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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: Ludovician on Tue, 24 February 2015, 18:10:31

Title: Is this keyboard mechanical?
Post by: Ludovician on Tue, 24 February 2015, 18:10:31

I saw this auction on ebay and I couldn't find any information on what kind of keyboard this is.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Pioneer-MSX-PX7-w-keyboard-joystick-and-cassette-cable-/321676308547

Does anyone know about it?

Title: Re: Is this keyboard mechanical?
Post by: keyhopper on Tue, 24 February 2015, 18:51:12

That keyboard is part of an MSX computer, incompatible with PCs.

I haven't found whether it is mechanical or not, but it very likely is. At that time (1985), keyboards were either chiclet or mechanical, and there were many kinds of switches, most bad.

The computer in the ebay picture is this one:

        "Pioneer Palcom PX-7"
        http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=301

made in japan in 1985, incompatible with PCs (like a commodore or Apple ][ )

According to the wikipedia:

        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MSX#Keyboard

the keyboard scanlines for MSX computers were probed by the computer, with a parallel interface very very different from PS/2, which is serial. Though I don't know the Pioneer Palcom PX-7 and it might be different.

Cheers!
.KeyHopper.

Title: Re: Is this keyboard mechanical?
Post by: Ludovician on Tue, 24 February 2015, 18:56:39

Shame about the incompatibility; I kind of like the layout (though would be best to be able to customise the scancodes).

Thanks.

Title: Re: Is this keyboard mechanical?
Post by: Philister on Tue, 09 April 2019, 04:37:10

Major necroism to demonstrate for posterity that this computer's keyboard has an ALPS dome with slider variant...

Title: Re: Is this keyboard mechanical?
Post by: chyros on Tue, 09 April 2019, 08:15:41

Think I reviewed this thing a while ago too xD .