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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: digitalleftovers on Thu, 05 May 2011, 18:18:46

Title: Aibo Alps Mechanical Keyboard.
Post by: digitalleftovers on Thu, 05 May 2011, 18:18:46

An inexpensive, plate mounted alps board that claims
- Tactile feeback
- USB
- Laserd Keys
- Less than $70 shipped.
- Strangely compressed layout

Found it on PCHome: link here (http://global.pchome.com.tw/?mod=item&func=exhibit&IT_NO=DCAD80-A48957861&SR_NO=DCAH25&ROWNO=10&tm=u)

(http://ec1img.pchome.com.tw/pic/v1/data/item/201007/D/C/A/D/8/0/DCAD80-A48957861000_4c414865b3bc6)

(http://ec1img.pchome.com.tw/pic/v1/data/item/201007/D/C/A/D/8/0/DCAD80-A48957861000_4c414865918e5)

I have not seen it on geekhack before, and ALPS doesn't get a lot of attention anymore, so I thought it was worth a post.

Title: Aibo Alps Mechanical Keyboard.
Post by: Pylon on Thu, 05 May 2011, 19:55:44

For a US user a DSI 6600 might be a better deal, though it has a small backspace.

Title: Aibo Alps Mechanical Keyboard.
Post by: The Solutor on Thu, 05 May 2011, 20:12:27

I asked the same question yesterday (http://geekhack.org/showthread.php?17840-Aibo-ALPS-keyboard) and I had no reply,  looks like a good deal for everyone want to try an alps board, but is just a guess.

Title: Aibo Alps Mechanical Keyboard.
Post by: Mr. Perfect on Thu, 05 May 2011, 20:23:29

They murdered that layout though. :moony:

What happened to all the Alps boards, anyhow? Filco Zeros and whatnot.

Title: Aibo Alps Mechanical Keyboard.
Post by: The Solutor on Thu, 05 May 2011, 20:34:25

Layout looks almost perfect to me, way better than the standard ansi.

Title: Aibo Alps Mechanical Keyboard.
Post by: MKB on Fri, 06 May 2011, 02:15:19

SIIG makes a white alps board and if you have a Fry's nearby they often have one out...  Not the highest quality board but gives a good impression of the keys....
 
I have the Filco Zero and want a second one...

Title: Aibo Alps Mechanical Keyboard.
Post by: digitalleftovers on Fri, 06 May 2011, 12:27:24

This is the DSI that I know of, the BF-I-113.  Amazon has them on sale sometimes.  Plus its got BIG FONT, and ALPS.

(http://dsi-keyboards.com/images/products/display/KBBFI113__1.jpg)

Title: Aibo Alps Mechanical Keyboard.
Post by: Pylon on Fri, 06 May 2011, 14:27:17

I was talking about this DSI
 (http://www.notestation.com/fullsizealpsmechanicalswitchkeyboardask-6600.htm)
It goes under a few other names (SolidTek, etc.)

Title: Aibo Alps Mechanical Keyboard.
Post by: Mr. Perfect on Fri, 06 May 2011, 14:39:56

Man, I was about to say that was a nice price, but it's back ordered.

Do all of DSI's boards use the BIGass enter key? I just finally replaced a board that had one of those ridiculous keys.

Title: Aibo Alps Mechanical Keyboard.
Post by: digitalleftovers on Fri, 06 May 2011, 15:48:05

Quote from: Mr. Perfect;342620

Man, I was about to say that was a nice price, but it's back ordered.

They were that low price and still available at one time(a few months ago).  My guess is that the price will go back up as soon as they come back in stock.  Other stores have them, but for much more money.

Title: Aibo Alps Mechanical Keyboard.
Post by: The Solutor on Fri, 06 May 2011, 16:14:35

Aibo has a good enter w/o the sacrifice of backspace, unlike DSI.

Title: Aibo Alps Mechanical Keyboard.
Post by: Pylon on Fri, 06 May 2011, 20:40:12

The DSI is a lot cheaper, though both the DSI and the Aibo are cheaper than the Matias Tactile Pro 3, which has a proper ANSI layout. Ideally, you could buy the DSI and a used Dell AT101W, swap leaves and springs to get what are essentially ghetto complicated white Alps on the Dell and ghetto simplified blacks on the DSI, and thus get a proper ANSI Alps board with complicated whites (which are considered better than simplifieds). The overall price would be similar to the Aibo, but you get two boards instead of one and a non-funky layout.

(remember to swap springs if you do this since black Alps use heavier springs than white Alps)

Title: Aibo Alps Mechanical Keyboard.
Post by: ch_123 on Sat, 07 May 2011, 02:52:47

The evils of small backspaces are over rated. Never had issues with them.

Title: Aibo Alps Mechanical Keyboard.
Post by: digitalleftovers on Mon, 09 May 2011, 17:21:55

carrying on with these inexpensive asian alps boards... I just noticed this over on Deskthority.  It is available on taobao, made by a company called ARON.  As you can see, they have green alps (and apparently white, as well).  There are standard and ergo versions.  It was posted by Julie:
Sold here: http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=8681349198 (http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=8681349198)

KB-AU106
(http://deskthority.net/download/file.php?id=687)
(http://deskthority.net/download/file.php?id=686)

109Pro
(http://deskthority.net/download/file.php?id=688)

Title: Aibo Alps Mechanical Keyboard.
Post by: Hak Foo on Tue, 10 May 2011, 00:58:24

o.o
o.O
O.O

Possible Whites?  Under 200 RMB?  KR lettering?  Sensible enter?

Curses.  I've got to bother the Chinese guys I work with to find out more.

Title: Aibo Alps Mechanical Keyboard.
Post by: False_Dmitry_II on Tue, 10 May 2011, 01:54:12

Hrm, you can solder complicated switches into the spot simplifieds used to be right?