Stainless steel keyboard locked?

[nherobot]

Hi there,

I just got me two stainless steel keyboards (like they are used in kiosks and public terminals) and cannot get them to work. They both are connected via USB and on both the trackball and mousclick-button are working fine on PC and MAC without further drivers. But I cannot type  .

The whole typepad is not responding. On a Mac the typepad overview shows that on both it seems as if two keys are pressed simultaneously and locked. I don't know with which tool to recheck that on a PC, but they both aren't working neither on PC nor Mac.

Since the typepad overview showed the same keys pressed on both keyboards I wondered wether this might be rather some safety lock instead of broken keys.

I would really love to get those keyboards working, so every help is greatly appreciated 

Yours,

Ray

[nherobot]

Nobody here to help? Any ideas?

[nherobot]

In case someone needs more info on the keyboard to help me getting the board working: on the backside its listed as Model 599. There is no manufacturer mentioned 

[Snarfangel]

In case someone needs more info on the keyboard to help me getting the board working: on the backside its listed as Model 599. There is no manufacturer mentioned 

I don't know about the keyboards (I have never tried them), but is this the one?


Also, I was curious about how the keys feel, even if you can't type on it (yet).

Perhaps another Geekhacker has tried one?

[nephiel]

I remember using one of those boards on some machine, in an airport I think, quite a few years ago. Keys were hard to press (way too much to touch-type) and didn't actuate until bottom out. They felt just like the keypad on a payphone.

Googling model 599 lead me to this and this, maybe it helps.

[nherobot]

Looks like it is my keyboard.

I cannot tell how it handles when actually typing in terms of responsiveness and actual input. Right now its rather loud and "clicky" when I type on the keys, but I guess that is not really important when using it under the circumstances its built for (kiosks in public spaces like  a bank or an airport). I can adjust the speed of the trackball on a mac, so the somewhat resistive movement of the stainless steel ball feels "fast" on a computer and still somewhat precise.

I try to get this thing working for a public terminal in a design school. Still every hint to how to get it working again ist very much appreciated.

Yours,

Ray

[nherobot]

@ nephiel: had found one of those sites already, but thank you for pointing out. I now went to the original manufacturers page (assuming that it is SZZT) and mailed them for help.
We'll see....