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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: wheeltowheel on Thu, 12 August 2010, 15:12:09

Title: My garage sale find
Post by: wheeltowheel on Thu, 12 August 2010, 15:12:09

I picked this up for 5 bucks at a local garage sale today. Is it worth keeping and finding a PS/2 adapter for it?

Also, can anyone ID the switches?
(http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u310/wheeltowheel/DSCF0725.jpg)
(http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u310/wheeltowheel/DSCF0726.jpg)
(http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u310/wheeltowheel/DSCF0727.jpg)
(http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u310/wheeltowheel/DSCF0729.jpg)

Title: My garage sale find
Post by: didjamatic on Thu, 12 August 2010, 15:23:43

Nice!  That should have complicated white clicky ALPS in it, definitely worth an adapter.

Title: My garage sale find
Post by: Phaedrus2129 on Thu, 12 August 2010, 15:27:47

Thought so. I can't tell SMKs from Alps.


What switches did the 5181 use? They used like four types over time. MX blues, complicated white Alps, Monterey SMKs, and... was it fake MX blues or simplified white Alps?

Title: My garage sale find
Post by: ch_123 on Thu, 12 August 2010, 15:33:15

Quote from: didjamatic;211945

Nice!  That should have complicated white clicky ALPS in it, definitely worth an adapter.

At first I thought they were clones, then when I saw your post I zoomed in and enhanced (i.e. moved my head closer to the screen) and saw the faded "ALPS" markings.

Quote

Is it worth keeping and finding a PS/2 adapter for it?

That depends on whether you like typing on it :)

Title: My garage sale find
Post by: Superfluous Parentheses on Thu, 12 August 2010, 20:44:25

You should be able to get an AT -> PS/2 adapter for less than you paid for that board. Probably worth it - if, as ch_123 says, you like typing on it.

EDIT: If you don't like it and those are original white Alps switches, you can probably find people here who at least would be willing to buy it off you just to get the switches for more than what you payed for it.

Title: My garage sale find
Post by: aegrotatio on Thu, 12 August 2010, 22:22:51

I'm typing on this exact model keyboard right now except it uses blue Montereys.  Another model, the KB-5191, uses Cherry MX Blue copies (I didn't know the 5181 did).

Title: My garage sale find
Post by: chongyixiong on Thu, 12 August 2010, 22:36:54

Quote from: Superfluous Parentheses;212031

You should be able to get an AT -> PS/2 adapter for less than you paid for that board. Probably worth it - if, as ch_123 says, you like typing on it.

EDIT: If you don't like it and those are original white Alps switches, you can probably find people here who at least would be willing to buy it off you just to get the switches for more than what you payed for it.

Are complicated white ALPS switches worth that much?

Might consider selling my board (which I dont use often) just to get some extra cash.