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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: chyros on Fri, 27 February 2015, 03:30:05

Title: What switches does this use?
Post by: chyros on Fri, 27 February 2015, 03:30:05

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ALPS-AT-101-Keyboard-With-Mechanical-Touch-/111608844009?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19fc67cee9

A Dell AT101 that isn't a Dell. Made by and branded Alps. Couldn't find anything about it on the wiki.

Title: Re: What switches does this use?
Post by: azhdar on Fri, 27 February 2015, 03:35:12

http://deskthority.net/wiki/Dell_AT101

Layout is weird , Azerty but some of the keys aren't , nav cluster isn't translated, It might be a bastard board.

Title: Re: What switches does this use?
Post by: Findecanor on Fri, 27 February 2015, 06:51:34

I think it could be a Belgian layout. * and £ being swapped compared to French would be the tell. But I'm no expert.

Alps was the original OEM (http://deskthority.net/wiki/Alps_Bigfoot) for the Dell AT101 and AT102. Later Dell used other manufacturers, apparently under license from Alps.
Alps was also OEM for many other companies such as Silicon Graphics, several Japanese companies, Bull, etc.

Title: Re: What switches does this use?
Post by: Daniel Beardsmore on Fri, 27 February 2015, 15:08:16

One reason I prefer the term "Alps Bigfoot" over "AT102-102" is that the latter, just like with the NMB RT101, is ambiguous. It's used both for the Alps SKCL/SKCM standard platform ("Bigfoot") as well as for the rubber dome equivalent.

The one depicted (FCC ID LPZCLARA 101-102) looks like GYIMIDAS101-102, which is a rubber dome keyboard with sliders:

http://sandy55.fc2web.com/keyboard/wang-5181.html

GYIMIDAS101-102 has a reverse curve case, while the confirmed mechanical keyboards use a "banana" shape (the case only curves upwards).

I can't prove that it's not mechanical, only that it's not the expected shape of an Alps Bigfoot (http://deskthority.net/wiki/Alps_Bigfoot) keyboard (Dell AT101, SGI Granite, AX systems etc)

Title: Re: What switches does this use?
Post by: Findecanor on Fri, 27 February 2015, 17:00:05

Quote from: Daniel Beardsmore on Fri, 27 February 2015, 15:08:16

http://sandy55.fc2web.com/keyboard/wang-5181.html

Interesting link, showing how a Chicony keyboard fits inside a Wang case. I know that the innards of a Chicony won't fit inside a Dell AT101 case because the spacing between the F12 and PrintScreen columns is smaller on the Dell.
The keyboard in the auction has the same spacing between F12 and Prt Sc as between groups of function keys. Therefore it can not have regular Alps bigfoot innards.

BTW, the Dell AT101R (rubber dome) has a banana case...

Title: Re: What switches does this use?
Post by: Daniel Beardsmore on Fri, 27 February 2015, 17:52:16

The AT101R is a Silitek keyboard, so it won't necessarily follow the same pattern as Alps-made keyboards.

Title: Re: What switches does this use?
Post by: MajorMajor on Fri, 27 February 2015, 18:42:40

That's a sweet looking color scheme, I like your style! :thumb: