geekhack
geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: Jalberstone on Thu, 18 July 2013, 00:15:21
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Does anyone know of a TKL Buckling Spring keyboard for around $50 or under? I am open to any suggestions. Thanks!
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Only SSK, which usually sells (second hand) from $150 to $250.
Also have a look here (http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=33430.0), but that is still some time away.
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Sorry dude. A broken SSK is all you will get for that price. You can get a good one for $140-$200.
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I don't think it is ever possible. I think SSKR project can help you.
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Under $50? That's just not going to happen unless you get super lucky at like a flea market/Craiglist/e-waste recycler or you buy from a bro/sis who's willing to sell to you at a loss.. Any SSKs that go on sale online quickly shoot up in price. Under $100 is possible for an SSK but you'll have to search for a long time.
Edit: I'm not sure what the price point the SSKR will be released at but the prototypes cost in the window of $200-$250.
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you guys.
I bought a buckling spring keyboard for under $50 shipped recently and it is tenkeyless. It's a model F even.
Behold the mighty Model C1 (3178) keyboard. If you notice, on some versions, the tenkey is covered up. Mine is the data-entry layout, and so of course the tenkey is gone.
(http://sandy55.fc2web.com/keyboard/5640991/front_v2.jpg)
(photo credit to sandy55!)
Also note: that tenkey area can be a phone style, tenkey style, extra PF keys or nothing depending on the model.
Here are the four types (out of the manual)
(http://i.imgur.com/MEUXNkF.jpg)(C1 (data entry) has no tenkey)
(http://i.imgur.com/dgVOtiR.jpg)(C2 has extra PF keys)
(http://i.imgur.com/g3fT7o6.jpg)(C3 has a tenkey with extra PF keys)
(http://i.imgur.com/z29mkw2.jpg)(C4 has PF on the number row and extra PF on the tenkey) (I want this one for the cool numberrow)
Anyway, it's not currently usable with a modern computer, so you might not want it, and while it's tenkeyless, it's not actually shorter. It's up to you if you want one, but tenkeyless keyboards are popular, TKL buckling spring boards are rare and much sought after.
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Now another TKL buckling spring keyboard is the "unsaver". It is about 0.25" shorter than a standard model M, so it doesn't save much space, but it's a lot less than the infamous 122-key terminal keyboards. These are vanishingly rare, and almost never found at this price, but the part number for the PS2 one is 1387033 Here's a picture (courtesy of epiguru)
(http://i1087.photobucket.com/albums/j475/epiguru/ibm-terminal-model-f-keyboard-1387033-width.jpg)
After that, there's the kishsavers, which are (if possible) even more rare, and have metal cases. Good luck finding one at any price.
(picture credit: kishy)
(http://kishy.dyndns.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/6019284_0005_unwrapped-plug-1024x583.jpg)
That's a quick rundown on some tenkeyless buckling springs!
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/me looks at the Model C1 (3178) and cringes at the layout
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Building in a little touchscreen or smartphone on the area where the numpad is covered on the C1 would be funny :)
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/me looks at the Model C1 (3178) and cringes at the layout
I should perhaps apologize: that's not exactly a model C1, it has function for keycaps from another keyboard.
The data-entry layout is pretty exciting, and has been in use in IBM since cardpunch machines were a thing. Beam springs with data-entry layout have the numbers in blue and should be tripleshot
The model C keyboards actually share the same key positions and sizing as some beam springs. Perhaps the oddest part of the layout (for me) is that enter is on the far side of shift