Author Topic: Mitsumi KPQ-E99YC (what the crap is this thing?)  (Read 16279 times)

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Offline Jasonszion

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Mitsumi KPQ-E99YC (what the crap is this thing?)
« on: Tue, 18 January 2011, 14:49:07 »
Ok... another strange keyboard made its way to my shop and I have no idea what it is... Please bear in mind that I am a keyboard noob and do not know much about older keyboards... Can anyone tell me anything about it? LOL please ignore the dirt... I have not even touched it since it came in the door...








Thanks!
Jason

Steelseries 6Gv2 (Cherry Blacks) <<<On desk for gaming...
Compaq MX 11800 
DAS old style w/cherry blues

Offline itlnstln

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Mitsumi KPQ-E99YC (what the crap is this thing?)
« Reply #1 on: Tue, 18 January 2011, 14:51:19 »
Somebody took a Model M and put upside-down Topres in it.


Offline Jasonszion

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Mitsumi KPQ-E99YC (what the crap is this thing?)
« Reply #2 on: Tue, 18 January 2011, 14:52:44 »
Quote from: itlnstln;280587
Somebody took a Model M and put upside-down Topres in it.


lol please remember that I am a noob.. explain please :)

Steelseries 6Gv2 (Cherry Blacks) <<<On desk for gaming...
Compaq MX 11800 
DAS old style w/cherry blues

Offline Jasonszion

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Mitsumi KPQ-E99YC (what the crap is this thing?)
« Reply #3 on: Tue, 18 January 2011, 14:54:18 »
the keyboard has a very unique feel to it... nothing like my cherry browns or the buckling springs of my model f... but cool as heck...

Steelseries 6Gv2 (Cherry Blacks) <<<On desk for gaming...
Compaq MX 11800 
DAS old style w/cherry blues

Offline Jasonszion

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Mitsumi KPQ-E99YC (what the crap is this thing?)
« Reply #4 on: Tue, 18 January 2011, 21:01:34 »
bump :)

Does anyone recognize those switches? :)

Steelseries 6Gv2 (Cherry Blacks) <<<On desk for gaming...
Compaq MX 11800 
DAS old style w/cherry blues

Offline Jasonszion

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Mitsumi KPQ-E99YC (what the crap is this thing?)
« Reply #5 on: Tue, 18 January 2011, 21:26:37 »
Quote from: ripster;280791
It's a buckling rubber sleeve.  Similar to the M4 in my sig.  The idea is it provides a more stable key press.  Some people like it, some hate it.  

I'm kinda more into Scissor Switches instead to stabilize the keypresses and yet give tactile feedback.  Plus they can be much smaller.

IBM M4 is the second one down.
Show Image


Thanks Ripster!

I actually do like the board... Im thinking of dyeing it for the wife... :) Maybe some purple or something.. idk yet...

Steelseries 6Gv2 (Cherry Blacks) <<<On desk for gaming...
Compaq MX 11800 
DAS old style w/cherry blues

Offline quadibloc

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Mitsumi KPQ-E99YC (what the crap is this thing?)
« Reply #6 on: Tue, 18 January 2011, 23:53:48 »
The buckling rubber sleeve keyboards that I'm most familiar with are the old KeyTronic keyboards. They're considered one of the better rubber dome keyboards, but still "ordinary" compared to mechanical switch keyboards.

This is also a vintage type of keyboard - it was only around at the time of the early Model M keyboards. It will have sturdy construction compared to modern keyboards, and probably sold for around $100 new if not more.

It's a decent keyboard, well worth keeping.

Offline seung

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Mitsumi KPQ-E99YC (what the crap is this thing?)
« Reply #7 on: Wed, 19 January 2011, 00:28:28 »
Hahaha they look like breast pumps for cats!!!

Offline Jasonszion

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Mitsumi KPQ-E99YC (what the crap is this thing?)
« Reply #8 on: Wed, 19 January 2011, 07:19:56 »
Quote from: quadibloc;280856
The buckling rubber sleeve keyboards that I'm most familiar with are the old KeyTronic keyboards. They're considered one of the better rubber dome keyboards, but still "ordinary" compared to mechanical switch keyboards.

This is also a vintage type of keyboard - it was only around at the time of the early Model M keyboards. It will have sturdy construction compared to modern keyboards, and probably sold for around $100 new if not more.

It's a decent keyboard, well worth keeping.


I think so... I really like the way the keys feel... I think it will be going to the wife after a dye job... :)

Steelseries 6Gv2 (Cherry Blacks) <<<On desk for gaming...
Compaq MX 11800 
DAS old style w/cherry blues

Offline Findecanor

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Mitsumi KPQ-E99YC (what the crap is this thing?)
« Reply #9 on: Wed, 19 January 2011, 07:47:48 »
Mitsumi made also most of the keyboards with similar-looking switches for the Commodore Amiga computers, but I am not sure about which Amiga keyboards these are. I think that they were for the 3000 and 4000.
The keyboards in my Amiga 500 and 1200 have linear feel, so they must have had coiled springs instead of rubber sleeves.
🍉

Offline Jasonszion

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Mitsumi KPQ-E99YC (what the crap is this thing?)
« Reply #10 on: Wed, 19 January 2011, 10:59:09 »
Quote from: Findecanor;280986
Mitsumi made also most of the keyboards with similar-looking switches for the Commodore Amiga computers, but I am not sure about which Amiga keyboards these are. I think that they were for the 3000 and 4000.
The keyboards in my Amiga 500 and 1200 have linear feel, so they must have had coiled springs instead of rubber sleeves.


Thanks for the info man!

Steelseries 6Gv2 (Cherry Blacks) <<<On desk for gaming...
Compaq MX 11800 
DAS old style w/cherry blues

Offline Vorlonesque

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Mitsumi KPQ-E99YC (what the crap is this thing?)
« Reply #11 on: Fri, 21 January 2011, 19:28:09 »
I've owned two mitsumi keyboards...and used my black ps/2 kb until I recently got a razor blackwidow and now the silent das keyboard I'm trying out (not sure which I like better...I prefer the layout of this one a bit more...but I like the feel of both switches...I'll need to type on this a while to see which keys I like more I think).  

Mitsumi makes some of the better membrane type keyboards IMHO...and they're built pretty damned well (I on several occasions dropped my beige mitsumi with the pencil holder looking indentation at the top down big staircases in my college dorm when I was moving in and out way back when and it never hurt the thing...I finally grew tired of having to use an AT->PS/2 adapter and got one that didn't need that).  The keys feel pretty good for a non-mechanical keyboard.

Another interesting fact: Mitsumi made the controllers for the NES, SNES, N64, PS1 (ALPS also made PS1 controllers...the general consensus is that they weren't as good...the Mitsumis were better in that they didn't blister your thumb...a lot of people seem to contend that it was because Mitsumi had more experience making control pads/d-pads), PS2, the original XBox controller, and the Wii-mote.  They also manufacture the chassis/controls on the various Nintendo portables.  I first stumbled upon this when I opened up an SNES controller and saw their name on the circuit board and recognized it as the maker of the keyboard I loved and looked more into them.

Offline Ekaros

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Mitsumi KPQ-E99YC (what the crap is this thing?)
« Reply #12 on: Fri, 12 August 2011, 15:08:51 »
Are these worth of 20€? There is one on sale now...
So I should add something useless here yes? Ok, ok...
Filco 105-key NKRO MX Browns Sw/Fi-layout|IBM Model M 1394545 Lexmark 102-key Finnish-layout 1994-03-22|Cherry G80-3000LQCDE-2 with MX CLEAR
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
Dell AT102W(105-key SF) (Black ALPS)|Steelseries Steelkeys 6G(MX Black) ISO-FI-layout|Cherry G84-4400 G84-4700 Cherry MLs

Offline Jabberwock

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Mitsumi KPQ-E99YC (what the crap is this thing?)
« Reply #13 on: Thu, 27 October 2011, 12:31:08 »
Huh, I just restored the same keyboard, but newer version, '96.

[ Attachment Invalid Or Does Not Exist ] 37060[/ATTACH]

And disassembled switch here:
[ Attachment Invalid Or Does Not Exist ] 37061[/ATTACH]
« Last Edit: Mon, 09 January 2012, 03:49:06 by Jabberwock »

Offline MTManiac

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Re: Mitsumi KPQ-E99YC (what the crap is this thing?)
« Reply #14 on: Wed, 20 November 2013, 22:07:37 »


Mwwuuuahahahaha
Finished retrobrightening the green on grey so I put it all back together
Pink upside down topre domes
More pics of the internals upon request
45203-0
45205-1
45207-2

Offline SpAmRaY

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Re: Mitsumi KPQ-E99YC (what the crap is this thing?)
« Reply #15 on: Wed, 20 November 2013, 22:22:46 »
That neon green is awesome.