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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: y11971alex on Tue, 17 November 2015, 17:35:26

Title: Vintage IBM Keyboard — what feel?
Post by: y11971alex on Tue, 17 November 2015, 17:35:26

http://www.ebay.com/itm/RARE-VINTAGE-IBM-26-INTERPRETING-CARD-PUNCH-/161725243156?hash=item25a7935f14:g:U9UAAOxy69JTE9dg#viTabs_0

Looks like an early keyboard from IBM; judging by the connection, the keyboard might be mechanically operated (not digital). 

As a purely hypothetical exercise, can this be connected to a PC?

Title: Re: Vintage IBM Keyboard — what feel?
Post by: fohat.digs on Tue, 17 November 2015, 17:53:25

Awesome.

But it belongs in a museum on public display somewhere.

No rational civilian could/would actually use that dinosaur.

Title: Re: Vintage IBM Keyboard — what feel?
Post by: E TwentyNine on Tue, 17 November 2015, 18:12:37

That might be one of if not the first keyboard with an embedded numberpad.

Google "IBM 026" you'll find plenty of info. 

Hypothetically anything can be hooked up to a modern PC given enough wiring skill.

Title: Re: Vintage IBM Keyboard — what feel?
Post by: jdcarpe on Tue, 17 November 2015, 19:03:51

Didn't someone here have one of those card punch keyboards at one time? I swear I remember seeing something about it a few years ago.

Title: Re: Vintage IBM Keyboard — what feel?
Post by: MeltingTeeth on Tue, 17 November 2015, 19:24:17

It is not an electronic keyboard.  These machines punch cards which are read into a computer.

http://www.columbia.edu/cu/computinghistory/026.html

Title: Re: Vintage IBM Keyboard — what feel?
Post by: y11971alex on Wed, 18 November 2015, 14:20:36

Quote from: MeltingTeeth on Tue, 17 November 2015, 19:24:17

It is not an electronic keyboard.  These machines punch cards which are read into a computer.

http://www.columbia.edu/cu/computinghistory/026.html

I know that.  I'm just asking what would the feel be like, and if it is possible to connect it to a PC.

Title: Re: Vintage IBM Keyboard — what feel?
Post by: mszy52 on Wed, 18 November 2015, 18:48:38

Imagine setting this beast up to your computer

Title: Re: Vintage IBM Keyboard — what feel?
Post by: SamirD on Thu, 19 November 2015, 23:04:09

Wow, I actually used the later version of this at my dad's office back in the 1980s.  Whatever I would type would be put on the top of punch cards and the punch cards would get punched.  I kept typing basic program lines on them.  What memories. 

I do remember the keyboard feel although the keyboard was much more modern than the one in the listing.  I believe the keys were doubleshot, but a shallow spherical with sharp edges to prevent anything falling in between the keys--probably to keep the underlying mechanism from being damaged/dirtied.