Compaq 11800 - Any UK / Europeans interested in owning one?

[aknagi]

Hi Peeps,

Wow - what a wealth of information on here. I found this site while researching what is the best keyboard / mouse setup I can get for my limited money. I've decided that I really need to sort out my typing and editing, because I use computers a hell of allot. Unfortunately, I'm on a very tight budget which never helps.

I can grab 3 Compaq 11800s, but they have a Swiss 'QWERTZ' layout. Is anyone interested in buying one from me for £15 plus postage? This will leave me a drink for my troubles, and we will all get cherry brown keyboards.

If no one is bothered, I think I'll pass on them and will have to wait until I have enough to spend on something else.

Anyway, "hello" and all the best,
Andrew

[woody]

I might be interested because of the brownies. What condition is it?

[aknagi]

I don't know mate - I didn't get them as I didn't want to end up lumbered with three when I only wanted one. They are server keyboards so one would hope that they hadn't seen too much action, but I don't know yet.

Do you know if the QWERTZ layout will cause me and problems as I use a UK layout? I thought I could just swap key covers around as all the electronics on the main-boards are all the same, is that right?

Cheers,
Andrew

[JBert]

You can leave the keycaps as is if you can touchtype, or you could replace it with another set.

Shuffling keycaps around isn't possible with regular Cherry-MX keyboards though: the keycaps have a different form depending on the row they are on. That, and the fact that the QWERTZ layout has completely different keycaps like Ü, Ö, Ä which never map to QWERTY...

[woody]

I checked Wikipedia's opinion on Swiss layout - boy, O'boy. Funky town. Quick glance tells me physical key layout is like UK, so you have good chance of using it as UK at the price of misleading legends. As JBert points out, no keycap swapping at the degree you expect.

I can't make any buying decision without proper info on condition and/or pics - the shipping will cost me some good amount, too. Expensive doorstop is not the Xmas list. ;-) Sorry, I'll have to pass and wish you luck on this.

Oh, and enjoy GH.

[aknagi]

JBert: At the minute I'm almost touch typing with only the odd look down which is habitual as much as anything else, so I'm glad I could just change the layout in software and crack on.

[NewbieOneKenobi]

I might be interested because I have a UK layout one in which I broke the switch in the spacebar while trying to see what could be done about that grey bastard. So I do have a set of keycaps to put on the Swiss baby if/in case something gets broken during the Pause switch transplant. Could switch the case too (and mine's in a very good state).

What I'd warn anybody about before getting this keyboard is that the spacebar actuates at 85g(!!!!!!11) because it's grey. This is awful and annoying. If you know how to solder, you can transplant the Pause key switch. Otherwise you could probably switch the spring and the coloured part but in doing this, you could break the top part of the switch in a way that would make difference when typing. There are guides in the modding section for both procedures.

[aknagi]

Woody: Cool - I wouldn't commit to buy something I hadn't seen either, especially if I was getting it shipped a fair way

I guess I'm really trying to gauge whether I could find a home for them should I take the plunge, or whether I should hold of until I've got enough cash to buy something else.

[JBert]

What I'd warn anybody about before getting this keyboard is that the spacebar actuates at 85g(!!!!!!11) because it's grey.

Yep, changed this after 15 minutes of typing. A solder sucker and a quality soldering station makes it a quick job, but you need to have the tools and experience.

[NewbieOneKenobi]

Yep, changed this after 15 minutes of typing. A solder sucker and a quality soldering station makes it a quick job, but you need to have the tools and experience.

Thanks, JBert. That will make it easier for me to sleep at night. I've never soldered anything but I know the right people. Anything particular I should tell them?

On a different note, it feels a bit weird, having a brown Cherries board without Windows keys. One would think the silent/ergo/whatever switch to be a modern invention and it turns out it was already there on 486's.