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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: blakespot on Wed, 17 August 2011, 15:05:01

Title: Just dusted off my Focus FK-2001 (black)
Post by: blakespot on Wed, 17 August 2011, 15:05:01

I've recently fallen down the rabbit hole that is this site and the hobby of keyboard enthusiasm.

I recently set myself up with a Das Keyboard (blues) and a Realforce 87U. Then, it occurred to me that the keyboard that came with a 486 66 system I had fabricated to run NEXTSTEP for Intel came with a black keyboard with some manner of mechanical switches. I knew it was somewhere on the shelves of my basement, and today I dug it out.

I see that it's a Focus Electronic FK-2001 and, based on the feel of the keys compared to my Tactile Pro rev 1 as well as info I just found here with a little searching, it seems to use white ALPS switches.

I cleaned off this board I got back in 1994 and it looks pretty fit, aside from some worn key labels. It feels pretty nice. Perhaps ever so slightly stiffer than my Tactile Pro.

Anyway, I thought I'd share some photos.


(http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6208/6053892144_3b78cb5f1d.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/blakespot/6053892144/)
Focus Electronic FK-2001 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/blakespot/6053892144/) by blakespot (http://www.flickr.com/people/blakespot/), on Flickr

(http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6210/6053890966_0b68589773.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/blakespot/6053890966/)
Focus Electronic FK-2001 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/blakespot/6053890966/) by blakespot (http://www.flickr.com/people/blakespot/), on Flickr

(http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6184/6053342515_7fab66f22c.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/blakespot/6053342515/)
Focus Electronic FK-2001 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/blakespot/6053342515/) by blakespot (http://www.flickr.com/people/blakespot/), on Flickr

(http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6086/6053891782_31c05b3d9a.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/blakespot/6053891782/)
Focus Electronic FK-2001 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/blakespot/6053891782/) by blakespot (http://www.flickr.com/people/blakespot/), on Flickr

bp

Title: Just dusted off my Focus FK-2001 (black)
Post by: blakespot on Wed, 17 August 2011, 15:10:36

Yea, this came with a plastic smoked looking flip-down, detachable cover with two cover mounts on the sides of the board. You can see the one remaining mount in some of my photos, there. The other mount and the cover are long, long gone, sadly.

So, what type of ALPS are in my white Matias Tactile Pro v1?



bp

Title: Just dusted off my Focus FK-2001 (black)
Post by: Hysteria~ on Wed, 17 August 2011, 15:13:38

That's a pretty sleek looking board!

Title: Just dusted off my Focus FK-2001 (black)
Post by: blakespot on Wed, 17 August 2011, 15:22:12

I just checked and ... ta da!

(http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6184/6053467131_66d7ccbb93.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/blakespot/6053467131/)
Matias Tactile Pro grey ALPS switch (http://www.flickr.com/photos/blakespot/6053467131/) by blakespot (http://www.flickr.com/people/blakespot/), on Flickr

So...these are rare? How do they differ from the white ALPS I had previously read were in this keyboard?

Thanks.




bp

Title: Just dusted off my Focus FK-2001 (black)
Post by: The Solutor on Wed, 17 August 2011, 19:28:54

Really nice board, great layout (as usual for focus boards), nice look and perfect conditions.