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geekhack Community => Keyboard Keycaps => Topic started by: orihalcon on Thu, 15 January 2015, 18:28:00

Title: Can anyone identify what type of keycaps this Model M 101 has?
Post by: orihalcon on Thu, 15 January 2015, 18:28:00

I have a Model M 1391401 with strange keycaps pictured here:

[attachimg=1]

[attachimg=2]

[attachimg=3]

[attachimg=4]

[attachimg=5]

The actual part number and FRU number of the keyboard aren't anything special and it was made in 1992, so not a really early one either.

Hadn't seen a model M with "New Line" or "Zoom Line," but the New Line does correspond to the numberpad having used that in place of "End" there. It is missing the ". del" key on the numberpad, so I don't know if that originally said "del" or something else. The Home/End/Insert/Delete/PgUp/PgDown cluster had some caps displaced when I got it, so I assumed that Zoom Line went where I have it now since that was the only other open spot on the board, but it could have been from a different keyboard originally too I suppose.  The orange enter was damaged and repaired at one point as well.  Seems to be made out of quite a bit softer plastic as it is actually warn about a millimeter into the plastic where it had been pressed over the years.
 
Just curious if these caps have been seen before and what they are called.

Title: Re: Can anyone identify what type of keycaps this Model M 101 has?
Post by: berserkfan on Fri, 16 January 2015, 06:46:49

These look Greek to me. At least, that's mostly the Greek alphabet there.
 :p

Title: Re: Can anyone identify what type of keycaps this Model M 101 has?
Post by: orihalcon on Fri, 16 January 2015, 08:00:27

Yeah, some do look greek, but then others just look like bent lines or geometrical symbols.  The "enter key" being a strange + also strikes me as odd.  If I had to guess, I'd say that they show what would happen when you press ALT for some system, given that the legends are green like the ALT key. I've never seen the ALT functions printed before, so I'm thinking these caps had to be for a specific industry or something where those symbols would get used enough to make it worth putting them on the caps?  Not sure why they bothered to put green legends on the 1-0 top keys since they are the same as the black numbers there. 

Title: Re: Can anyone identify what type of keycaps this Model M 101 has?
Post by: Computer-Lab in Basement on Fri, 16 January 2015, 08:06:26

(http://rs1img.memecdn.com/aliens_o_371917.jpg)

Title: Re: Can anyone identify what type of keycaps this Model M 101 has?
Post by: berserkfan on Fri, 16 January 2015, 08:16:52

Quote from: orihalcon on Fri, 16 January 2015, 08:00:27

Yeah, some do look greek, but then others just look like bent lines or geometrical symbols.  The "enter key" being a strange + also strikes me as odd.  If I had to guess, I'd say that they show what would happen when you press ALT for some system, given that the legends are green like the ALT key. I've never seen the ALT functions printed before, so I'm thinking these caps had to be for a specific industry or something where those symbols would get used enough to make it worth putting them on the caps?  Not sure why they bothered to put green legends on the 1-0 top keys since they are the same as the black numbers there.

With stuff like the greek letters, I'm tempted to think about exotic particles and CERN/ Hadron colliders.

Title: Re: Can anyone identify what type of keycaps this Model M 101 has?
Post by: orihalcon on Sat, 24 January 2015, 20:12:55

Quote from: Computer-Lab in Basement on Fri, 16 January 2015, 08:06:26

Show Image

(http://rs1img.memecdn.com/aliens_o_371917.jpg)

Agreed!

Title: Re: Can anyone identify what type of keycaps this Model M 101 has?
Post by: Firebolt1914 on Sat, 24 January 2015, 20:37:01

Do you own this keyboard or did you just see it on the internet, cause I want to see what those keys look like when they're clean and nice

Title: Re: Can anyone identify what type of keycaps this Model M 101 has?
Post by: orihalcon on Sat, 07 February 2015, 00:29:37

Quote from: Firebolt1914 on Sat, 24 January 2015, 20:37:01

Do you own this keyboard or did you just see it on the internet, cause I want to see what those keys look like when they're clean and nice

Just got it in the mail a few days ago. Original picture was from the guy I bought it from. Probably will be another few weeks until I get around to cleaning it up properly, but will definitely post pictures!

Title: Re: Can anyone identify what type of keycaps this Model M 101 has?
Post by: jonathanyu on Sat, 07 February 2015, 00:53:35

Faroese?

Title: Re: Can anyone identify what type of keycaps this Model M 101 has?
Post by: orihalcon on Sun, 08 February 2015, 16:04:58

Just got it cleaned up this weekend and have posted clearer pictures! Still not sure what they are.

Title: Re: Can anyone identify what type of keycaps this Model M 101 has?
Post by: fanpeople on Mon, 09 February 2015, 00:07:23

Interesting Key caps, I really want a Greek set of Model M key caps for myself. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%98
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%86

There a few similarities with some of the symbols and Danish/Norwegian writing. I have to stop looking into this now or I will spend all night trying to figure it out and neglect to do my Uni assignment.

This is going to eat at me until someone identifies what language/system the caps are from.

Title: Re: Can anyone identify what type of keycaps this Model M 101 has?
Post by: fanpeople on Mon, 09 February 2015, 00:14:56

Wait wait wait,

Is it the international phonetic alphabet... whatever that is?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Phonetic_Alphabet#mediaviewer/File:IPA_chart_2005_png.svg


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Phonetic_Alphabet

Title: Re: Can anyone identify what type of keycaps this Model M 101 has?
Post by: fohat.digs on Mon, 09 February 2015, 07:15:57

How very strange.

The "sharp" and "flat" legends on the "V" are interesting, and makes sense for musicians.

Does "P" have religious symbols? "Cross" points you up, otherwise you are pointed down?