geekhack

geekhack Marketplace => Great Finds => Topic started by: didjamatic on Fri, 25 June 2010, 15:44:28

Title: Compaq MX11800 $19 BIN
Post by: didjamatic on Fri, 25 June 2010, 15:44:28

Smoking deal on a Cherry Brown MX keyboard (http://cgi.ebay.com/Compaq-Keyboard-Model-MX-11800-W-Trackball-/290448559255?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item43a0154c97#ht_758wt_1002).  7 Available at $19 each.

Title: Compaq MX11800 $19 BIN
Post by: Phaedrus2129 on Fri, 25 June 2010, 16:03:47

$32 with shipping.

Title: Compaq MX11800 $19 BIN
Post by: TexasFlood on Fri, 25 June 2010, 16:08:11

Quote from: Phaedrus2129;196379

$32 with shipping.

Only slightly (<$2) more than I paid for mine, thought I got a good deal.

Title: Compaq MX11800 $19 BIN
Post by: didjamatic on Fri, 25 June 2010, 16:12:17

The cost per switch alone would make it a great deal.

Title: Compaq MX11800 $19 BIN
Post by: Phaedrus2129 on Fri, 25 June 2010, 16:32:15

Yeah, but heavily used browns are kinda lame compared to fresh ones. The tactility in my MX11800 is almost gone, but there's enough there that you can't call it linear either.

Title: Compaq MX11800 $19 BIN
Post by: spolia optima on Fri, 25 June 2010, 17:44:07

IMHO browns get better with age. the tactile bump wears down and the spring softens, making them lighter, more ergo, etc.

Title: Compaq MX11800 $19 BIN
Post by: ricercar on Fri, 25 June 2010, 18:08:00

Quote from: Phaedrus2129;196386

Yeah, but heavily used browns are kinda lame compared to fresh ones.

Same for blues and blacks. One cannot appreciate Cherry blue, black, or brown until you have a NIB experience.

I bought an old Cherry blue board that was so LAME, it's not woth mentioning except in this context. the keyswitches are quieter than my browns! Even with a high-end OEM like TG3, an old TG3 board is nothing like a new Cherry board.

Title: Compaq MX11800 $19 BIN
Post by: ch_123 on Fri, 25 June 2010, 19:13:22

Blue Cherries do NOT age well, I'll say that much.

Title: Compaq MX11800 $19 BIN
Post by: microsoft windows on Fri, 25 June 2010, 19:30:55

It's the same with ALPS. That's the main advantage of buckling springs. After 25 years of use, they don't feel too much different than NIB ones (If the rivets remain OK).

Title: Compaq MX11800 $19 BIN
Post by: ch_123 on Fri, 25 June 2010, 19:55:37

You obviously haven't compared a good condition and bad condition Model M.

Didn't we have this discussion before?

Title: Compaq MX11800 $19 BIN
Post by: kwang2009 on Fri, 25 June 2010, 20:23:23

I picked up my MX 11800 from this seller. It was clean (there was almost no debris under the keys, a coating of dust only)  with minimal yellowing.

I don't know how a new cherry brown key feels but this board had identifiably less tactility than a well used cherry clear board. Though something I noticed was that even though there was less tactile feedback than the clears the difference between a well used key, a B for example, was negligible from a less often used key, such as any of the twelve from the double row of function keys.
 
The only negative I could find was that this guy is based out of PA so I had to pay sales tax, but even with the 6% tacked on it was still a good deal.

Title: Compaq MX11800 $19 BIN
Post by: TexasFlood on Fri, 25 June 2010, 21:00:33

Quote from: ripster;196518

Often these MX11800s come from server rooms so they are safer to buy than a POS keyboard.

True, and if you look at the other stuff list by this seller, it would certainly seem to point that direction.

Title: Compaq MX11800 $19 BIN
Post by: kwang2009 on Fri, 25 June 2010, 21:09:04

Quote from: ripster;196518

Often these MX11800s come from server rooms so they are safer to buy than a POS keyboard.

Why don't you own one? :P

The n-key rollover on this board is ~3.

(http://i50.tinypic.com/b8q9x.jpg)

Fresh from the wash... Can you spot the double layered single shots from the bunch?

Title: Compaq MX11800 $19 BIN
Post by: kwang2009 on Fri, 25 June 2010, 21:26:42

Quote from: ripster;196526

Layout and the trackball I've heard isn't all that great.

Yeah, bumping into the arrow keys is a bit difficult to avoid on the first few sit downs, but just like the arrow keys the trackball really grows on you.

Again, the unit I got from this guy was hardly used, though I am looking forward to when I can upgrade to a brand new filco in Cherry brown

Title: Compaq MX11800 $19 BIN
Post by: ricercar on Sat, 26 June 2010, 15:15:17

Dolch network analyzer keyboards also seem to be lightly used. I've never had a Dolch Cherry blue sound like a brown, and I've handled LOTS of Dolch this spring.

Title: Compaq MX11800 $19 BIN
Post by: Voixdelion on Sat, 26 June 2010, 16:23:28

Quote from: ripster;196433

I prefer new switches.  Well used Cherry clears are quite different than NIB ones.

Usually a keyboard out of a server room is gonna be lightly used.  A POS keyboard is a real crapshoot.

Either I have a dirty mind or we have GOT to do something about differentiating between the keyboard related acronyms commonly used in this forum and those which I tend to run into a fairly regular basis elsewhere.  (I keep finding myself asking "Why is everyone calling Model M's bull****?")  This time, I read the above post as:

 "A piece of **** keyboard is a real crapshoot."  

Even funnier when it evolved further in my mind thusly:  
crapshoot > crap shoot > crap chute.  

Now I can't stop giggling

Title: Compaq MX11800 $19 BIN
Post by: TexasFlood on Sat, 26 June 2010, 17:05:38

Quote from: Voixdelion;196734

Either I have a dirty mind or we have GOT to do something about differentiating between the keyboard related acronyms commonly used in this forum and those which I tend to run into a fairly regular basis elsewhere.

Here's a test.
What kind of input device to you see?
(http://i991.photobucket.com/albums/af35/Perfektionisti/Funny/th_dirty_mind6.jpg)

Title: Compaq MX11800 $19 BIN
Post by: TexasFlood on Sat, 26 June 2010, 17:53:14

Quote from: Voixdelion;196734

Either I have a dirty mind or...

Here is a test, what do you see in these below?

(http://static.funnyjunk.com/pictures/dirty_mind_wine1.jpg)

(http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q187/anbullama/mind.jpg)

Title: Compaq MX11800 $19 BIN
Post by: Voixdelion on Sat, 26 June 2010, 18:08:03

looks like a light up cocktail glass

Title: Compaq MX11800 $19 BIN
Post by: microsoft windows on Sat, 26 June 2010, 19:09:28

That's you in the picture, right?