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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: mr_a500 on Wed, 27 October 2010, 16:47:33

Title: Weird Selectric with numeric keypad
Post by: mr_a500 on Wed, 27 October 2010, 16:47:33: I've seen lots of Selectric typewriters, but I've never seen one with a numeric keypad (inbuilt). Has anybody seen one like this before?

(http://geekhack.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=13201&stc=1&d=1288215959)
Title: Weird Selectric with numeric keypad
Post by: mr_a500 on Thu, 28 October 2010, 11:22:18: Well, I might as well tell you since it's a little too expensive for me. ($150 + $75 + $25)

It's on eBay here (http://cgi.ebay.ca/IBM-SELECTRIC-ELECTRIC-TYPWRITER-BUSINESS-GREEN-/170558377287?pt=BI_Typewriters_Word_Processors&hash=item27b6124d47).

I want one like that... but $100 cheaper - or free shipping, which amounts to the same thing.
Title: Weird Selectric with numeric keypad
Post by: mr_a500 on Thu, 28 October 2010, 16:07:02: Oh yeah, you're right. So it wouldn't take any modification at all (besides the keycaps), just a special ball.

That blank key beside "P" doesn't seem to fit right. And notice how the letter text isn't centred on the other keys. Maybe these are all replacement keys that aren't doubleshot.
Title: Weird Selectric with numeric keypad
Post by: ch_123 on Thu, 28 October 2010, 16:12:14: Quote from: ripster;239918
Notice the blank keys. These keys are double shot so I doubt it's wear.

I've seen worn Selectric keys. Don't ask me how it happened, but I've seen ones were you can see the a dip on the key in the shape of a letter, but there's no letter. Maybe some were lasered?

In regards to that typewriter - it reminds me of the arrangement on IBM cardpunches, and the data entry layout of some beam spring/Model F terminal keyboards.
Title: Weird Selectric with numeric keypad
Post by: ricercar on Fri, 29 October 2010, 22:37:51: Saw two Selectrics at my 2nd fav surplus equipment shoppe. No balls.
Title: Weird Selectric with numeric keypad
Post by: mr_a500 on Sat, 30 October 2010, 06:07:34: I didn't know that was you, ricercar (until I saw that gopher). Changed your avatar, eh? I thought some Neo-Nazi joined the forum.
Title: Weird Selectric with numeric keypad
Post by: ricercar on Sat, 30 October 2010, 12:35:44: Ripster always makes me change my offensive images. *sigh* I should have put a squirrel on the red Nazi G. No one hates the squirrel. (Gopher? Gopher!?!! Squirrel curses your children.)

I suppose I need to change my tag too. Buying three keyboards yesterday sets me firmly back in the Decadent Hobbyist category.
Title: Weird Selectric with numeric keypad
Post by: microsoft windows on Sat, 30 October 2010, 12:47:35: I like my current avatar, a photo of the best operating system.
Title: Weird Selectric with numeric keypad
Post by: keyboardlover on Sat, 30 October 2010, 12:58:19: Aw you took my quote out of your sig! That's ok...I don't feel snubbed... :sniff:

;)
Title: Weird Selectric with numeric keypad
Post by: mr_a500 on Sat, 30 October 2010, 15:26:26: Quote from: ricercar;240525
No one hates the squirrel. (Gopher? Gopher!?!! Squirrel curses your children.)

Looks like a friggin' gopher to me:
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/76/Urocitellus_columbianus_Alberta_Martybugs.jpg/220px-Urocitellus_columbianus_Alberta_Martybugs.jpg)

Hey look! I'm going to get one of these fancy "Gopher calls". You never know when you need to call a gopher.
(http://www.king-tool.com/img/tools/catalog/KGC.jpg)
Title: Weird Selectric with numeric keypad
Post by: mr_a500 on Mon, 01 November 2010, 21:14:35: Quote from: ricercar;240525
I should have put a squirrel on the red Nazi G. No one hates the squirrel.

There's a squirrel (or gopher pretending to be a squirrel) in my avatar, but nobody noticed.

That squirrel sure gets around. Just the other day, he popped up in Wellington's avatar:

(http://geekhack.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=13265&stc=1&d=1288667471)

(I always wondered what Beaker was looking at.)
Title: Weird Selectric with numeric keypad
Post by: quadibloc on Tue, 02 November 2010, 00:44:34: I have one like that - it doesn't work, though. Picked it up cheap at a thrift shop.

There were elements made that were designed to have an arrangement like that of a keypunch; I think they were mainly used, though, not for OCR data input, but to train keypunch operators without having to buy a keypunch for everyone in the classroom. Let you fit more students in the classroom too, since a keypunch is kind of big.