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geekhack Marketplace => Great Finds => Topic started by: chimera15 on Tue, 29 December 2009, 13:30:25

Title: adb alps touchpad/numpad
Post by: chimera15 on Tue, 29 December 2009, 13:30:25

Found these, I wonder if they'd work with griffin imates.  They'd be an awesome companion to some of my compact keyboards.  Wonder what switch types they have too.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ALPS-Glidepoint-Keypad-Touchpad-for-MAC-New-Unused_W0QQitemZ130317525377QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item1e5787a181 (http://cgi.ebay.com/ALPS-Glidepoint-Keypad-Touchpad-for-MAC-New-Unused_W0QQitemZ130317525377QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item1e5787a181)

Title: adb alps touchpad/numpad
Post by: ricercar on Tue, 29 December 2009, 16:23:12

I've got two of those, one on a numeric keypad and one stand-alone. They required software drivers (a control panel) in the MacOS for full use of the hardware functionality, so I kinda suspect basic ADB-USB would give only basic functionality (no alternate side up, no buttons except the primary (Remember this was ADB--the era of the one button mouse was still strong in Cupertino).

Title: adb alps touchpad/numpad
Post by: Mercen_505 on Tue, 29 December 2009, 17:31:44

Yeah, but what type of switches do they have?

Title: adb alps touchpad/numpad
Post by: ak_nala on Tue, 29 December 2009, 21:38:22

Probably either Blacks or dampened Creams. Haven't opened up my Alps Glidepoint Keyboard (ADB version) to find out which it has, but definitely tactile complicated Alps.

As to iMate, works fine on the Glidepoint Keyboard, with the exception of only getting left click on both pad buttons in OS X, with no recognition of anything else in Sys Prefs. Right click would require drivers, apparently, and those were only available for Classic.

Title: adb alps touchpad/numpad
Post by: ricercar on Wed, 30 December 2009, 04:02:03

whoa, I never thought about the ALPS glidepoint numpad in term of being ALPS mechanical switches. time to crack her open and see.

Title: adb alps touchpad/numpad
Post by: ricercar on Wed, 30 December 2009, 14:24:21

whoa, I never thought about the ALPS glidepoint numpad in term of being ALPS mechanical switches. time to crack her open and see.

(http://geekhack.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=6827&stc=1&d=1262204627)

and keycaps

(http://geekhack.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=6828&stc=1&d=1262204627)

I compare the ALPS key feel here to squishy Cherry browns.

• The keystroke is silent, with an almost immedate tactile bump that's more pronounced than Cherry browns.
• Yet the ALPS switches seem to have a lighter force required than Cherry browns
• These ALPS switches feel sort of rubber-domey squishey, which is why I never thought of this keypad in terms of key switches.

Title: adb alps touchpad/numpad
Post by: Mercen_505 on Wed, 30 December 2009, 14:35:42

Thanks. I was hoping they would be clicky, but kinda figured against that.

Title: adb alps touchpad/numpad
Post by: ricercar on Wed, 30 December 2009, 15:30:08

deconstruction:

Back door

(http://geekhack.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=6829&stc=1&d=1262207235)

Front

(http://geekhack.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=6830&stc=1&d=1262208356)

Never seen a yellow ALPS before.

(http://geekhack.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=6831&stc=1&d=1262208405)

Different key stem than my Northgate ALPS. Blurry, but too lazy to fix. Northgate cap on the left, Mac keypad cap on the right.

(http://geekhack.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=6832&stc=1&d=1262208516)

Title: adb alps touchpad/numpad
Post by: microsoft windows on Wed, 30 December 2009, 15:45:40

Yellow ALPS with LED's are linear. As a matter of fact, and ALPS with an LED is linear because it's a yellow ALPS.

Title: adb alps touchpad/numpad
Post by: ricercar on Wed, 30 December 2009, 16:38:44

The yellow one has no click, nor does it have a tactile bump. Call it a mushy Cherry Black where its brethren are mushy Cherry browns.

Title: adb alps touchpad/numpad
Post by: chimera15 on Wed, 30 December 2009, 17:40:24

Low profiles, wow, amazing.  I didn't think anything but the m1242 used them.

Title: adb alps touchpad/numpad
Post by: ricercar on Mon, 11 October 2010, 02:48:32

i can finally report this numpad feels essentially equivalent to an AEKII M1242 "dampened complicated white ALPS."

Title: adb alps touchpad/numpad
Post by: didjamatic on Mon, 11 October 2010, 04:57:12

Quote from: ripster;146614

The Quantum Mechanics Rule of ALPS.

ALPS were originally created by Erwin Schrödinger for use in an experiment with a cat.

(http://lh6.ggpht.com/_-sQ6TN93LvU/TLLfOyaQmsI/AAAAAAAABVw/bzXd3X3gtY4/s800/ALPS_schrodingers_cat.png)