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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: Tactile on Sat, 03 January 2015, 17:55:54

Title: A new old keyboard
Post by: Tactile on Sat, 03 January 2015, 17:55:54: A friend who knows I like keyboards found this at a by-the-pound Goodwill.

Is there a way to make this work with a modern computer?

[attach=1]
Title: Re: A new old keyboard
Post by: Puddsy on Sat, 03 January 2015, 17:56:54: Quote from: Tactile on Sat, 03 January 2015, 17:55:54
A friend who knows I like keyboards found this at a by-the-pound Goodwill.

Is there a way to make this work with a modern computer?

(Attachment Link)

looks like an F XT

you can do it easily with a teensy and soarer's firmware
Title: Re: A new old keyboard
Post by: fohat.digs on Sat, 03 January 2015, 18:44:01: The Goodwill of North Georgia system does not sell computer gear.

A manager said that "real" computer stores complained about the "competition" but that seems odd.

Perhaps there is a lot of it that they can't sell and it is hard to dispose of.

That XT would be a great chassis to turn into an XTant.
Title: Re: A new old keyboard
Post by: shut up on Sat, 03 January 2015, 19:59:47: What kind of connector?
Title: Re: A new old keyboard
Post by: Tactile on Sat, 03 January 2015, 20:56:47: Quote from: shut up on Sat, 03 January 2015, 19:59:47
What kind of connector?

This is it...
Title: Re: A new old keyboard
Post by: katushkin on Sun, 04 January 2015, 02:56:50: Man, that looks awesome.
Title: Re: A new old keyboard
Post by: Nai_Calus on Sun, 04 January 2015, 04:02:08: Quote from: Tactile on Sat, 03 January 2015, 20:56:47
Quote from: shut up on Sat, 03 January 2015, 19:59:47
What kind of connector?

This is it...

Oh, an AT. You can get AT to PS/2 converters pretty cheap, if your motherboard has a PS/2 port. It might even work without further craziness then, not familiar with the old IBMs. You can daisy-chain an AT to PS/2 converter to a PS/2 to USB converter, but most of the latter suck horribly and you're probably better off doing surgert.
Title: Re: A new old keyboard
Post by: RoflCopter4 on Sun, 04 January 2015, 05:26:22: I don't think that one is an AT. He'll almost certainly need either a teensy and software or need to buy one of those pre-made thingies from eBay.
Title: Re: A new old keyboard
Post by: fohat.digs on Sun, 04 January 2015, 10:26:24: It is physically the same as an AT plug but electrically different.

Some true converter will be needed. The Teensy is cheaper and more versatile, but the Hagstrom is plug-and-play.
Title: Re: A new old keyboard
Post by: Tactile on Sun, 04 January 2015, 13:52:28: I've heard that Model F have a nicer feel than Model M but this is my first experience with an F. I'm typing this on a 1391401 M, & have had several over the past decade, but this type F keyboard has such a great feel. And the entire keyboard feels much more solid.

It seems to be in good mechanical condition - both flip-up feet are fine and all the keycaps are firmly installed, the cable & strain relief look good. I might build or buy a converter to see if it really works.