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geekhack Marketplace => Great Finds => Topic started by: grilkip on Fri, 31 December 2010, 11:15:46

Title: 'Northgate Omnikey Ultra'
Post by: grilkip on Fri, 31 December 2010, 11:15:46

Here (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270686178218), seems like an interesting board, a bit out of my budgetary league though.


Shipping worldwide!

Title: 'Northgate Omnikey Ultra'
Post by: jpc on Fri, 31 December 2010, 11:31:48

To the buyer of this one:

If you would like a spare parts donor, PM me. I have an identical unit, which is clean, complete, shows only mild wear, and all the key switches work -- at least when the controller decides to cooperate. It's either a parts donor or a parts recipient.

I'd like it to have either a new life or an afterlife in a good home.

Title: 'Northgate Omnikey Ultra'
Post by: Zen on Fri, 31 December 2010, 13:27:16

I can not believe it hasn't been sold yet ..

Title: 'Northgate Omnikey Ultra'
Post by: grilkip on Fri, 31 December 2010, 13:28:13

Quote from: Zen;271247

I can not believe it hasn't been sold yet ..

Why? Is it relisted?

Title: 'Northgate Omnikey Ultra'
Post by: Zen on Fri, 31 December 2010, 13:33:52

If I wasn't already over keyboard-budget for the next 4 weeks
I would hit BIN and just forget about the ridiculous shipping fee,
the 25Euro customs-processing fee and the added 25% sales-tax of the total amount, including shipping!!

This isn't just an 'interesting board' ...
It's more like 'an 'interesting' board that isn't supposed to exist in this condition'

Title: 'Northgate Omnikey Ultra'
Post by: theferenc on Fri, 31 December 2010, 13:41:54

Can I ask the silly question? What's so special about these keyboards? Aren't they just ALPS boards?

Title: 'Northgate Omnikey Ultra'
Post by: jpc on Fri, 31 December 2010, 13:46:50

Northgates have industrial grade construction, double shot caps, medium to high configurability and programmability depending on which generation of board.

Rationality aside, people love them and you can't get them anymore.

A company called Avant makes clones, but the clones' keycaps are not doubleshot, so it's at least a little cheaper than the original.

Title: 'Northgate Omnikey Ultra'
Post by: jpc on Fri, 31 December 2010, 13:47:57

Quote from: jpc;271205

To the buyer of this one:

If you would like a spare parts donor, PM me. I have an identical unit, which is clean, complete, shows only mild wear, and all the key switches work -- at least when the controller decides to cooperate. It's either a parts donor or a parts recipient.

I'd like it to have either a new life or an afterlife in a good home.

ps, mine has the QWERTY key caps, which someone might prefer to the Dvorak caps.

Title: 'Northgate Omnikey Ultra'
Post by: Zen on Fri, 31 December 2010, 14:06:55

Quote

Can I ask the silly question? What's so special about these keyboards? Aren't they just ALPS boards?

Yes, in the same sense as these two are just cars ..

(http://i.imgur.com/7OVTK.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/CMbrs.jpg)

Title: 'Northgate Omnikey Ultra'
Post by: theferenc on Fri, 31 December 2010, 14:26:36

I guess my confusion arises from the fact that I have an ALPS board, and have used others (blue, dampened, etc), and none ever felt that special to me.

But, to each their own, I suppose. Also, the first picture is just a bug. Admittedly an odd one, but still just a bug. Probably not exactly the image you are trying to convey.