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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: microsoft windows on Fri, 21 January 2011, 17:46:38

Title: Is this keyboard PC compatible?
Post by: microsoft windows on Fri, 21 January 2011, 17:46:38

(http://img.auctiva.com/imgdata/8/4/3/6/6/0/webimg/299853179_o.jpg)

It's looking like a Unicomp Terminal emulator keyboard, but it's hard to tell what the plug is. It's also got no lock lights. Any thoughts?

Title: Is this keyboard PC compatible?
Post by: Pylon on Fri, 21 January 2011, 18:32:49

Cross out international there and put "in basement". In fact, I read it like that at first.

Title: Is this keyboard PC compatible?
Post by: msiegel on Fri, 21 January 2011, 18:35:48

:lol:

well, the connector is small enough to be PS/2; can't see the pins though :-/

Title: Is this keyboard PC compatible?
Post by: ch_123 on Fri, 21 January 2011, 18:40:45

Odd. 5250-style layout. Lack of lock lights suggests that it's a real terminal keyboard. PS/2 plug suggests that it's meant to be plugged into a PC. for use as an emulator. I think the latter is more telling, given that 5250 terminal keyboards used RJ-45 style plugs.

Title: Is this keyboard PC compatible?
Post by: quadibloc on Fri, 21 January 2011, 18:47:49

And it looks like a genuine IBM keyboard but with someone else's sticker on it. That isn't certain, of course, but I think it's highly worth going for.

Title: Is this keyboard PC compatible?
Post by: ch_123 on Fri, 21 January 2011, 18:50:05

It's a Unicomp OEM board. You can tell by the square in the left hand corner.

There's a chain of "Health Food" (read "Powdered Snake Oil") stores over here and in the UK called Holland and Barrett that use these keyboards on their tills, with a different OEM. No idea what connector they use, or what they are connected to.

Title: Is this keyboard PC compatible?
Post by: Pylon on Fri, 21 January 2011, 18:59:05

Hmm, I thought I saw a this rebranded Lexmark/Unicomp over at Christmas Tree Shops the other day:
(http://geekhack.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=14943&stc=1&d=1295657926)

Title: Is this keyboard PC compatible?
Post by: ch_123 on Fri, 21 January 2011, 19:02:13

I think these have been spied before on eBay. I have vague memories suggesting that they were rubber dome Unicomp boards, though Im not sure.

Title: Is this keyboard PC compatible?
Post by: Pylon on Fri, 21 January 2011, 19:06:24

I didn't get to hear the clerk type on it though.

Title: Is this keyboard PC compatible?
Post by: ch_123 on Fri, 21 January 2011, 19:12:01

It's a Unicomp board (you can tell from the White backspace). The F keys having shifted values (i.e. F1 and F13) suggest a 102-key 3270/5250 board, but it's a 101-key, and doesn't seem to have the usual terminal keys, so it's some custom variant of the Customizer.

Title: Is this keyboard PC compatible?
Post by: msiegel on Fri, 21 January 2011, 19:18:54

Quote from: ch_123;282606

you can tell from the White backspace.

good eye! :D

i must have forgotten to take my powdered snake oil today :(

Title: Is this keyboard PC compatible?
Post by: ch_123 on Fri, 21 January 2011, 19:20:41

Given that it's 1.30AM over here, you can tell that I snorted the whole bucket.

Title: Is this keyboard PC compatible?
Post by: microsoft windows on Fri, 21 January 2011, 21:05:42

Do you think this Computerlab branded Unicomp's a rubber dome? There's not much of a way to tell from the picture. I guess it'll have to be a  gamble if I buy it.

I just  noticed that it may have a  white backspace. Kind of hard to tell from the picture, but I'm thinking  more and  more that it's  a Unicomp.