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geekhack Marketplace => Great Finds => Topic started by: watduzhkstand4 on Tue, 05 January 2010, 00:42:46

Title: Apple ADB Adjustable Keyboard
Post by: watduzhkstand4 on Tue, 05 January 2010, 00:42:46
hi guys, just found this on eBay. I don't know if you guys are interested.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Apple-ADB-Adjustable-Keyboard_W0QQitemZ160391953330QQcmdZViewItemQQptZPCA_Mice_Trackballs?hash=item25581afbb2
Title: Apple ADB Adjustable Keyboard
Post by: chimera15 on Tue, 05 January 2010, 00:58:46
Sweet, looks just like mine.  Too expensive for me though.  I want to get another one for cheap so I can steal the switches out of it to mod a minitouch or something.
Title: Apple ADB Adjustable Keyboard
Post by: roadblock2thesun on Tue, 05 January 2010, 13:36:31
I've been watching for a cheap one of these as well. There is at least one up for sale now that is less expensive.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Apple-Mac-Adjustable-Keyboard-M1242-Gray-EUC_W0QQitemZ290379562708QQcmdZViewItemQQptZPCA_Mice_Trackballs?hash=item439bf87ed4
Title: Apple ADB Adjustable Keyboard
Post by: spolia optima on Tue, 05 January 2010, 13:41:47
I've seen those things go for $150+ NIB. Kinda want one for myself, but they're usually really pricy.
Title: Apple ADB Adjustable Keyboard
Post by: watduzhkstand4 on Wed, 06 January 2010, 00:50:53
what kind of switches does it use? I would think it uses alps but I don't know what color
Title: Apple ADB Adjustable Keyboard
Post by: ak_nala on Wed, 06 January 2010, 08:13:43
Same as an AEK 2, IIRC - dampened, tactile, non-clicky Cream or Salmon Alps, except for the Function and Media keys (which are mini-sized rubber dome or the like) that are on the separate Numpad unit.
Title: Apple ADB Adjustable Keyboard
Post by: spolia optima on Wed, 06 January 2010, 13:45:47
Quote from: ak_nala;148404
Same as an AEK 2, IIRC - dampened, tactile, non-clicky Cream or Salmon Alps, except for the Function and Media keys (which are mini-sized rubber dome or the like) that are on the separate Numpad unit.


Salmon Alps... I really like that term, and I'm going to use is from now on.
Title: Apple ADB Adjustable Keyboard
Post by: itlnstln on Wed, 06 January 2010, 14:26:31
Quote from: ripster;148535
Precision people like Cherry switches.

Too bad the people who came up with the Cherry keyboard model numbers aren't precision people.
Title: Apple ADB Adjustable Keyboard
Post by: watduzhkstand4 on Thu, 07 January 2010, 00:15:52
lol I DO favor Cherry over Alps =P
Title: Apple ADB Adjustable Keyboard
Post by: megarat on Thu, 07 January 2010, 02:22:29
I've always loved the big chunky separate numeric keypad for that thing.  Just a big slab of secondary buttons, which seems like a dreamy companion for a laptop, or maybe a cool boardlet for gaming or other circumstances, but somehow it's never actually practical.

There was an episode of the original "Star Trek" (I won't reveal my degree of geekdom by mentioning the title) where Kirk had an accident with the transporter that resulted in two of him:  the transporter had somehow separated Kirk's negative emotions from his positive emotions and created one individual thus distilled with each, resulting in a "good Kirk" and a "bad Kirk".  The good Kirk ended up being a waffle and lacked the derring-do necessary to make the important decisions required by his command, yet the bad Kirk kept doing anti-social things like sexual assault.

When I see that big ovoid hunk of secondary buttons, it makes me wonder if there was a transporter accident somewhere:  a Model M went in, and out came this, and the HHKB.
Title: Apple ADB Adjustable Keyboard
Post by: sandy55 on Thu, 07 January 2010, 03:23:51
Quote from: ak_nala;148404
Same as an AEK 2, IIRC - dampened, tactile, non-clicky Cream or Salmon Alps,


Are you sure?    If it's true, there might be two variations of Apple Adjustable.

Two Adjustables with low profile switches mounted directly on a PCB.
Whites clicky from MouseFan (http://www7.ocn.ne.jp/~hisao/image/adjustable.htm)

Mine is bit funny, might be modded (http://sandy55.fc2web.com/keyboard/apple_adjustable.html). I suppose ex-owner dampened whole switches with grease ( and stems got yellowed with grease ).
Title: Apple ADB Adjustable Keyboard
Post by: ak_nala on Thu, 07 January 2010, 04:51:34
Quote from: sandy55;148766
Are you sure?    If it's true, there might be two variations of Apple Adjustable.

Two Adjustables with low profile switches mounted directly on a PCB.
Whites clicky from MouseFan (http://www7.ocn.ne.jp/~hisao/image/adjustable.htm)

Mine is bit funny, might be modded (http://sandy55.fc2web.com/keyboard/apple_adjustable.html). I suppose ex-owner dampened whole switches with grease ( and stems got yellowed with grease ).

No, I'm not sure at all. Just going by my recollections of typing on my Boss' board some 15 years ago. Obviously my recollections were inaccurate, save that they were Alps mechanicals.

Edit:  Cool. looks like they use the same low-profiles as in the Alps Glidepoint Numberpad mentioned in this (http://geekhack.org/showthread.php?t=8291&highlight=alps+low+profile) thread.  Makes me want one more than I already did.
Title: Apple ADB Adjustable Keyboard
Post by: fastbuck on Mon, 22 March 2010, 11:09:41
Quote from: sandy55;148766
Are you sure?    If it's true, there might be two variations of Apple Adjustable.

Two Adjustables with low profile switches mounted directly on a PCB.
Whites clicky from MouseFan (http://www7.ocn.ne.jp/~hisao/image/adjustable.htm)

Mine is bit funny, might be modded (http://sandy55.fc2web.com/keyboard/apple_adjustable.html). I suppose ex-owner dampened whole switches with grease ( and stems got yellowed with grease ).


Just got one from Ebay - it's not clicky and feels like there is grease in the switches, as the keys are slow to return but the travel is very smooth. I'll open it up later on to check for sure, but looks like this grease came from the factory, unless it was common for apple fans to dump grease in their keyboards lol
Title: Apple ADB Adjustable Keyboard
Post by: hoggy on Mon, 22 March 2010, 14:26:17
Just found another...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Rare-Vintage-Apple-Adjustable-keyboard_W0QQitemZ270550718968QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Computing_Apple_Desktops_CV?hash=item3efe1459f8#ht_508wt_1165
Title: Apple ADB Adjustable Keyboard
Post by: ricercar on Mon, 22 March 2010, 16:32:19
I have a pair of wrist/palm rests from one of those Apple Adjustable keyboards if anyone is missing theirs. PM me.
Title: Apple ADB Adjustable Keyboard
Post by: dougy on Wed, 24 March 2010, 20:21:31
Quote from: ak_nala;148404
Same as an AEK 2, IIRC - dampened, tactile, non-clicky Cream or Salmon Alps, except for the Function and Media keys (which are mini-sized rubber dome or the like) that are on the separate Numpad unit.

I've got 4 of these, all have the same switches. Alps, white, similar to AEKII but much softer and quieter. Somewhat mushy they are hard to type on. I pulled the switches off one and substituted blue cherries which makes for a really nice keyboard.

On the numpad the function keys are tactile pushbutton switches mounted on the pcb. The plastic actuator is welded to the keyboard bezel.