geekhack

geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: knightjp on Fri, 17 September 2021, 08:48:26

Title: What Keyboard is that?
Post by: knightjp on Fri, 17 September 2021, 08:48:26
I was watching the old Unix video just for the heck of it. Does anyone know what keyboard Brian Kernighan is using in this video?

Title: Re: What Keyboard is that?
Post by: Findecanor on Fri, 17 September 2021, 09:36:07
My guess is a ICL DRS-20 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ICL_DRS#DRS_20/100/200) terminal.
Title: Re: What Keyboard is that?
Post by: knightjp on Fri, 17 September 2021, 16:33:39
My guess is a ICL DRS-20 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ICL_DRS#DRS_20/100/200) terminal.
Thinking along your idea and chain of thought, I also think that it could be HP 2622A terminal as well. (http://hpmuseum.net/images/2622A-33.jpg)

Title: Re: What Keyboard is that?
Post by: _rubik on Fri, 17 September 2021, 18:12:51
That's a good call on the HP 2622, you can almost make out the silver badge too. Specifically I think the board is the 2622D STD. Take a look from a similar camera angle

(https://cdn11.bigcommerce.com/s-a1x7hg2jgk/images/stencil/608x608/products/36716/216833/DSCF1119__45879.1614208268.jpg?c=2)

The other option is the HP 125 product no. 45500A which was functionally equivalent to the 262x series anyway.

(http://hpmuseum.net/images/125_1981-PromoPhoto-32.jpg)
Title: Re: What Keyboard is that?
Post by: _rubik on Fri, 17 September 2021, 18:17:33
That original video ("The UNIX System: Making Computers More Productive") was shot in 1982, so the years make sense too. The 2622 was released in 78 and the 125 45500a in 81

Source video for those interested -- a super fun watch

Title: Re: What Keyboard is that?
Post by: knightjp on Sun, 19 September 2021, 01:22:25
Yeah the UNIX video is very interesting. I think I've watched quite a few times and it still fascinates me. The view of all those people using those tall keyboards.. I guess it is no wonder that carpal tunnel suddenly became a popular issue among users.
I wonder if there are any HP 2622 keyboards out there for sale. I would like to know what are specs and stuff on those.
Title: Re: What Keyboard is that?
Post by: rowdy on Sun, 19 September 2021, 17:33:19
Didn't have fancy syntax-highlighting text editors back in those days.  All monochrome with a tiny screen and a huge keyboard.
Title: Re: What Keyboard is that?
Post by: _rubik on Sun, 19 September 2021, 17:40:15
Didn't have fancy syntax-highlighting text editors back in those days.  All monochrome with a tiny screen and a huge keyboard.

If it were up to me, we'd still be writing developer tools that are still 100% terminal compatible (and not just terminal emulator compat).

<insert rant about needing a mouse/>
Title: Re: What Keyboard is that?
Post by: rowdy on Mon, 20 September 2021, 15:20:17
Didn't have fancy syntax-highlighting text editors back in those days.  All monochrome with a tiny screen and a huge keyboard.

If it were up to me, we'd still be writing developer tools that are still 100% terminal compatible (and not just terminal emulator compat).

<insert rant about needing a mouse/>

Half my working day is spent in a terminal (the other half in a Java IDE).  If I could I'd just use one of my terminals, an HP 700/96 or an old Link (like a Wyse).  I wouldn't object to using an HP 2622 again, although they don't do 132 columns, which is a useful feature.
Title: Re: What Keyboard is that?
Post by: _rubik on Mon, 20 September 2021, 15:24:08
Didn't have fancy syntax-highlighting text editors back in those days.  All monochrome with a tiny screen and a huge keyboard.

If it were up to me, we'd still be writing developer tools that are still 100% terminal compatible (and not just terminal emulator compat).

<insert rant about needing a mouse/>

Half my working day is spent in a terminal (the other half in a Java IDE).  If I could I'd just use one of my terminals, an HP 700/96 or an old Link (like a Wyse).  I wouldn't object to using an HP 2622 again, although they don't do 132 columns, which is a useful feature.

I've pushed most of my workflow into emacs (make jokes if you must), but unfortunately Slack took way their XMPP gateway and modern browsers are a necessity (for my work, at least). For a while I thought about getting a VT520 terminal for ****s and giggles (still do, actually) but pushing data over those old serial ports is easier said than done.
Title: Re: What Keyboard is that?
Post by: rowdy on Tue, 21 September 2021, 15:24:06
Didn't have fancy syntax-highlighting text editors back in those days.  All monochrome with a tiny screen and a huge keyboard.

If it were up to me, we'd still be writing developer tools that are still 100% terminal compatible (and not just terminal emulator compat).

<insert rant about needing a mouse/>

Half my working day is spent in a terminal (the other half in a Java IDE).  If I could I'd just use one of my terminals, an HP 700/96 or an old Link (like a Wyse).  I wouldn't object to using an HP 2622 again, although they don't do 132 columns, which is a useful feature.

I've pushed most of my workflow into emacs (make jokes if you must), but unfortunately Slack took way their XMPP gateway and modern browsers are a necessity (for my work, at least). For a while I thought about getting a VT520 terminal for ****s and giggles (still do, actually) but pushing data over those old serial ports is easier said than done.

I had a VT220 and a VT420, but the VT220 didn't work at all, and the VT420 screen was dim to the point of being unreadable.  Apparently it is possible to throw a huge voltage across the tube or something to rejuvenate it for a little while, but probably not worth it.

I've tried lots of USB to serial adaptors, some of them actually worked out of the box, and some weren't recognised by the OS.  A couple of my servers actually still have serial ports onboard, which is great.

However dumping huge amounts of text over a serial connection is as slow as.  I've gotten use to the blindingly fast GPU-accelerated terminal emulator I use on the Mac, unfortunately.