geekhack
geekhack Marketplace => Great Finds => Topic started by: elbowglue on Fri, 26 November 2010, 09:18:22
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Edit: Price up to $90, 2 left.
Hey didjamatic has a black friday sale! Nice!
New Siig minitouch $70 + shipping ($10 for me)
(white clicky alps)
Gogogo!
http://cgi.ebay.com/SIIG-MiniTouch-Clicky-Mechanical-Space-Saver-Keyboard-/190472650366?pt=PCA_Mice_Trackballs&hash=item2c590dfe7e#ht_500wt_950
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This is hot!
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I was enlighten by a member to purchase your own Father's Day/X'mas presents etcetera. Now to find a son to pay for the item.
Any orphans in forum looking for a Pappie, plz PM.
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Counting down, started at 10 available, now at 9, tick, tick, tick...
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wow....
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4 left.
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Thanks for the plug guys. 1 sold on eBay and the rest sold on the 5k177 site directly which was linked from the auction (for pics and details) so that worked out perfectly. I suspect people bought from there to save me the ebay fee.
Thanks and congrats to any who purchased them. I'll try to get them sent out this morning.
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I suspect people bought from there to save me the ebay fee.
SOS, I don't think too well sometimes, just followed the OP link and purchased ASAP. Simplicity, for me, is a better way to go.
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No worries my friend.
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Got my China-made SiiG Space Saver today, about an hour after I shipped the Taiwan-made SiiG Minitouch with Monterreys. The crystal came off of the logo plate, leaving a flat logo instead of a bubble. (Digi, this is FYI, not a complaint. Would be totally unfair to complain about this when you sell them NIB, shrink wrapped). There's definitely a $150 difference IMHO. I'm envying my Monterrey buyer.
Chinese SiiG has a crisper feel, and a firmer touch than the Monterreys. I have to pound the keys like a Model M. It's crisper than my Northgate Omnikey 102, which was New Old Stock when I got it. I imagine the age could account for this ... But then the SiiG is NOS too. I've been used to Cherries lately; even black Cherries have nothing on white ALPS. The firm touch required on these ALPS makes me lose a character about once per sentence, from not enough force on the ALPS. Oddly, on the Taiwan Monterreys, I was missing the H a lot, and on the white ALPS I'm missing the T key. Since both of these use a strong index finger, this isn't about finger strength; it's definitely about habit.
The Monterreys were more crunchy, less crisp, as if there was a non-instant click point, or the blue Monterreys clicked over 1.0 mm of travel instead of 0.1 mm (or whatever).
The [strike]keyboard controller[/strike] EDIT: USB adapter on both appears to have the same design flaw; I cannot shift-cursor letter by letter to select a word. The first character gets selected, then further cursoring simply moves the insertion point with nothing remaining selected.
I'm glad I had the chance to try out the white ALPS while the blue Monterreys were till fresh in my mind. However, I'll probably sell this before long because white ALPS is not my style, especially with the cursor selection problem in the controller. I'll entertain offers in PM if you wanted a new SiiG MiniTouch and don't get one before Digi sells out.
-eof-
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The keyboard controller on both appears to have the same design flaw; I cannot shift-cursor letter by letter to select a word. The first character gets selected, then further cursoring simply moves the insertion point with nothing remaining selected.
wow that's really annoying - have other reported the same problem?
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The keyboard controller on both appears to have the same design flaw; I cannot shift-cursor letter by letter to select a word. The first character gets selected, then further cursoring simply moves the insertion point with nothing remaining selected.
Is that using a PS/2-USB adapter? I had that problem with some particular combination of adapter and keyboard, whereas each worked fine individually in other situations.
My GHSS SIIG here on XP via PS/2 certainly doesn't have that problem...
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Is that using a PS/2-USB adapter? I had that problem with some particular combination of adapter and keyboard, whereas each worked fine individually in other situations.
My GHSS SIIG here on XP via PS/2 certainly doesn't have that problem...
I don't have that problem with mine and the USB<>PS/2 adapter I am using. (GHSS)
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FYI I've tested only with two different blue cubes. I'll test with another adapter [strike]tomorrow[/strike] after I sleep.
EDITS (couldn't sleep not knowing)
- A $7 USB to [mouse + keyboard] makes the MiniTouch LEDS blink, with no usabile connection.
- A Direct PS/2 connection makes the MiniTouch cursor selection work as desired/expected.
The anomalous cursor selection appears to be exclusively a flaw in the blue cube-to-MiniTouch combination. I'd be interested if this flaw is present for others with MiniTouch/Blue cube combinations.
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The anomalous cursor selection totally a flaw in the blue cube. I'd be interested if this flaw is present for others with MiniTouch/Blue cube combinations.
When I came across that problem it was probably a blue cube. I really can't remember which keyboard it was, but it wasn't the MiniTouch.
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Had problems with a Belkin PS/2 to USB adapter after installing Ubuntu dual boot on laptop, problem did not affect blue cube. After a clean install of Vista + Ubuntu, problem vanished, voila.
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I can report the same problem with my SIIG Minitouch 1903 (Monterey switches) and a blue cube. Holding down the left Shift key and moving using the arrow keys, after the first arrow keypress the Shift is lost. This happens with the left Shift key but not the right.
I also find that when typing fast keystrokes are lost. They could be space characters or letters.
I'm inclined to blame the Blue Cube (or some bad protocol implementation in the Minitouch, which the Blue Cube can't handle correctly). When I plug the keyboard directly into the PS/2 socket of my Dell laptop (M6300 with port replicator) it does not work at all, which lends support to the theory that its PS/2 protocol is somehow funky. A Model M worked fine with both the Blue Cube and connected directly.
Any positive experiences with this keyboard and USB converters?
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I haven't any firsthand experience, but I think I read something about the siig minitouch having some controller issues.
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I'm going to try various PS/2-to-USB adaptors; I have several, but all have 'blue cube DNA' as far as I know so there might not be the required diversity in the gene pool. I am going to build Soarer's adaptor for use with a couple of Model Fs I have; I believe it works for PS/2 keyboards too, so it might be more robust than the blue cube. (BTW, I am in the United Kingdom, where can I get the necessary DIN and PS/2 female connectors?)
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I think most people harvest them from old equipment, but you may be able to get them new from farnell or allied/RS components.
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I've switched my Minitouch to a Ziotek adaptor - the one that looks like a chubby spaceship with PS/2 keyboard and mouse sockets. So far it's working okay.
About socket for Model F terminal keyboard: http://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/circular/5332425/ might be what I need, 0304 05-1.
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About socket for Model F terminal keyboard: http://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/circular/5332425/ might be what I need, 0304 05-1.
I like to build it with a PS/2 line socket on a short pigtail, and then use adapters for the XT/AT and Terminal DINs. It's a little less tidy, but more versatile. Entirely a matter of personal preference :-)
It does work well with PS/2 keyboards AFAIK. I've tested with Model M, SGI Granite, Minitouch (but not the Monterey version) and others, but I don't think there's many people using it for PS/2 so it's perhaps not as widely tested as using it with Terminals 'boards etc.
Maplin also stock the connectors, which might be useful if you have one locally. They don't have any nice panel mounting sockets though.
BTW, 0304 05-1 (http://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/circular/6989303/) is correct (240° spacing), but you've linked to 0304 05 (180° spacing)!
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Model F: Thanks, I wasn't aware terminal-to-PS/2 adaptors existed so I thought I'd need the DIN socket. You are right, the 0304 05-1 has a different part number, and I ordered that one.
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Model F: Thanks, I wasn't aware terminal-to-PS/2 adaptors existed so I thought I'd need the DIN socket.
They didn't exist until I made a couple for myself :-)
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Same here. Works if I connect the board directly to the PS/2 port. Does not work if I use a USB adapter.
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This is the biggest necrobump I think I've ever seen
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FWIW there is a used, made-in-Taiwan (so likely Monterey switches?) SIIG Minitouch starting at $65: http://www.ebay.com/itm/262671524324
I have one and I couldn't get it to work with a Blue Cube USB adaptor, but connected directly to the PS/2 keyboard socket (on a Dell laptop docking station) it works fine.
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I am known for necroing stuff every now and then, but that is child's play compared to this :D
There is one Minitouch currently available on mechamrket for $50 + shipping as well. It has white Hua-Jie switches. It looks like a really nice board, and I would have probably snatched it before, but I really need to trim down my collection size, and start unhacking the wallet, so someone else would have to take it.
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Reply #24 in this thread is a must-read.