I got a Dell at101w

[Magna224]

I just got one today for $1.50 I have only been using it for a short while but I'm not liking it too much. I'm not one to complain about any mechanical switch but this feels pretty odd. If I hit it off center at all it feels like the switches are made out of wood. It gives the keyboard an overall stiff feel. If you were to hit every key in the exact center every time I think that it would feel okay. Using complicated white ALPS to compare, hitting a key off center feels a lot easier to press than with the black ALPS.  I'm not someone who cant take heavy switches either MX Blacks feel perfect to me and Clicky ALPS are my favorite switch. If its hit perfectly in the center to me it feels somewhat like a MX Brown/MX Clear hybrid but I cannot maintain my typing to hit every key in dead center which makes it feel very awkward to type on and causes errors.

These are just my experience with this keyboard, as we all know feel varies from person to person and from keyboard to keyboard. Another thing I noticed, the Black ALPS do have a kind of very faint click to them even though they are supposed to be tactile/non-clicky, although its only obviously noticeable if you press it slowly with your head to it.

[demik]

What store is open at midnight?

[Magna224]

Not many.

[demik]

Point me in the right direction because I have nothing to do

[NorrisB]

I could barely tell it was a mechanical keyboard when I found one at the dump

[fohat.digs]

I have had a half-dozen of these. A good one is great and a bad one is bad.

I don't know whether is is a case of them wearing badly, or whether microscopic grit can invade the bearing surfaces (I suspect the latter).

One that I got new from Dell in 1998 with a desktop was used hard, by me, for years, and the keys got shiny, but it still felt great. However, I have bought used specimens that looked pristine but felt horrible.

Paying thrift store prices for them makes the experimentation worthwhile, even if only 1 out of 4 is any good.

[jkercado]

I have three AT101W's. I kinda lucked out, because two are very good shape with very minimal "roughness". The third one has led a rough life--not awful, but I wouldn't like to type with it all day, so and it's basically there for spares.

I happen to like AT101W's a lot. I like how they feel, they keystroke action, everything about them feels very nice.

[Magna224]

Does anyone know how a dell at101w compares to the new ducky with green ALPS in terms of which one feels like it has better quality of the case and is more sturdy feeling? I need a shell for my Blue ALPS.

[Magna224]

^Bump

Does anyone have experience with both?\

EDIT: Btw I  got another one that feels a bit better still kind of meh though.

[patrickgeekhack]

If I hit it off center at all it feels like the switches are made out of wood. It gives the keyboard an overall stiff feel. If you were to hit every key in the exact center every time I think that it would feel okay. Using complicated white ALPS to compare, hitting a key off center feels a lot easier to press than with the black ALPS.  

I was told that one should not use the complicated black Alps to judge Alps switches in general. I had a NIB AT-101W and had basically the same experience you had. The orange Alps of my AEK does feel a bit stiff if I hit the keys off centre, but not as much as the keys on my AT-101W. That said, I have not experienced this problem with the cream Alps of my AEK II.

[NorrisB]

Does anyone know how a dell at101w compares to the new ducky with green ALPS in terms of which one feels like it has better quality of the case and is more sturdy feeling? I need a shell for my Blue ALPS.

I have both and the ducky is better by a mile

[Magna224]

Hmm.. so do other tactile non-clicky ALPS switches feel quite a bit different from blacks? Or just the off center thing isnt as bad?

Thanks. I will probably buy a ducky then eventually.

[NorrisB]

Hmm.. so do other tactile non-clicky ALPS switches feel quite a bit different from blacks? Or just the off center thing isnt as bad?

Thanks. I will probably buy a ducky then eventually.

But the greens are clicky and tactile, I cant feel click at all in the 101 it feels like a dell quitekey

[Magna224]

Oh sorry if I made it confusing. I knew I should have organized that post with quotes xD The first sentence was directed at patrick and I was talking about the cream and orange ALPS versus the Black ALPS. Then just the second one below it was for you.

[patrickgeekhack]

Hmm.. so do other tactile non-clicky ALPS switches feel quite a bit different from blacks? Or just the off center thing isnt as bad?

Let me see if I can come up with a good answer so that I don't create any confusion :-)

First of all, from my personal experience, I noticed that the angle of the keyboard played a big part. I usually like to use my keybaord either flat or negatively tilted. To get the latter, I would put something under the back of the keyboard.  Form some reason, my complicated Alps keyboard don't feel very nice when I use them flat, but felt much better when negatively tilted.

I have not noticed the off centre effect on my AEKII (dampened cream Alps).  I have noticed just a little bit on my AEK (orange Alps), but nowhere near my AT-101W. I have to say that I have been using my orange Alps for a few days only, and  not many hours in a day. Therefore, I would take my opinion on the orange Alps with a grain of salt.  I am still experimenting on the right angle for my orange Alps. I find the orange Alps to be lighter than the black Alps, and much nicer to type one.

That said, there were times when I would hit the sweet spot for the AT-101W both in terms of angle and where I would be pressing the keys. Whenver this happened, the keyboard felt great to type on, really great.

[jkercado]

I still think that the AT101W it's very, very nice to type on. The only reason I'm not using it more is that I'm becoming quite used to typing on tenkeyless/mini keyboards. The Dell is huge.

[patrickgeekhack]

I still think that the AT101W it's very, very nice to type on. The only reason I'm not using it more is that I'm becoming quite used to typing on tenkeyless/mini keyboards. The Dell is huge.

I wish my AT-101W and I could get along. One thing for sure though, the built quality is superb!

[Mayor Winters]

I do experience the same feeling regarding to the need-to-press-the-key-in-the-center thing. I use to love my Buckling and Cherry keyboards, they dont feel stiffer anytime I type on them, but just the Dells do (I have a pair of AT102W).

To say, my AEK II doesnt make me feel this, they are smooth as MX Clears. Looking for Blue ALPS to see if they arent stiff and they are heavier than MX Blue switches.

[patrickgeekhack]

To say, my AEK II doesnt make me feel this, they are smooth as MX Clears.

Personally, I don't share this feeling. While I find the orange Alps to much smoother than the black Alps, I don't perceive them to be as smooth as the Cherry clear. This is subjective however.  

Looking for Blue ALPS to see if they arent stiff and they are heavier than MX Blue switches.

I have very limited experience with blue and white clicky Alps, but I can say they felt great. A bit heavier than the Cherry MX Blue, but very nice to type on.

[Grimey]

I have both a AT101W and a Ducky 1087XM (Green) boards sitting in front of me at work right now (spacebar for my cherry board at work is getting some work done on it for leopold compatibility).

I prefer the Ducky iteration of ALPS over the Dell ones from a crispness perspective.  The actuation point on both boards is nice and high (which I love), but when the tactile point is crossed on the ducky the feedback is more apparent.  The lighter keys on the Ducky also match my wimpy hands better than the Dell.  This isn't to say the AT101W isn't a nice board on it's own, mine was NIB from iMav a long time ago, but it is HUGE in comparison to any other board I have ever owned.

I have always wanted to try a variety of ALPS in vintage flavors, perhaps someday I will own a few more boards when I have space for it.

[Magna224]

I have both a AT101W and a Ducky 1087XM (Green) boards sitting in front of me at work right now (spacebar for my cherry board at work is getting some work done on it for leopold compatibility).

I prefer the Ducky iteration of ALPS over the Dell ones from a crispness perspective.  The actuation point on both boards is nice and high (which I love), but when the tactile point is crossed on the ducky the feedback is more apparent.  The lighter keys on the Ducky also match my wimpy hands better than the Dell.  This isn't to say the AT101W isn't a nice board on it's own, mine was NIB from iMav a long time ago, but it is HUGE in comparison to any other board I have ever owned.

If they were to have the exact same switches and keycaps which one would you say feels better to type on? I.E. Which one has less case flex and feels overall more solid?

[Grimey]

If they were to have the exact same switches and keycaps which one would you say feels better to type on? I.E. Which one has less case flex and feels overall more solid?

Well easily the more durable board would be the AT101W.  The Dell has a much larger footprint and definitely has less flex in the case if that concerns you.  This comparison isn't terribly fair as the Dell is a full keyboard in every sense, while the Ducky is tenkeyless and minimalistic in other ways.

Although as space isn't a premium for me coding at work, I would go with the Dell if it had the same switches.  The Dell is more aesthetically pleasing to me, and the weight provided by the massive case it something I also enjoy.  

I am probably repeating myself, but this doesn't take anything away from the Ducky.  It is good enough in quality for the cost (which is low on the mechanical scale), and comes with some damn nice switches.

[Magna224]

So you would choose the Dell to transplant Blue ALPS into? =P

[Mayor Winters]

Personally, I don't share this feeling. While I find the orange Alps to much smoother than the black Alps, I don't perceive them to be as smooth as the Cherry clear. This is subjective however.  

Well, my AEK II doesnt use ALPS Cream exactly. I dont know if its a specific model, or if uses this beacuse it was made in Ireland. I dont know but it doesnt use ALPS Cream, uses ALPS White not-clicky:

http://i44.tinypic.com/20ix3yb.jpg

http://i44.tinypic.com/69i0q0.jpg

I dont have battery on the camera to take better pics :/

[NorrisB]

dell at101W is a pile of junk

[patrickgeekhack]

Well, my AEK II doesnt use ALPS Cream exactly. I dont know if its a specific model, or if uses this beacuse it was made in Ireland. I dont know but it doesnt use ALPS Cream, uses ALPS White not-clicky:

http://i44.tinypic.com/20ix3yb.jpg

http://i44.tinypic.com/69i0q0.jpg

I dont have battery on the camera to take better pics :/

I made a mistake in my comment. My AEK, cream Alps, does feel very smooth, and like you said, a bit like Cherry clear. It's my AEK which does not feel like Cherry clear.

[Grimey]

So you would choose the Dell to transplant Blue ALPS into? =P

I have never tried Blue ALPS, but something along those lines would be idea yes.  This thread has triggered the line of thought of ordering a 1008 Ducky with green switches for transfer to my Dell AT101W, but that is probably more work than I am interested in doing myself (lazy).

[patrickgeekhack]

I have never tried Blue ALPS, but something along those lines would be idea yes.  This thread has triggered the line of thought of ordering a 1008 Ducky with green switches for transfer to my Dell AT101W, but that is probably more work than I am interested in doing myself (lazy).

I have limited exposure to blue Alps, but found them to be nice. If only I could find a keyboard with complicated blue Alps at a decent price.  Sadly, I lost, yes lost, my Dell AT-101W. Regardless if the switches were smooth or not, the AT-101W built is very good if you ask me.

[False_Dmitry_II]

Yeah, he was asking about which of those two boards would be best to solder blue alps into. He's got a dead focus (IIRC) with those in it and he can't get them to work. If I could swindle those off of him, I'd be putting it in my dell too.

I would assume it would have a better general build just from the 'don't make em like they used to' factor, and besides that it also has the advantage of being had already and not used as it is. I'd also be changing the keycaps most likely if it were me once I finished, but yeah.

@mayor winters
That's totally cream alps. There just seems to be some that look stark white instead. I'm not really sure what the actual difference is, but I've had 2 of those and 2 (or three I don't remember) of the ones that look cream. All I can tell you is that I've generally liked the ones that look stark white much better. I have no idea why. The internals look the same.