Author Topic: Show me your spherical keycaps!  (Read 23152 times)

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Offline simon_C

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Show me your spherical keycaps!
« on: Sat, 20 August 2011, 11:12:03 »
alright folks, inspired by a few pics ive seen lately, spherical keycaps have really cought my attention.

Show me what you have, whether it be vintage computing, SP doubleshots, or whatever youve got with sphericals!

Ill start... with my all-time favorite rubber dome board,  one that most people probably dont realize has spherical keys:
The Apple Pro keyboard.




they keycaps are indeed flat profile and spherical, albeit anly slightly. i always liked how wide the keytops were in relation to other keyboards too. too bad i cant find that specific key cap style for cherry mx switches

Offline HaaTa

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Show me your spherical keycaps!
« Reply #1 on: Sat, 20 August 2011, 11:52:00 »
Hmm, favourite dome board...right... (:P)

My website is in shambles atm, but here is some of the stuff I have pics of ready (I have a bunch I haven't even open yet).

Bud Hall Effect Keypad


TTX Keyboard SMK Cherry Compatible Switches


IBM 7361073


Volker-Craig KB-4412


Atari CX85 Keypad


Heath-Zenith Linear ALPS


IBM DisplayWriter Keyboard
Kiibohd

ALWAYS looking for cool and interesting switches
I take requests for making keyboard converters (i.e. *old keyboard* to USB).

Offline simon_C

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Show me your spherical keycaps!
« Reply #2 on: Sat, 20 August 2011, 12:37:59 »
hey hey hate on that board all you want, but until i got my AEX2, thats all i typed on. its the only dome board i can still tolerate. mostly due to the shape of the keys and its sheer mass.

Offline mr_a500

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Show me your spherical keycaps!
« Reply #3 on: Sat, 20 August 2011, 12:54:58 »
Kaypro II



Quote from: ripster;402311
I was complimenting it.

Never a more beautiful key has been designed by a college dropout.  This is the more traditional cylindrical shape in the AEKII - the apple disappeared in 2007.
Show Image

College dropout? Do you mean Steve Jobs? He was kicked out of Apple before that key was made. The original Macintosh keyboard doesn't have the Apple symbol on that key.


Edit: ...and you should know, because this is your picture:

« Last Edit: Sat, 20 August 2011, 12:59:18 by mr_a500 »

Offline mr_a500

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Show me your spherical keycaps!
« Reply #4 on: Sat, 20 August 2011, 13:07:40 »
 :blank:
« Last Edit: Wed, 04 July 2018, 09:33:09 by mr_a500 »

Offline keyboardlover

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Show me your spherical keycaps!
« Reply #5 on: Sat, 20 August 2011, 13:09:48 »
Quote from: mr_a500;402312
College dropout? Do you mean Steve Jobs? He was kicked out of Apple before that key was made. The original Macintosh keyboard doesn't have the Apple symbol on that key.

Edit: ...and you should know, because this is your picture


Sounds like the self-proclaimed #1 expert has been dethroned!

woody

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Show me your spherical keycaps!
« Reply #6 on: Sat, 20 August 2011, 13:14:28 »
[ Attachment Invalid Or Does Not Exist ] 24735[/ATTACH]

This old-school baby which is in better hands now.

Offline mr_a500

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« Reply #7 on: Sat, 20 August 2011, 13:17:17 »
Quote from: woody;402322
(Attachment Link) 24735[/ATTACH]

This old-school baby which is in better hands now.

Oh, I liked that keyboard.... and now I finally know what type of switch it has - Keytronic capacitive foam and foil - just like on the Victor 9000.
« Last Edit: Sat, 20 August 2011, 13:44:06 by mr_a500 »

Offline simon_C

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« Reply #8 on: Sat, 20 August 2011, 13:37:15 »
okay im gonna ask this now because its been driving me nuts... what in hell is this "ping" i keep hearing about. the only "pings" i know are the network kind, and the kind you get from an engine when your timing is off.

on another note, i would love a set of glossy clear DSAs from signature plastics... that would be so epic on a cherry blue board
« Last Edit: Sat, 20 August 2011, 13:42:23 by simon_C »

Offline keyboardlover

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Show me your spherical keycaps!
« Reply #9 on: Sat, 20 August 2011, 13:40:17 »
It's a sporadic Cherry MX switch/plate issue.

Please see here for more info.

Offline keyboardlover

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« Reply #10 on: Sat, 20 August 2011, 13:47:39 »
I would recommend ignoring anything Ripster has said about the issue. He's biased.

Here's my original poll. Has a lot of good info in it.

Offline simon_C

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« Reply #11 on: Sat, 20 August 2011, 13:50:34 »
just sounds like a normally clicky keyboard to me. i dunno.

anyway, back on topic!

Offline keyboardlover

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« Reply #12 on: Sat, 20 August 2011, 13:51:12 »
As I previously mentioned, 34 people whose keyboards didn't ping and think the issue is "overblown" proves nothing and is utterly useless information.

Offline keyboardlover

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« Reply #13 on: Sat, 20 August 2011, 13:56:18 »
Good point. Here's mine:


Offline simon_C

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« Reply #14 on: Sat, 20 August 2011, 16:37:03 »
i love spherical caps. arent the signature plastic ones thicker than their cylindrical keys?
anyone have a set of DSAs they want to show off?
« Last Edit: Sat, 20 August 2011, 16:42:14 by simon_C »

Offline mr_a500

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« Reply #15 on: Sun, 21 August 2011, 11:07:07 »
Quote from: simon_C;402271
Ill start... with my all-time favorite rubber dome board,  one that most people probably dont realize has spherical keys:
The Apple Pro keyboard.

Show Image

Yes, that is weird. I didn't think Apple ever used spherical keycaps. Even the original Apple II had cylindrical keycaps. (the Apple 1 didn't have a keyboard)

Edit: I just saw a picture of an Apple II with spherical keycaps. I own an Apple II and it has cylindrical. Somewhere between Apple II and Apple II+, they switched. It doesn't make much difference though because the spherical indentation is so slight.
« Last Edit: Sun, 21 August 2011, 11:12:13 by mr_a500 »

Offline mr_a500

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Show me your spherical keycaps!
« Reply #16 on: Sun, 21 August 2011, 11:27:25 »
Quote from: ripster;402660
I was going to mention that those don't really look like sphericals but didn't want to appear rude.

You didn't want to appear rude? That's a first. I thought that was your thing. That's how I identify a ripster post. I read a post and say, "Wow, that's pretty frigging rude. That's got to be ripster." [look left at username] "Yep... ripster."  
(:wink: Edit: I'm just taunting ripster here, not really serious. :biggrin:)

At first I thought that keyboard was cylindrical, but if you look at the A key, it looks slightly spherical. (but maybe it's just wear)
« Last Edit: Sun, 21 August 2011, 16:06:25 by mr_a500 »

Offline keyboardlover

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« Reply #17 on: Sun, 21 August 2011, 11:33:17 »
Except for that post on the first page that you got completely ass-wrong.

Offline mr_a500

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Show me your spherical keycaps!
« Reply #18 on: Sun, 21 August 2011, 12:44:03 »
Quote from: ripster;402671
When I look at a Ripster post I say to myself, "That Dude is ALWAYS right".

The keys on a Apple M0110  aren't spherical, and those are OLD Skool ALPS.

Sig (for when you need 100% right)>Keyboard List>M0110.

I never said the M0110 had spherical keys.

Offline mr_a500

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Show me your spherical keycaps!
« Reply #19 on: Sun, 21 August 2011, 12:54:15 »
Quote from: ripster;402707
I never did either.

So... what's your point, then?

Offline mr_a500

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Show me your spherical keycaps!
« Reply #20 on: Sun, 21 August 2011, 13:18:50 »
Quote from: ripster;402715
That even OLD OLD Apple keyboards don't have Spherical Keys.  And I doubt the OP does either.

Boy, you try to be polite at Geekhack and you get yelled at.

I never yelled. I'm calm as a cucumber. I'm just questioning your line of reasoning.

Let me re-cap:

1. The original poster posts picture of Apple keyboard with slightly spherical keycaps.

2. I say I never saw Apple spherical keycaps before, but then searched and saw an Apple II with spherical keycaps.



3. You say the M0110 doesn't have spherical keys. (??)


I just don't get what the M0110 has to do with anything.

Offline mr_a500

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Show me your spherical keycaps!
« Reply #21 on: Sun, 21 August 2011, 13:23:25 »
These TI-99/4a keys are spherical, right?


Now look carefully at the original poster's Apple keyboard:


I'm not saying for sure that they're spherical, but that they look slightly spherical to me.

Offline keyboardlover

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Show me your spherical keycaps!
« Reply #22 on: Sun, 21 August 2011, 14:34:55 »
Threads that start out with "Show me your spherical" are what get Geekhack blocked by itlnstln's Malware software.

Offline simon_C

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« Reply #23 on: Sun, 21 August 2011, 14:45:00 »
nope theyre definitely sphericals. heres some pics

side profile of keycap: http://i.imgur.com/h1FEc.jpg
front profile of keycap: http://i.imgur.com/XH99Q.jpg

and seriously, take your bickering to the PMs.  75% of this thread has been bickering. should be posting pics!

Offline simon_C

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« Reply #24 on: Sun, 21 August 2011, 16:20:34 »
yeah its unfortunate. that board has probably my favorite key style. broad, shallow, spherical tops with a flat keybord profile. if i could only find that for a cherry. ill just have to settle for the DSAs

Offline mr_a500

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« Reply #25 on: Sun, 21 August 2011, 16:37:33 »
More vintage spherical keycaps:

TRS-80 Model III





Notice how angled the bottom row keys are.

Offline simon_C

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« Reply #26 on: Sun, 21 August 2011, 17:27:49 »
Quote from: ripster;402798
You talking about the Korean ones?  Those are Cherry MX DSAs made by Signature Plastics for KBDmania or OTD.
no i know those are DSAs, i meant the apple pro keycaps. i wish i could find that style for cherry switches.

Offline VPX

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Show me your spherical keycaps!
« Reply #27 on: Mon, 22 August 2011, 15:00:46 »
When I read the title I immediately thought of this:

[video=youtube;qqXi8WmQ_WM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqXi8WmQ_WM[/video]
Hack Amethyst 3000 key cap set coming when it\'s done (2012)

Offline simon_C

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Show me your spherical keycaps!
« Reply #28 on: Wed, 24 August 2011, 00:27:55 »
I think VPX murdered my thread..... way to go man! *pouts*

Offline sordna

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Show me your spherical keycaps!
« Reply #29 on: Wed, 24 August 2011, 00:48:34 »
The Kinesis advantage has blue spherical keycaps for the home row keys, sorry for the bad cell phone pic. You can easily tell these keys apart just by feel so there are no dots or indents on the F and J keys

[ Attachment Invalid Or Does Not Exist ] 24971[/ATTACH]
Kinesis Contoured Advantage & Advantage2 LF with Cherry MX Red switches / Extra keys mod / O-ring dampening mod / Dvorak layout. ErgoDox with buzzer and LED mod.
Also: Kinesis Advantage Classic, Kinesis Advantage2, Data911 TG3, Fingerworks Touchstream LP, IBM SSK (Buckling spring), Goldtouch GTU-0077 keyboard

Offline simon_C

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« Reply #30 on: Wed, 24 August 2011, 16:14:26 »
anyone else with DSAs to show off? how did you come across them?

Offline bpiphany

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Show me your spherical keycaps!
« Reply #31 on: Thu, 25 August 2011, 08:28:35 »
Quote from: simon_C;404504
anyone else with DSAs to show off? how did you come across them?

Ordered from SP

Offline simon_C

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« Reply #32 on: Thu, 25 August 2011, 20:47:09 »
Quote from: PrinsValium;404821
http://i54.tinypic.com/adyfbs.jpg
Ordered from SP

how are they to type on? and how much did they run you from SP, was it part of a group buy?

Offline simon_C

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Show me your spherical keycaps!
« Reply #33 on: Sat, 27 August 2011, 09:53:18 »
Quote from: ripster;405468
You sound kinda obsessed about this "Show Me" thing.

Don't open up the attachment if easily offended or prone to snitch tendencies.
(Attachment Link) 25066[/ATTACH]
I wish Geekhack had spoiler tags.   Makes these jokes run MUCH smoother and would reduce the times I am snitched on.
[ Attachment Invalid Or Does Not Exist ] 25120[/ATTACH]

Offline bpiphany

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Show me your spherical keycaps!
« Reply #34 on: Sat, 27 August 2011, 10:16:15 »
Quote from: simon_C;405239
how are they to type on? and how much did they run you from SP, was it part of a group buy?

They are like any other keycaps to me, different from others but not that much different. I wanted a uniform profile to be able to swap them around anywhere on the board, this kept the price down a little too. I placed a order with SP myself, and yes it was expensive =) I ordered more than those though, so less than they would have been on their own.