geekhack
geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: ScarletSwordfish on Thu, 09 April 2020, 21:24:00
-
I'm in the middle of restoring an Apple Extended Keyboard II with salmon Alps switches, with the intention to sell it. As with many old Alps tactile boards, many of the switches have become clicky with age. Would it add value to paper mod the switches to de-click them, or would more prospective buyers prefer the switches as-is, and mod it themselves if they prefer?
-
I'm in the middle of restoring an Apple Extended Keyboard II with salmon Alps switches, with the intention to sell it. As with many old Alps tactile boards, many of the switches have become clicky with age. Would it add value to paper mod the switches to de-click them, or would more prospective buyers prefer the switches as-is, and mod it themselves if they prefer?
I'm going to say leave it stock. But that's just my opinion, of course. I never buy anything that has been modded, b/c I generally don't trust people to do things the right way :p
-
I never buy anything that has been modded,
My experience has also been that modifications are generally considered "damage" and lower the price of an item, even if the process itself is generally considered to be "positive" by some users in general.
Also, salmon Alps are considered some of the best. I can't think of anything to do to improve them except for cleaning if they are particularly dirty.
-
This board was particularly filthy and several of the switches were not functioning correctly, so I am giving them a thorough cleaning. They still feel smooth, but the clicking still bugs me even if I'm not going to keep it. Paper modding is 100% reversible and non-damaging – just inserting a paper shim between the tactile leaf and the upper housing – and it doesn't perceptibly alter the feel of a switch. I have also been able to de-click switches by bending the back of the tactile leaf inward, but this is a physical change to the switch itself and can inconsistently affect the tactility.