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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: rowdy on Tue, 07 August 2012, 05:03:04

Title: Black gold!
Post by: rowdy on Tue, 07 August 2012, 05:03:04

Inspired by photos of a Wyse keyboard on the Keyboard Porn (http://keyboardporn.com/mx-switch/wyse-wy60-terminal/) site, I thought I'd check the keyboard on an old Link terminal I was given years ago.

Turns out it has Cherry MX black keys  :eek:

I always used to like typing on that keyboard - now I know why.

(http://i.imgur.com/4Mrj7.jpg) (http://i.imgur.com/4Mrj7.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/6C4Rj.jpg) (http://i.imgur.com/6C4Rj.jpg)

Now I have the urge to:
1. Clean the keyboard thoroughly.
2. Check all my other keyboards (maybe close to 50) just in case.
3. Dust off the terminal, make sure it still works, and find something to use it for.

Title: Re: Black gold!
Post by: xyril on Tue, 07 August 2012, 06:12:29

WHOA! . whats the original price there :O?

Title: Re: Black gold!
Post by: rowdy on Tue, 07 August 2012, 06:34:55

No idea of the original price of the terminal when new, but it was a gift to me from a friend (along with an old Sun server) and cost me nothing :-)

Title: Re: Black gold!
Post by: rowdy on Thu, 09 August 2012, 04:57:01

Amazingly these are still available at some online retailers, and also a certain auction site:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/LINK-MC-5-KEYBOARDS-TESTED-WORKING-CLEAN-/280825601216?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4162829cc0 (http://www.ebay.com/itm/LINK-MC-5-KEYBOARDS-TESTED-WORKING-CLEAN-/280825601216?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4162829cc0)

Anyone looking remember that these are not PC keyboards - they have a bunch of extra keys, and an RJ11-like connector at the end of a short coiled cable, but they do have Cherry MX black switches.

Title: Re: Black gold!
Post by: dorkvader on Fri, 10 August 2012, 02:00:33

I have three WYSE keyboards, one from a Wy-50, one from a WY-30, and a PCE (from '92 if the date stamp on the microcontroller can be believed). The latter two have the 4p4c connectors, and the WY-50 one (number: 840059) has some ancient connector.

I have seen ones like your on ebay, but never bought them. They look even older and weirder than my WY-50 keyboard! Good to see cherry blacks on them, too. Although come to think of it, I suspect it's newer, as the keycaps are thinner.

Gotta love that SP font! Just retr0brite the keycaps, and enjoy.

WYSE keyboards are really great.

Title: Re: Black gold!
Post by: dirge on Fri, 10 August 2012, 02:08:46

I've just sent out some of those nib. Got the cherry product brochures on deskthority that I scanned in.

Title: Re: Black gold!
Post by: rowdy on Fri, 10 August 2012, 05:56:22

The Link keyboard I have is more like a VT220 keyboard (yes, got a couple of those lying around somewhere) in terms of layout.  I was just surprised to discover that it had Cherry MX black switches throughout - I didn't think anyone would bother putting such nice switches in a dumb terminal keyboard.

A sticker on the back of the terminal screen says December 1988, so the keyboard is probably from the same year.

I wonder how many Geekhack members are younger than that ...