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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: macguy80 on Sat, 12 September 2015, 19:03:57

Title: Apple Extended Keyboard II differences: just my opinion, or fact?
Post by: macguy80 on Sat, 12 September 2015, 19:03:57: Hi,

When I got my AEK II (dated 1995, made in Mexico, dampened white Alps) I was disappointed that it was louder than I had been expecting.

The Macs in our local public library had AEK II's dated 1990 and made in the USA with dampened cream Alps) so that's what I was expecting. At the time, I didn't even know that there were different types of Alps switches.

So, I am asking those who have used or own both types of AEK II's if the 1995/white board really is louder than the 1990/cream, or if it's just my opinion.

Thanks!
Title: Re: Apple Extended Keyboard II differences: just my opinion, or fact?
Post by: chyros on Sat, 12 September 2015, 19:20:07: I've heard at least one other person report this issue, so probably, yeah. I don't have damped whites though, so I wouldn't know.
Title: Re: Apple Extended Keyboard II differences: just my opinion, or fact?
Post by: yangdaddy on Fri, 18 September 2015, 13:17:08: I had a '95 AEKII that I didn't love the feel of compared to my 90's AEKs (which I prefer), and ended up clicky modding it (removed the dampers from the switches) a while back so I don't remember clearly how loud they were before my mod. But in my opinion, neither seemed loud to me. Both were damped compared to the AEK M0115s I have, and all of these are quieter than Cherry Blues.

I understand that ALPs switches are sensitive to use and age, so maybe the library AEKII was a bit worn?
Title: Re: Apple Extended Keyboard II differences: just my opinion, or fact?
Post by: chyros on Fri, 18 September 2015, 19:06:58: Quote from: yangdaddy on Fri, 18 September 2015, 13:17:08
I understand that ALPs switches are sensitive to use and age, so maybe the library AEKII was a bit worn?
hmmm, I wouldn't have thought so. The forces acting on the active parts are all transverse to the direction of the slider. Even very used Alps boards I found still work great. However, they ARE sensitive to dust, especially powder dust.
Title: Re: Apple Extended Keyboard II differences: just my opinion, or fact?
Post by: davkol on Fri, 25 September 2015, 09:06:21: I have at least a couple of M3501s w/ damped cream Alps SKCM (Ireland 1995), and they feel different. It's a matter of the damping material aging.