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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: morgan.b on Sat, 04 December 2010, 04:48:12

Title: Keyboard identification from image
Post by: morgan.b on Sat, 04 December 2010, 04:48:12: Hello!
I have been lurking around here on the forums for a while, and suddenly I feel this urge to find and try old keyboards! I found a bunch of cheap keyboards on an auction site. My question is, if I could get some help identifying them? Particularly if anyone of them is extra noteworthy? Here is an image:
(http://dl.dropbox.com/u/554231/113014142_1.jpg)
Title: Keyboard identification from image
Post by: Findecanor on Sat, 04 December 2010, 06:46:28: Hello there fellow Swedish guy. I am bidding for that auction. I would like to avoid getting into a bidding war with you. If we could split up the lot, then I would be happy with that. I am in Stockholm.
Personally, I am only really interested in getting one of the Victor keyboards.
I don't think that any of these are mechanical, not in any way that you could use anyway, not even for build projects.

I have identified the two Victor keyboards as re-branded Fujitsu Peerless keyboards. If you search for "peerless" on this board, you will find ten people who absolutely hate them and one person who says he loves them. The Peerless tech is a combination of a spring and a rubber dome.
I have bid on this auction because I want to try it out and feel for myself what the big deal is ...
That is the only keyboard that I am really interested in.

The keyboard in-between the two Victor keyboards is an older type of Keytronic rubber dome keyboard.

The grey and black keyboard is for an old computer that was branded Sirius 1 in Europe and Victor 9000 in the USA. The computer was one of the many competitors to the IBM XT back in the early '80s. The computer had the same CPU as the XT and you could run either CP/M or MS-DOS on it ... as long as the program fit within 128 K of memory.
As far as I have been able to tell, the keyboard has foam and foil capacitative switches (linear). The keyboard is most likely not compatible with any modern computer, but is cool in a way because it is programmable.
I know of a Geekhack member from Canada who has expressed interest in getting one of these. He has a PM that I have sent days ago...

I have not been able to identify the white keyboard, but it looks like it has a Windows logo next to the indicator LEDs. I sent a message to the seller yesterday asking what it is, but not received a reply yet.
Title: Keyboard identification from image
Post by: Sam on Sat, 04 December 2010, 06:55:07: Mr A500 was looking for one of those Victor 9000 keyboards. If either of you win it and don't need that item, you might want to contact him.
Title: Keyboard identification from image
Post by: morgan.b on Sat, 04 December 2010, 08:53:46: What a funny coincidence. Do not worry, I do not think I will bid on the auction. I think I am mainly out after mechanical keyboards, such as the Model M. Though, if you for some reason find the Victor peerless super awesome. Then maybe you would be willing to spare one for a reasonable sum?
Title: Keyboard identification from image
Post by: mr_a500 on Sun, 05 December 2010, 13:05:20: Quote from: Sam;256860
Mr A500 was looking for one of those Victor 9000 keyboards. If either of you win it and don't need that item, you might want to contact him.

Yes, I was looking for one (the multi-coloured earlier one, actually), but I think shipping from Sweden might be a bit high. I think I've finished with buying keyboards for a while. (...until I get obsessed again... maybe a beam spring...)
Title: Keyboard identification from image
Post by: keyb_gr on Sun, 05 December 2010, 14:23:34: Apparently Peerless boards aren't that bad... except for a lack of stabilizers on some keys, which can be awkward. Why one would go through all the trouble to make a decent 'board only to fail at the last mile, I don't know. Some people hate them, some people like them, no idea what to make of that.
Title: Keyboard identification from image
Post by: Findecanor on Mon, 06 December 2010, 02:48:19: I have got a response from the seller. The white windows keyboard on the left is a SolidTek / Ackeytech ACK-210 (http://pjcomputers.net/ackeytechack-210104-keysps2keyboard-fccidl2bacekey210e162263.aspx). PS/2. Most likely a rubber dome.
Title: Keyboard identification from image
Post by: Findecanor on Fri, 10 December 2010, 07:30:50: Argh! Goddamned sniper!
Title: Keyboard identification from image
Post by: Martin227 on Fri, 10 December 2010, 07:43:57: I have won the auction. If anyone would like one of the keyboards post here or PM me. I am in following towns from time to time: Stockholm, Örebro, Gävle, Sundsvall.

Quote
Argh! Goddamned sniper!
<3
Title: Keyboard identification from image
Post by: itlnstln on Fri, 10 December 2010, 08:28:08: Genital warts?
Title: Keyboard identification from image
Post by: Findecanor on Fri, 10 December 2010, 17:38:20: Quote from: Martin227;260629
I have won the auction. If anyone would like one of the keyboards post here or PM me. I am in following towns from time to time: Stockholm, Örebro, Gävle, Sundsvall.
You mean that you bought these keyboard to resell?
Then Hell No. I wouldn't want any from you!
Title: Keyboard identification from image
Post by: vegaman on Sun, 12 December 2010, 22:01:56: I'm in a similar position, but just looking at an auction with a single keyboard, anyone have any ideas about it?
(http://images.trademe.co.nz/photoserver/3/148707103_full.jpg)
Title: Keyboard identification from image
Post by: theferenc on Sun, 12 December 2010, 22:11:46: That looks like one of the POS boards. Most that I've seen that look like that are browns, if that helps.

On a random note, you can program the card reader to act as a login authentication in windows. I used one for a while with my school ID as the factor.
Title: Keyboard identification from image
Post by: vegaman on Sun, 12 December 2010, 22:18:09: Quote from: theferenc;262017
That looks like one of the POS boards. Most that I've seen that look like that are browns, if that helps.

On a random note, you can program the card reader to act as a login authentication in windows. I used one for a while with my school ID as the factor.

Thanks, looks like it would be a decent buy if I can get it cheap then. Would be fun to play with the card reader too.
Title: Keyboard identification from image
Post by: theferenc on Sun, 12 December 2010, 22:37:50: Digging around a bit more (avoidance of work mode: engaged), it seems they did make a large number of MY switch based POS boards. You might want to ask them to pull a key, just to verify.
Title: Keyboard identification from image
Post by: vegaman on Sun, 12 December 2010, 22:58:05: Thanks, I've asked them to pull a key. Probably best to be sure if I can.
Title: Keyboard identification from image
Post by: sixty on Sun, 12 December 2010, 23:01:40: Quote from: vegaman;262009
I'm in a similar position, but just looking at an auction with a single keyboard, anyone have any ideas about it?
Show Image
(http://images.trademe.co.nz/photoserver/3/148707103_full.jpg)

G81-1900HPU. Cherry MY switches. Keycaps are MX compatible, rest is terrible junk that should be burned with fire (http://geekhack.org/showthread.php?t=8576).
Title: Keyboard identification from image
Post by: vegaman on Sun, 12 December 2010, 23:11:12: Ah damn. I guess I could potentially harvest it for keycaps to try dying for my G80-1865 that's on the way though.
Title: Keyboard identification from image
Post by: sixty on Sun, 12 December 2010, 23:13:42: Quote from: vegaman;262042
Ah damn. I guess I could potentially harvest it for keycaps to try dying for my G80-1865 that's on the way though.

Keycaps on this one are double shot, but they won't die that well. Cherry laser ones work better for dye jobs. Is the board local to you? The keycaps alone are pretty good and somewhat rare, since white sets are long out of production.
Title: Keyboard identification from image
Post by: vegaman on Sun, 12 December 2010, 23:25:44: Not sure how the keys would look on my other board that colour, but since they're doubleshot it should be worth getting it anyway.
Yeah the board is local so I could just pick it up.
Title: Keyboard identification from image
Post by: 8_INCH_FLOPPY on Mon, 13 December 2010, 01:17:29: Quote from: keyb_gr;257668
Apparently Peerless boards aren't that bad... except for a lack of stabilizers on some keys, which can be awkward. Why one would go through all the trouble to make a decent 'board only to fail at the last mile, I don't know. Some people hate them, some people like them, no idea what to make of that.

To put it bluntly, some of them are awesome, and some of them suck. Someday I'm going to start a database of which particular models suck and which models rule. Until then, you are just going to have to hope you get lucky.
Title: Keyboard identification from image
Post by: keyb_gr on Mon, 13 December 2010, 14:32:03: Ah, that explains it then.

Are you feeling lucky?

Fujitsu Peerless - your premium choice for the surprising moments in life!

:P