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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: dw_junon on Wed, 11 February 2009, 20:41:14

Title: Laser brand keyboard - XT/AT/? 101 with IBM terminal style arrow layout
Post by: dw_junon on Wed, 11 February 2009, 20:41:14

Does anyone have any experience with anything like this?

(http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/lenny15/lkb1.JPG)

(http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/lenny15/lkb2.JPG)

http://search.ebay.com/200306515165

The plug and layout broadly suggest plain ol' AT, but the arrow keys with extra home key are pretty unusual (and no eight directions...).  Also what appears to be a fourth LED; "Power"?

The keycap text typeface (and the idea of a fourth LED) seems reminiscent of mid eighties HP keyboards, any connection there?

Title: Laser brand keyboard - XT/AT/? 101 with IBM terminal style arrow layout
Post by: bhtooefr on Wed, 11 February 2009, 21:10:06

Laser was a sub-brand of VTech, which is actually most definitely still around.

I recall having a Laser AT keyboard that had all of the nasty sins of keyboard layout back in the day - L-shaped enter, shortened backspace, *AND* two extra backslash/pipe keys, between each Ctrl/Alt pair. But, it was clicky+tactile. Probably had white Alps.

Title: Laser brand keyboard - XT/AT/? 101 with IBM terminal style arrow layout
Post by: zwmalone on Wed, 11 February 2009, 21:11:40

Apparently these use ALPS.
http://geekhack.org/showthread.php?t=569&highlight=laser+486

Title: Laser brand keyboard - XT/AT/? 101 with IBM terminal style arrow layout
Post by: sandy55 on Wed, 11 February 2009, 22:40:12

As alps lover stated in that thread, it has SMK switches. ( Don't know if alps versions were available or not ).

You can see SMK switch in this pagehttp://sandy55.fc2web.com/keyboard/dtk_mbk1013.html (http://sandy55.fc2web.com/keyboard/dtk_mbk1013.html)

3 or 4 years ago I wanted to have one of these Vtec( Laser branded) board for SMK switches.  had no luck.

Title: Laser brand keyboard - XT/AT/? 101 with IBM terminal style arrow layout
Post by: itlnstln on Thu, 12 February 2009, 06:53:28

I remeber Laser products being POSs back in the day.

Title: Laser brand keyboard - XT/AT/? 101 with IBM terminal style arrow layout
Post by: bhtooefr on Thu, 12 February 2009, 07:56:44

My grandmother had both a Laser 386 and 486 that weren't half bad.

Although, my dad had a Laser 128EX (Apple //c clone) that was a festering piece of crap.

Title: Laser brand keyboard - XT/AT/? 101 with IBM terminal style arrow layout
Post by: cchan on Thu, 12 February 2009, 13:56:56

Quote from: bhtooefr;21480

Laser was a sub-brand of VTech, which is actually most definitely still around.

I recall having a Laser AT keyboard that had all of the nasty sins of keyboard layout back in the day - L-shaped enter, shortened backspace, *AND* two extra backslash/pipe keys, between each Ctrl/Alt pair. But, it was clicky+tactile. Probably had white Alps.

bht, you gotta be kidding me... THREE backslashes? I have enough trouble finding use for one!

Title: Laser brand keyboard - XT/AT/? 101 with IBM terminal style arrow layout
Post by: bhtooefr on Thu, 12 February 2009, 14:01:46

Three backslashes.

And, they're pretty useful at the MS-DOS command line, and pipes are pretty useful in the command line of most OSes, but... that's still ridiculous.

Title: Laser brand keyboard - XT/AT/? 101 with IBM terminal style arrow layout
Post by: dw_junon on Thu, 12 February 2009, 14:27:31

Thanks all for your info.

The SMKs look interesting, I'll keep a lookout for this design.

I don't know what to say about the three backslashes, that has to be one of the more crazy uses of those gaps.  I'll keep a lookout of that too, just to see it...

Title: Laser brand keyboard - XT/AT/? 101 with IBM terminal style arrow layout
Post by: alpslover on Thu, 12 February 2009, 15:56:35

the laser/expo486/vtech keyboards i have are standard 101 key layouts except for an l-shaped enter and two backslashes between the ctrl/alt pairs.  the backslash keys register different scan codes so it's really not a big deal to disable one.