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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: Jixr on Tue, 14 October 2014, 16:23:22

Title: are any of these old boards BS?
Post by: Jixr on Tue, 14 October 2014, 16:23:22

Found a few of these for sale local, didn't know if any of them are worth picking up.

I think it would be neat to have an old buckeling spring board.


(http://images.craigslist.org/00Z0Z_dYFZqUZc0ic_600x450.jpg)

(http://images.craigslist.org/00a0a_gBzgrqju42c_600x450.jpg)

Title: Re: are any of these old boards BS?
Post by: hwood34 on Tue, 14 October 2014, 16:26:47

no and no

Title: Re: are any of these old boards BS?
Post by: Touch_It on Tue, 14 October 2014, 16:29:36

a quick search shows that they are likely both rubber dome keybaords :(  I wouldn't mind someone to help me confirm it though.

Should have been more clear.  Definitely not BS at a glance.  Further research yielded the gateway was rd.  Idk if gateway ever made mechanical keybaords or not?

Title: Re: are any of these old boards BS?
Post by: faceyourfaces on Tue, 14 October 2014, 16:54:52

Only IBM made Buckling Spring boards (Lexmark later on and now Unicomp), so that rules out the HP. The IBM board doesn't appear to be Buckling Spring either, sorry.

Title: Re: are any of these old boards BS?
Post by: dorkvader on Tue, 14 October 2014, 16:58:38

Quote from: faceyourfaces on Tue, 14 October 2014, 16:54:52

Only IBM made Buckling Spring boards (Lexmark later on and now Unicomp), so that rules out the HP. The IBM board doesn't appear to be Buckling Spring either, sorry.

not wholly true, AT&T licensed the technology for their KB305 keyboard. See here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/dork_vader/sets/72157642980194624/

Ya sheng also copied the design (poorly), and I think alps has some similar switches.

That said, Idont think there were any other "mainline" US companies like Dell or HP with them.

Title: Re: are any of these old boards BS?
Post by: Jixr on Tue, 14 October 2014, 16:59:27

aww. oh well, thanks for confirming guys.