What keycaps are those? Looks pretty unworn for keyboard that age
It's true that XMIT's KB-101A has Whites (http://http:, , coronthica.com, by-uuid, 4a7ce604-d2cc-40d7-a939-2a6bc0142c56,). But are you sure all TI KB-101As do?
Many boards with the same model number or name have been made with Blues or Whites, such as these mentioned on DT's Alps SKCM Blue page (http://https://deskthority.net, wiki, Alps_SKCM_Blue#Keyboards):
• Chicony KB-5160, KB-5161
• Focus FK-555, FK-2001, FK-2002
• Leading Edge DC-2014, DC-3014
• Monterey K104
• NEC PC-8801 Mk II SR
• Northgate OmniKey
• NTC KB-6151, KB-6251, KB-6252
Some makers even alternated between them—depending on supply, I suppose. I doubt the makers cared, as they were both new, clicky switches that performed comparably. In those days, no one bothered mentioning switch types on their packaging or in their advertising, as the public wouldn't have a clue what it meant or what difference it made.
It's true the TI KB-101A isn't included in DT's examples of Blue/White boards, but I don't think that many examples of them have come to light, have they?
1990 date on the back leads me to believe the white Alps story.
By the way, E3E, can you rehost those images in the top post here to imgur or somewhere? When the ebay listing page inevitably disappears, this thread will lose important context for anyone reading it a few years down the line.
Oh no, I just warned because of the likelihood of the boards using white Alps. Call it presumptuous, but I just get the feeling that some boards did not deviate much in the switches used while others, like the Chicony and Focus boards, have a plethora of different switches. Acer seemed to be pretty consistent, but I might be jumping the gun, sure. :(
Due to the 1990 date, it does seem unlikely though, even without the evidence from XMIT; the latest blue Alps boards I have come from 1989, both the DC-3014 and the KB101A, and even that was a bit surprising...
My version of this board has PBT dye subs.
Yeah, I saw the end of that auction today while at work. Hooooly crap, over $700.
I advise anyone interested in Alps to pretty much give up on eBay entirely. At this point I don't think these auctions are even legitimate; there's got to be some price-fixing scheme going on.
It's notable that all of the super high bids were made with brand-new eBay accounts with zero feedback. Seems more than a little suspicious.
There are a ton of great cheap Alps keyboards on ebay right now, just like there have been consistently for the past several years at least.
$755...a joke?
Wow man. Just... wow.
Yeah, I saw the end of that auction today while at work. Hooooly crap, over $700.
I advise anyone interested in Alps to pretty much give up on eBay entirely. At this point I don't think these auctions are even legitimate; there's got to be some price-fixing scheme going on.
It's notable that all of the super high bids were made with brand-new eBay accounts with zero feedback. Seems more than a little suspicious.
There was the notorious b**a who left a bid for, what... $588 give or take?
That is still a very ridiculous price, but I definitely agree with you: Ebay is no place to buy Alps keyboards right now unless you catch something that goes under the radar.
There are a ton of great cheap Alps keyboards on ebay right now, just like there have been consistently for the past several years at least.
For sure, but it's certainly not the place to go looking for blue Alps boards. Green alps are kind of going up and down too in price, but are much more reasonable on average. I really wonder if the guys who bought the TI 101A believed it had blue Alps or literally just paid that much because it's a NIB board. Still not worth it at all.
I got a blue alps board for 60 dollars :pOh really :p .
I got a blue alps board for 60 dollars :pOh really :p .
I got a blue alps board for 60 dollars :pOh really :p .
Y'know, if someone dyed Matias sliders blue, you could probably con the Blue Alps people plus the Nixdorf Cherry Black people all in one.
Y'know, if someone dyed Matias sliders blue, you could probably con the Blue Alps people plus the Nixdorf Cherry Black people all in one.
Or white Alps for that matter. I've thought of this on many occasions, not of doing it myself, but just how easy it'd be.
Only problem of course is that SKCM blue came in hundreds of different shades of blue, none of which are standard :p .Y'know, if someone dyed Matias sliders blue, you could probably con the Blue Alps people plus the Nixdorf Cherry Black people all in one.
Or white Alps for that matter. I've thought of this on many occasions, not of doing it myself, but just how easy it'd be.
Dying SKCM White would work the best, Matia's stems don't fit in SKCM switches.
Only problem of course is that SKCM blue came in hundreds of different shades of blue, none of which are standard :p .Y'know, if someone dyed Matias sliders blue, you could probably con the Blue Alps people plus the Nixdorf Cherry Black people all in one.
Or white Alps for that matter. I've thought of this on many occasions, not of doing it myself, but just how easy it'd be.
Dying SKCM White would work the best, Matia's stems don't fit in SKCM switches.
If someone has eyes, they’ll see the Alps logo on top, and know you’re cheating them.
If someone has eyes, they’ll see the Alps logo on top, and know you’re cheating them.
There's been a rare set of blues with the Alps logo on the top housings. If someone was really driven, they could use early SKCM Orange housings without the logos. :P All of this is pretty impractical and not very cost or time efficient.
And then when the buyer issues a chargeback and you lose both the keyboard and the money, you can feel really clever.Someone paying upwards of $500 for a blue Alps keyboard probably wouldn't know the difference.
And then when the buyer issues a chargeback and you lose both the keyboard and the money, you can feel really clever.
And then when the buyer issues a chargeback and you lose both the keyboard and the money, you can feel really clever.Someone paying upwards of $500 for a blue Alps keyboard probably wouldn't know the difference.
And then when the buyer issues a chargeback and you lose both the keyboard and the money, you can feel really clever.