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geekhack Community => Keyboard Keycaps => Topic started by: phinix on Mon, 23 September 2024, 09:43:14

Title: Amiga keycaps profile
Post by: phinix on Mon, 23 September 2024, 09:43:14

I was wondering, what was Amiga keycap profile and is there any new/in production profile that is close to it?
I would like to have something like that mounted on modern cherry mx switches :)

[attachimg=1 width=1200]

Title: Re: Amiga keycaps profile
Post by: HungerMechanic on Mon, 23 September 2024, 11:53:39

To be honest, Amiga keycaps always struck me as not too-far-off, conceptually at least, from WYSE keycaps:

(https://i.imgur.com/arFzaN2.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/LpaeboT.jpg)

Sure, the font, colours, and legending methods are not identical. But they are comparable.

Look at the WYSE numpad arrows. The philosophy is not that different.

So if you wanted something conceptually similar, you could get some old WYSE keycaps, restore them, and use a Moogle kit. Or maybe SP could produce something close to Amiga-styled keycaps in DCS. They already produce some of the obscure longer keys and uncommon legends.

Title: Re: Amiga keycaps profile
Post by: HungerMechanic on Mon, 23 September 2024, 12:05:15

Looks as if there have been some attempts to create Amiga tribute keyboards and keycaps:


1. Amiga-style keyboard for PC

(https://preview.redd.it/alg7ag5l7kw61.png?width=1080&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=b85f0f5b358b37bda2b9d24c842209b42df5ce97)


https://www.reddit.com/r/keyboards/comments/n2pbxz/til_a_company_is_making_amiga_style_keyboards_for/

2. Amiga Cherry-profile keycaps


(https://audiophilestyle.com/uploads/monthly_2015_10/loriani-1.jpg.4bf93fd1306f4bbf0088b9f8e81bd576.jpg)

https://audiophilestyle.com/forums/topic/25443-commodore-amiga-keys-for-your-pc-cherry-mx-keyboard-kickstarter-campaign/

3. New keycaps for Amiga

(https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibG_baM5HsyitRudjT1lu32KLr71Qlvna2DfxTn8F4B88wYuXD2DTyaT357yYx1fDLnrw3d8DR5-wLBdA61yXIaAxfAxddoUV3WsfI7BahSiWnXQ5QTCFE9RDBzNp5rNoys1mevcy5n5E/s1600/2.jpg)

https://www.a1200.net/shop/amiga-keycaps-a1200-theme/


I think the imitation Cherry-keycaps look pretty crude. The a1200.net people might be able to produce their new Amiga keycaps in an MX-compatible format as well, who knows?

Title: Re: Amiga keycaps profile
Post by: Findecanor on Mon, 23 September 2024, 12:31:43

There were a few different types of Amiga keyboards (https://deskthority.net/wiki/Commodore_Amiga#Keyboards), including Cherry-made keyboards with Cherry-profile doubleshots, but I suppose you mean the Mitsumi KPR type.in the Amiga 1200 in the picture.

I have an Amiga 1200 and 500 with Mitsumi keys right here, and compared against Cherry (from an Amiga 2000), DCS and OEM profiles.

The keys are a little bit sunken into the case, i.e. the skirt is not aligned with the top surface of the computer case.
The keycap height is similar to OEM profile but the angles are in-between that of Cherry and DCS. The top two rows are completely flat, and the other rows are more angled than Cherry profile but not as much as DCS.
If I lay Cherry profile on top of the Amiga's case surface, the keys are the same height, meaning that if the skirts had been that height the key height would be identical as well.

I suspect but can not confirm that other Mitsumi keyboards had the same profile.

Title: Re: Amiga keycaps profile
Post by: HungerMechanic on Mon, 23 September 2024, 12:34:00

Thanks, Findecanor. That's helpful.

Amiga keycaps seem to be very similar to the other low-profile cylindricals of the day.


For Phinix, these people might be producing Amiga-style MX-keycaps:

https://www.checkmate1500plus.com/Products.aspx?id=371

Title: Re: Amiga keycaps profile
Post by: Findecanor on Mon, 23 September 2024, 12:37:40

Quote from: HungerMechanic on Mon, 23 September 2024, 12:05:15

1. Amiga-style keyboard for PC

Show Image

(https://preview.redd.it/alg7ag5l7kw61.png?width=1080&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=b85f0f5b358b37bda2b9d24c842209b42df5ce97)

I believe the final result of that project did not look like that but was a standard Cherry MX keyboard with OEM-profile keycaps.

BTW, there have also been several projects creating replacement keyboards for Amiga computers with Cherry MX (-alike) switches. A couple have changed the bottom row a bit, presumably because their keycap source did not offer 9u space bars.

Title: Re: Amiga keycaps profile
Post by: phinix on Mon, 23 September 2024, 16:35:01

Quote from: Findecanor on Mon, 23 September 2024, 12:31:43

There were a few different types of Amiga keyboards (https://deskthority.net/wiki/Commodore_Amiga#Keyboards), including Cherry-made keyboards with Cherry-profile doubleshots, but I suppose you mean the Mitsumi KPR type.in the Amiga 1200 in the picture.

I have an Amiga 1200 and 500 with Mitsumi keys right here, and compared against Cherry (from an Amiga 2000), DCS and OEM profiles.

The keys are a little bit sunken into the case, i.e. the skirt is not aligned with the top surface of the computer case.
The keycap height is similar to OEM profile but the angles are in-between that of Cherry and DCS. The top two rows are completely flat, and the other rows are more angled than Cherry profile but not as much as DCS.
If I lay Cherry profile on top of the Amiga's case surface, the keys are the same height, meaning that if the skirts had been that height the key height would be identical as well.

I suspect but can not confirm that other Mitsumi keyboards had the same profile.

Yeah, you see, I like the top of the keycaps, their profile is not same as cherry mx, kinda flat and wider, edges not the same too. Plus finish is different, I mean I never tried brand new Amiga, but it feels a lot more like well used cherry mx caps, slightly shiny and smooth.