Author Topic: Looking for green alps..  (Read 3040 times)

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Offline frowni

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Looking for green alps..
« on: Sun, 01 December 2013, 19:24:33 »
Hey there,

I was looking for a keyboard with green alps..i found that Ducky had them, but now it says discontinued. Guess they are not making them anymore.
Does anyone know any other brand than Ducky which makes keyboards with green alps?


Offline hasu

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Re: Looking for green alps..
« Reply #1 on: Mon, 02 December 2013, 18:47:34 »
Are you sure about green Alps? If you use wrong word you cannot get right answer.

This post and the thread may help you.
http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=49616.msg1135246#msg1135246

Offline Daniel Beardsmore

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Re: Looking for green alps..
« Reply #2 on: Tue, 03 December 2013, 18:47:58 »
Ducky used reduced-force Xiang Min KSB-C (clicky, green) and KSB-N (linear, black) in their "XM" 1000-series keyboards. Xiang Min KSB series switches are Alps clones, i.e. they're not made by Alps or for Alps, but they're fully interchangeable with genuine Alps switches.

Alps switches have not been made since early 2012, when the Forward Electronics switch production line closed. (Strictly speaking, Alps's involvement stopped several years before that when Forward lost their licence to the Alps branding, but Forward Electronics continued production for a few more years with unbranded switches, as you find in the Matias Tactile Pro 2 and 3.)

You can buy Xiang Min KSB-C and KSB-N switches (not sure if Ducky spec) from Mechanical Keyboards, though if you want clicky switches you're better off buying Matias switches. Note that Xiang Min were never consistent with the colours — the Tactile Pro 3 uses KSB-LE switches that are also green, and my sample KSB-C switches are ivory. Their colours are a bit random — stick to the product codes.

"Green Alps" specifically refers to Alps SKCL Green, a highly-regarded linear switch from Alps Electric that was discontinued by 1994.

In terms of keyboards with the same or comparable switches, your choices are very slim, and the Matias Tactile Pro (and related products) is the only one I'd be comfortable recommending. Hopefully as time passes, more products will take on the Matias switches. There's also the AZiO Levetron Clicker series (and various other rebrands) — no idea on reliability. That uses a similar Alps clone series.
« Last Edit: Tue, 03 December 2013, 18:53:24 by Daniel Beardsmore »
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Offline terran5992

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Re: Looking for green alps..
« Reply #3 on: Tue, 03 December 2013, 18:53:31 »
Stay away from alps.

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Offline fohat.digs

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Re: Looking for green alps..
« Reply #4 on: Tue, 03 December 2013, 19:08:52 »
Alps are wonderful, with a few caveats, but I have never used the green ones.
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Late-stage capitalism is a wealth-concentration engine, focused on vacuuming up every dollar and putting it in as few hands as possible. Republicans are helping that vacuum suck.
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Offline rowdy

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Re: Looking for green alps..
« Reply #5 on: Tue, 03 December 2013, 19:14:48 »
I have an old electronic typewriter with green Alps, and it is what prompted me to try a keyboard with MX reds.  I eventually decided that reds are too soft for my liking, and returned to MX blacks, and then MX greens.
"Because keyboards are accessories to PC makers, they focus on minimizing the manufacturing costs. But that’s incorrect. It’s in HHKB’s slogan, but when America’s cowboys were in the middle of a trip and their horse died, they would leave the horse there. But even if they were in the middle of a desert, they would take their saddle with them. The horse was a consumable good, but the saddle was an interface that their bodies had gotten used to. In the same vein, PCs are consumable goods, while keyboards are important interfaces." - Eiiti Wada

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Offline nubbinator

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Re: Looking for green alps..
« Reply #6 on: Tue, 03 December 2013, 20:27:54 »
Stay away from alps.

Only if you don't want to catch the fever.  Alps are addicting.

Offline AKIMbO

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Re: Looking for green alps..
« Reply #7 on: Tue, 03 December 2013, 21:31:17 »
Stay away from alps.

Yes...ALPs are horrible.  Everyone give me all of your ALPs boards and I will properly dispose of them!
Mkawa Beta SSK | IBM SSK | IBM Model AT F | IBM F 122 | IBM Unsaver | LZ-GH (62g ergo clears) | HHKB Pro2 Type-S | HHKB Pro2 | Realforce 87U-Silent (55g uniform) | Leopold FC660C | Omnikey 101 (blue alps) | Kingsaver (blue alps) | Zenith ZKB2 (green alps)
| KBD75 (box reds)

Offline phoenix1234

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Re: Looking for green alps..
« Reply #8 on: Tue, 03 December 2013, 22:23:47 »
Yes...ALPs are horrible.  Everyone give me all of your ALPs boards and I will properly dispose of them!
Blue alps kingsaver, salmon alps kingsaver, extra kingsaver pcb/plate, extra wang keys.
Show Image

Show Image

:))
I like linear switches

Offline Pacifist

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Re: Looking for green alps..
« Reply #9 on: Tue, 03 December 2013, 22:35:47 »
Yes...ALPs are horrible.  Everyone give me all of your ALPs boards and I will properly dispose of them!
Blue alps kingsaver, salmon alps kingsaver, extra kingsaver pcb/plate, extra wang keys.
Show Image

Show Image

:))

where does akimbro get his alps caps?

Offline AKIMbO

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Re: Looking for green alps..
« Reply #10 on: Tue, 03 December 2013, 23:12:59 »
Yes...ALPs are horrible.  Everyone give me all of your ALPs boards and I will properly dispose of them!
Blue alps kingsaver, salmon alps kingsaver, extra kingsaver pcb/plate, extra wang keys.
Show Image

Show Image

:))

where does akimbro get his alps caps?

From responsible citizens who send them to me for proper disposal.
Mkawa Beta SSK | IBM SSK | IBM Model AT F | IBM F 122 | IBM Unsaver | LZ-GH (62g ergo clears) | HHKB Pro2 Type-S | HHKB Pro2 | Realforce 87U-Silent (55g uniform) | Leopold FC660C | Omnikey 101 (blue alps) | Kingsaver (blue alps) | Zenith ZKB2 (green alps)
| KBD75 (box reds)

Offline Linkbane

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Re: Looking for green alps..
« Reply #11 on: Tue, 03 December 2013, 23:19:50 »
I have an old electronic typewriter with green Alps, and it is what prompted me to try a keyboard with MX reds.  I eventually decided that reds are too soft for my liking, and returned to MX blacks, and then MX greens.

Yes, feel the power of the Greens flow through you!
Quickfire TK MX Blue Corsair K60 MX Red Ducky Shine 3 Yellow TKL MX Blue Leopold FC660C
Current best: 162 wpm.