AEK- Orange Alps

[terrpn]

other than the obvious with the m0116 boards is anyone aware of how to differentiation between between pink and orange alps on m0115 keyboards?

[intelli78]

In my experience,

- The difference in color of the stems is quite apparent
- Orange ALPS bind less, you can hit them at an angle and they'll be fine, the pink alps less so
- Orange ALPS are more likely to be found on lower s/n m0115s, ~400,000 and below

[terrpn]

In my experience,

- The difference in color of the stems is quite apparent
- Orange ALPS bind less, you can hit them at an angle and they'll be fine, the pink alps less so
-

Orange ALPS are more likely to be found on lower s/n m0115s, ~400,000 and below

that is kind of what i am looking for

[fohat.digs]

I would say pretty much the same thing.

Of course, age, dirt, wear, etc, can make a much larger difference.

I put an orange set in a Dell AT101W and it is really nice now.

[Altis]

I would say pretty much the same thing.

Of course, age, dirt, wear, etc, can make a much larger difference.

I put an orange set in a Dell AT101W and it is really nice now.

May I ask where you got the orange set?

I may have mucked up the black alps that came in my AT101... 

[jacobolus]

They’re generally pretty similar. The orange switches are older. The sound at bottom out differs a bit, because the orange switches have a tall switchplate, which makes a slightly deeper / less hollow sound. Also, I think the tactile leaves in the orange switches make for a slightly “cleaner” / less complex force curve... some of the pink Alps switches I have have the force varying up and down a bit as you go down (but when typing at speed this isn’t too noticeable I don’t think).

I think some Japanese fans believe there was maybe also some additional factory-applied lubricant in tall-switchplate Alps switches? (I dunno, I haven’t done any kind of chemical analysis or anything.)

The pink/salmon switches are basically the replacement for the orange switches when Alps switched from tall switchplates to short switchplates, circa 1990.

In any case, you’re going to see much greater variety between well vs. poorly maintained switches (e.g. ones that were stored pressed down, or got very dusty/dirty and are now scratchy) than you’ll see between good condition copies of the two types, I think. You might also see some variance from batch to batch or switch to switch within a particular type. Sometime ASAP I need to go do some precise force curve measurements using HaaTa’s force gauge, which will at least provide some rough comparisons.

[fohat.digs]

May I ask where you got the orange set?

They come in Apple Keyboard M0116 and Apple Extended Keyboard M0115 for the lower serial numbers (<400K in the case of M0115).

[Daniel Beardsmore]

I think some Japanese fans believe there was maybe also some additional factory-applied lubricant in tall-switchplate Alps switches?

Sandy's page that mentions dry lubricant on blue Alps:

http://sandy55.fc2web.com/keyboard/acer_kb101a.html

My photos of amber Alps switches; you can see some sort of substance on the sliders:

http://deskthority.net/wiki/Alps_SKCM_Amber

[terrpn]

i seem to like the m0115 board itself a little more than the 3501 one?

why is it now we do not see many m0115s offered up for sale- just 3501's?

did not know that orange's are more so on sn's under <400k- nice bit of info there

[jacobolus]

I think there were a lot more M3501s made than M0115s. Also, they’re newer. The keycaps (and arguably the case) from the M3501 are nicer, but I also prefer orange Alps switches to cream ones.

[terrpn]

so i found and dug out my m0115.............serial # 485775

and can you believe it- orange alps

must have been one of those tweeners?

isn't the date code on the back of the front cover? if so i can pop to check the date?

[jacobolus]

isn't the date code on the back of the front cover? if so i can pop to check the date?

It should be, I think.

[terrpn]

nothing i could find other than..........1 / 815-1010-1

[fohat.digs]

serial # 485775

I used to say <500K but it is an inexact estimate. I think that my most recent upgrade was from a ~400K serial number to a ~200K. It is also possible that different plants changed over at different times.

The assumption that many more AEK2s were made than AEKs is entirely plausible, but if there were upwards of 1M of the first iteration, how many could there possibly have been in the second?

I thought that this was occurring in the slump time of Apple's popularity.

[jacobolus]

I thought that this was occurring in the slump time of Apple's popularity.

Macintosh sales were about 1 million/year in 1989, and steadily grew up to a peak of 4.5 million/year in 1995, before slumping a bit to about 3 million/year in 1996/1997, and then ramping up again quite a bit especially after about 2001.

So even though this was a “slump”, there were still a lot of Macs (and a lot of AEK IIs) sold during the 1990–1994 timeframe (or whatever). At some point in the mid 1990s they switched to all rubber domes.

[fohat.digs]

a lot of AEK IIs) sold during the 1990–1994 timeframe

I think that Terrapin's pink Alps AEK2 is dated 1989, and I have owned dampened white AEK2s dated 1995, so they were at least somewhat available during those years. I never realized that so many millions of them were out there.

I am surprised that the AEK does not carry a much higher price premium, since it is so much more scarce.