥͪ͞ͅ

Offline fohat.digs

  • * Elevated Elder
  • Posts: 6467
  • Location: 35°55'N, 83°53'W
  • weird funny old guy
Re: Is this an old Digital mechanical keyboard?
« Reply #3 on: Sat, 08 September 2012, 08:34:59 »
Some of those dome/plunger boards aren't so completely bad. I used to have one, it may have been an NMB or AT&T branded, that was OK for rubber.
Logged
"The Trump campaign announced in a letter that Republican candidates and committees are now expected to pay “a minimum of 5% of all fundraising solicitations to Trump National Committee JFC” for using his “name, image, and likeness in fundraising solicitations.”
“Any split that is higher than 5%,” the letter states, “will be seen favorably by the RNC and President Trump's campaign and is routinely reported to the highest levels of leadership within both organizations.”"

Offline rowdy

  • HHKB Hapster
  • * Erudite Elder
  • Thread Starter
  • Posts: 21175
  • Location: melbourne.vic.au
  • Missed another sale.
Re: Is this an old Digital mechanical keyboard?
« Reply #4 on: Sat, 08 September 2012, 17:40:46 »
This one is not bad, especially considering the amount of use it appears to have had (many of the keys are very shiny), but doesn't compare to my Ducky.

I have a lot of old keyboards.  Many of them feel like typing on an old sponge.
Logged
"Because keyboards are accessories to PC makers, they focus on minimizing the manufacturing costs. But that’s incorrect. It’s in HHKB’s slogan, but when America’s cowboys were in the middle of a trip and their horse died, they would leave the horse there. But even if they were in the middle of a desert, they would take their saddle with them. The horse was a consumable good, but the saddle was an interface that their bodies had gotten used to. In the same vein, PCs are consumable goods, while keyboards are important interfaces." - Eiiti Wada

NEC APC-H4100E | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED red | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED green | Link 900243-08 | CM QFR MX black | KeyCool 87 white MX reds | HHKB 2 Pro | Model M 02-Mar-1993 | Model M 29-Nov-1995 | CM Trigger (broken) | CM QFS MX green | Ducky DK9087 Shine 3 TKL Yellow Edition MX black | Lexmark SSK 21-Apr-1994 | IBM SSK 13-Oct-1987 | CODE TKL MX clear | Model M 122 01-Jun-1988

Ị̸͚̯̲́ͤ̃͑̇̑ͯ̊̂͟ͅs̞͚̩͉̝̪̲͗͊ͪ̽̚̚ ̭̦͖͕̑́͌ͬͩ͟t̷̻͔̙̑͟h̹̠̼͋ͤ͋i̤̜̣̦̱̫͈͔̞ͭ͑ͥ̌̔s̬͔͎̍̈ͥͫ̐̾ͣ̔̇͘ͅ ̩̘̼͆̐̕e̞̰͓̲̺̎͐̏ͬ̓̅̾͠͝ͅv̶̰͕̱̞̥̍ͣ̄̕e͕͙͖̬̜͓͎̤̊ͭ͐͝ṇ̰͎̱̤̟̭ͫ͌̌͢͠ͅ ̳̥̦ͮ̐ͤ̎̊ͣ͡͡n̤̜̙̺̪̒͜e̶̻̦̿ͮ̂̀c̝̘̝͖̠̖͐ͨͪ̈̐͌ͩ̀e̷̥͇̋ͦs̢̡̤ͤͤͯ͜s͈̠̉̑͘a̱͕̗͖̳̥̺ͬͦͧ͆̌̑͡r̶̟̖̈͘ỷ̮̦̩͙͔ͫ̾ͬ̔ͬͮ̌?̵̘͇͔͙ͥͪ͞ͅ

Offline Wildcard

  • * Esteemed Elder
  • Posts: 1046
  • Location: Fields of Columbia
  • When caffeine isn't enough
Re: Is this an old Digital mechanical keyboard?
« Reply #5 on: Tue, 11 September 2012, 22:26:24 »
I use to have this exact board. Don't recall what happened to it but my father use to work with Digital so we always had Digital stuff at our house. Including two nice AlphaServers.
Logged

Offline rowdy

  • HHKB Hapster
  • * Erudite Elder
  • Thread Starter
  • Posts: 21175
  • Location: melbourne.vic.au
  • Missed another sale.
Re: Is this an old Digital mechanical keyboard?
« Reply #6 on: Tue, 11 September 2012, 22:58:46 »
Where I work used to have some sort of arrangement with Digital (before my time though), and got free stuff every now and again, including an AlphaServer too :)

I think this keyboard came from that.

I kinda inherited it (the keyboard, not the server, although the server might be up for grabs at some stage) when we had a chuck-out a while back.
Logged
"Because keyboards are accessories to PC makers, they focus on minimizing the manufacturing costs. But that’s incorrect. It’s in HHKB’s slogan, but when America’s cowboys were in the middle of a trip and their horse died, they would leave the horse there. But even if they were in the middle of a desert, they would take their saddle with them. The horse was a consumable good, but the saddle was an interface that their bodies had gotten used to. In the same vein, PCs are consumable goods, while keyboards are important interfaces." - Eiiti Wada

NEC APC-H4100E | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED red | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED green | Link 900243-08 | CM QFR MX black | KeyCool 87 white MX reds | HHKB 2 Pro | Model M 02-Mar-1993 | Model M 29-Nov-1995 | CM Trigger (broken) | CM QFS MX green | Ducky DK9087 Shine 3 TKL Yellow Edition MX black | Lexmark SSK 21-Apr-1994 | IBM SSK 13-Oct-1987 | CODE TKL MX clear | Model M 122 01-Jun-1988

Ị̸͚̯̲́ͤ̃͑̇̑ͯ̊̂͟ͅs̞͚̩͉̝̪̲͗͊ͪ̽̚̚ ̭̦͖͕̑́͌ͬͩ͟t̷̻͔̙̑͟h̹̠̼͋ͤ͋i̤̜̣̦̱̫͈͔̞ͭ͑ͥ̌̔s̬͔͎̍̈ͥͫ̐̾ͣ̔̇͘ͅ ̩̘̼͆̐̕e̞̰͓̲̺̎͐̏ͬ̓̅̾͠͝ͅv̶̰͕̱̞̥̍ͣ̄̕e͕͙͖̬̜͓͎̤̊ͭ͐͝ṇ̰͎̱̤̟̭ͫ͌̌͢͠ͅ ̳̥̦ͮ̐ͤ̎̊ͣ͡͡n̤̜̙̺̪̒͜e̶̻̦̿ͮ̂̀c̝̘̝͖̠̖͐ͨͪ̈̐͌ͩ̀e̷̥͇̋ͦs̢̡̤ͤͤͯ͜s͈̠̉̑͘a̱͕̗͖̳̥̺ͬͦͧ͆̌̑͡r̶̟̖̈͘ỷ̮̦̩͙͔ͫ̾ͬ̔ͬͮ̌?̵̘͇͔͙ͥͪ͞ͅ

Offline Wildcard

  • * Esteemed Elder
  • Posts: 1046
  • Location: Fields of Columbia
  • When caffeine isn't enough
Re: Is this an old Digital mechanical keyboard?
« Reply #7 on: Wed, 12 September 2012, 00:02:50 »
Quote from: rowdy on Tue, 11 September 2012, 22:58:46
Where I work used to have some sort of arrangement with Digital (before my time though), and got free stuff every now and again, including an AlphaServer too :)

I think this keyboard came from that.

I kinda inherited it (the keyboard, not the server, although the server might be up for grabs at some stage) when we had a chuck-out a while back.

Those AlphaServers have a good amount of gold in them, albeit small. The heatsink stub that rests against the CPU is solid gold.
Logged

Offline dorkvader

  • Posts: 6288
  • Location: Boston area
  • all about the "hack" in "geekhack"
Re: Is this an old Digital mechanical keyboard?
« Reply #8 on: Wed, 12 September 2012, 09:33:21 »
Quote from: RiffRaff on Wed, 12 September 2012, 00:02:50
Quote from: rowdy on Tue, 11 September 2012, 22:58:46
Where I work used to have some sort of arrangement with Digital (before my time though), and got free stuff every now and again, including an AlphaServer too :)

I think this keyboard came from that.

I kinda inherited it (the keyboard, not the server, although the server might be up for grabs at some stage) when we had a chuck-out a while back.

Those AlphaServers have a good amount of gold in them, albeit small. The heatsink stub that rests against the CPU is solid gold.
That's interesting, because silver has a significantly better coefficient of thermal conductivity. I wonder why they did that. Perhaps they thought they could machine it flatter (plus, Gold doesn't oxidize (or "tarnish" as the kids are calling it these days) like silver does. That's probably it: Worried about oxidation.)

Good find, though. Lots of old RD 'boards are surprisingly good.
Logged

Offline Neo.X

  • Posts: 341
  • Location: Mississauga, CA
Re: Is this an old Digital mechanical keyboard?
« Reply #9 on: Wed, 12 September 2012, 10:46:47 »
OMG, I just found an old Compaq keyboard in the server room with the same switch. I was wondering what type it is and if it's a mechnical one. Thanks for the infor.
It does feel better than a normal rubber dome keyboard.  :) :)
Logged
All those keyboards will be lost in time....

Offline rowdy

  • HHKB Hapster
  • * Erudite Elder
  • Thread Starter
  • Posts: 21175
  • Location: melbourne.vic.au
  • Missed another sale.
Re: Is this an old Digital mechanical keyboard?
« Reply #10 on: Wed, 12 September 2012, 14:41:46 »
The improved feel over a typical rubber dome of the same vintage is what made me wonder whether this was some sort of mechanical board.

They made things to last in the olden days (some things, anyway) ;)
Logged
"Because keyboards are accessories to PC makers, they focus on minimizing the manufacturing costs. But that’s incorrect. It’s in HHKB’s slogan, but when America’s cowboys were in the middle of a trip and their horse died, they would leave the horse there. But even if they were in the middle of a desert, they would take their saddle with them. The horse was a consumable good, but the saddle was an interface that their bodies had gotten used to. In the same vein, PCs are consumable goods, while keyboards are important interfaces." - Eiiti Wada

NEC APC-H4100E | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED red | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED green | Link 900243-08 | CM QFR MX black | KeyCool 87 white MX reds | HHKB 2 Pro | Model M 02-Mar-1993 | Model M 29-Nov-1995 | CM Trigger (broken) | CM QFS MX green | Ducky DK9087 Shine 3 TKL Yellow Edition MX black | Lexmark SSK 21-Apr-1994 | IBM SSK 13-Oct-1987 | CODE TKL MX clear | Model M 122 01-Jun-1988

Ị̸͚̯̲́ͤ̃͑̇̑ͯ̊̂͟ͅs̞͚̩͉̝̪̲͗͊ͪ̽̚̚ ̭̦͖͕̑́͌ͬͩ͟t̷̻͔̙̑͟h̹̠̼͋ͤ͋i̤̜̣̦̱̫͈͔̞ͭ͑ͥ̌̔s̬͔͎̍̈ͥͫ̐̾ͣ̔̇͘ͅ ̩̘̼͆̐̕e̞̰͓̲̺̎͐̏ͬ̓̅̾͠͝ͅv̶̰͕̱̞̥̍ͣ̄̕e͕͙͖̬̜͓͎̤̊ͭ͐͝ṇ̰͎̱̤̟̭ͫ͌̌͢͠ͅ ̳̥̦ͮ̐ͤ̎̊ͣ͡͡n̤̜̙̺̪̒͜e̶̻̦̿ͮ̂̀c̝̘̝͖̠̖͐ͨͪ̈̐͌ͩ̀e̷̥͇̋ͦs̢̡̤ͤͤͯ͜s͈̠̉̑͘a̱͕̗͖̳̥̺ͬͦͧ͆̌̑͡r̶̟̖̈͘ỷ̮̦̩͙͔ͫ̾ͬ̔ͬͮ̌?̵̘͇͔͙ͥͪ͞ͅ

Offline 486

  • Posts: 134
Re: Is this an old Digital mechanical keyboard?
« Reply #11 on: Wed, 12 September 2012, 16:08:12 »
That was one of the first boards I typed on ever. Had that with a DECpcLPv. I can't remember if it felt bad but I was only a kid.
There was a period in time from early 90's until early 2000's where many mechanical boards dropped out of fashion. But you think of before and after then, there were loads. I think at that point, the computer industry was rising to the dot com bubble and cheap computers with cheap keyboards flooding the market. Also many of the big players sold or divested or dissolved thier companies. eg.
Chicony-They still make computer products
IBM/Lexmark-sold to Unicomp
Alps
Honeywell
DEC-who made the keyboard above-bought by Compaq who was bought by HP.
Logged
Pages:  [1]     Go Up
« previous next »