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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: mrbill on Tue, 23 February 2010, 10:07:20

Title: Compaq Enhanced II
Post by: mrbill on Tue, 23 February 2010, 10:07:20

A coworker who knows my preferences for "loud clicky keyboards" (I do about 115wpm and my Model M is joked about around here, "Bill must be sick, I can't hear him typing down the hall") brought me a couple of boards this morning from a room they were cleaning out upstairs.

Unfortunately, no Model Ms or AT101Ws, just a Sun Type5 and a *heavy* solid old Compaq Enhanced II.  See the picture (in front of my work Lexmark/Dell ModelM).

Is the Enhanced II worth keeping (even as a "guest PC" beater board), or should I just grab the SDL cable for one of my Model Ms?

I've got a Filco w/Cherry Blues on the way, and am pining for a factory-black AT101W and a gray Model M Industrial to round out the collection.

Title: Compaq Enhanced II
Post by: itlnstln on Tue, 23 February 2010, 10:11:02

Keep it as a guest beater-board, and save the good stuff for yourself.

Title: Compaq Enhanced II
Post by: microsoft windows on Tue, 23 February 2010, 12:32:40

They're good keyboards. They use foam and foil switches so they're quite quiet, but pretty mushy. If you're a mechanical keyboard person, chances are you won't like a Compaq.

Title: Compaq Enhanced II
Post by: salcan on Tue, 23 February 2010, 14:03:58

mrbill this is all you:
http://cgi.ebay.com/DELL-VINTAGE-MODEL-AT101W-BLACK-CLICKY-PS-2-KEYBOARD_W0QQitemZ350320536332QQcmdZViewItemQQptZPCA_Mice_Trackballs?hash=item5190bb2b0c&ssPageName=RSS:B:SHOP:US:101

Title: Compaq Enhanced II
Post by: mp29k on Tue, 23 February 2010, 14:13:09

Quote from: salcan;160168

mrbill this is all you:
http://cgi.ebay.com/DELL-VINTAGE-MODEL-AT101W-BLACK-CLICKY-PS-2-KEYBOARD_W0QQitemZ350320536332QQcmdZViewItemQQptZPCA_Mice_Trackballs?hash=item5190bb2b0c&ssPageName=RSS:B:SHOP:US:101

From the comments:  I LOL'd

"WHEN THE KEYS ARE DEPRESSED YOU HEAR THAT DISTICTIVE "CLICKY" SOUND WHICH MAKES THE USER FEEL LIKE HE OR SHE IS TRULY ACCOMPLISHING SOMETHING"

Title: Compaq Enhanced II
Post by: kishy on Tue, 23 February 2010, 14:21:07

Quote from: mp29k;160170

From the comments:  I LOL'd

"WHEN THE KEYS ARE DEPRESSED YOU HEAR THAT DISTICTIVE "CLICKY" SOUND WHICH MAKES THE USER FEEL LIKE HE OR SHE IS TRULY ACCOMPLISHING SOMETHING"

So THAT's why we like clicky keyboards!

Title: Compaq Enhanced II
Post by: itlnstln on Tue, 23 February 2010, 14:28:14

I feel like I type, and type, and type and never get anything done.*  I must have been using the wrong keyboard this whole time.
 
* That's probably pretty accurate; when I type, it's usually on GeekHack.  I did wrap up a pretty sweet web app today, though.

Title: Compaq Enhanced II
Post by: ricercar on Tue, 23 February 2010, 14:30:52

BIN $20 looks good by historical post pricing.  Tempting until I searched to find it's an ALPS board. Yecchs.

Title: Compaq Enhanced II
Post by: keyb_gr on Tue, 23 February 2010, 16:49:32

In terms of the Enhanced II, it seems worth checking which version you have (http://geekhack.org/showthread.php?t=4672).

Title: Compaq Enhanced II
Post by: arfink on Wed, 24 February 2010, 15:39:35

If nothing else, the Enhanced II is nice for when the zombies invade and you don't want to break some heads with your good keyboard. :)