geekhack
geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: longface on Sat, 06 April 2013, 10:20:50
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I bought an Apple AEKII (Apple Extended Keyboard II) for just $2. It seems to have a quieter type of ALPS switches. It feels pretty nice to type on. It has two ADB (Apple Device Bus) ports but no connection cable.
Then I spent $5 on a proper coiled ADB cable. But I still cannot use the keyboard. No computers these days have ADB ports any more.
The iMate ADB/USB adapters on eBay seem to cost around $30 - $40. Now we are talking about 20x of the cost of the original keyboard. :eek:
Should I spend that kind of money on just an adapter? Or should I just give up and put this nice keyboard away, and not think about it any more?
I borrowed this picture from the almightly Mr. Internet:
(http://westca.org/photo/201304/apple_aekii.jpg)
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So you will have put what, $47 into it? In mechanical keyboard terms that is peanuts.
If you like the feel of the keyboard, go for it!
(Also the iMate adapter had a higher MSRP than that, so it is not some crazy collector price.)
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I guess it comes down to how much do you like it's feeling? If you don't care for it much I guess investing more into it is not a great move. I don't know if it's any good, but there are cheaper adapter like this one (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Compucable-APPLE-MACINTOSH-MINI-ADB-TO-USB-2-PORT-Adapter-/200912558594?pt=US_USB_Cables_Hubs_Adapters&hash=item2ec7525a02).
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I don't know if it's any good, but there are cheaper adapter like this one (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Compucable-APPLE-MACINTOSH-MINI-ADB-TO-USB-2-PORT-Adapter-/200912558594?pt=US_USB_Cables_Hubs_Adapters&hash=item2ec7525a02).
Thanks. How did you find that one? I searched for "ADB USB" on ebay and didn't see this one at all.
For less than $10, maybe it is worth a shot.
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I use same search term... mysterious. If you have your location set in Canada and the seller didn't select shipping there it might not show you results.
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Those double adapters are large but nice, I used to have one. My daughter is now using an AEK2 with my adapter, so I should get another one. They are good to have around.
Be patient and the "standard" iMates turn up regularly on ebay in the $20-25 range, don't pay much more than that unless you are in a hurry.
That looks like a very nice AEK2, usually they are very yellowed.
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That looks like a very nice AEK2, usually they are very yellowed.
Thanks for the advice.
The one in the picture is not mine. I haven't taken any pictures yet. Mine is slightly more yellowed than this, but not by much, and still comfortable to look at.
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Hasu also has an ADB converter if you're up for soldering. :)
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yea.... you should sell it to me.
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These early apple keyboards are the bomb! I have one and use it for Final Cut. I also have the m0116 version, the slenderized one with orange alps slightly stiffer than the AEK2. Its quite blissful to type on. I recommend you track one of those down as well since you can swap the adb to usb connector between the two of them!
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Personally, I thought the AEK II felt nice until I tried an AEK (M0115).
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One thing to be aware of with ADB-to-USB adapters — or at least the Griffin iMate and Compucable Mini-ADB which I have tested — is that the right Command, Option and Control keys give the same key codes as the left ones. That can be kind of annoying for general use on a PC.
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What's funny is that an ADB cable is actually just an S-Video cable. But I agree with fohat, I got my iMate for $25 total off ebay, so you can wait for the price to go back down. Or you could go for this:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/CompuCable-Mini-ADB-to-USB-Adapter-2-ADB-ports-NEW-in-Box-/111047602524?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19daf3f15c
And really, the model M keyboards are going to be $50 shipped, so by vintage keyboard standards even with the iMate thrown in, the AEKs are a good deal