How clicky is my Apple extended pro II supposed to be?

[Jim66]

Hi there guys!

I'm still relatively new here.. So don't flame me if I say something stupid..

With that said.. I have two Apple Extended pro II's (M3501) and I am just trying to figure out if they are supposed to be clicky? Am I right in thinking that the M3501's use simplified Alps?

Are these prone to 'wearing' out? Because mine don't sound clicky at all..

This seems pretty clicky to me:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQOA0PtIXYY&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfB8tnDGovY&feature=related

..... I'm currently using a Macally MK-96 which I bough for the bargain price of 9.99.

http://www.welovemacs.com/mk96.html

This is super clicky, and just what I expected it to be, I love it.

... To summarise.. Have my Alps lost there click? Does anyone know where I could find a detailed diagram of how the Alps switch works?

Thanks,

Jim.

[ch_123]

The AEK II uses complicated Cream Alps as opposed to White Alps. The Cream Alps are like the non-clicky tactile Black Alps, except they have rubber dampeners to reduce the noise made by bottoming out on the switch.

A lot of "Cream" Alps sliders are actually the same colour as the White ones, and they are often referred to as White Alps, which of course causes confusion with the real White Alps, which are clicky and have quite pronounced tactility.

Alps are very prone to wear and age, and when combined with the relatively mediocre tactility of the Cream Alps, can make old AEK IIs feel like rubber dome keyboards.

There's a guide to Alps switches here that shows how they work, and what the different colour codes correspond to.

[Jim66]

Yeah I took them both apart to give them a clean, one had cream sliders and the other white, yet they were both from the same era (M3501) odd I thought but I didn't take any notice.

So what is the difference between simplified and complicated Alps? And why are the AEK II's in the above video very clicky?

[chimera15]

I believe they also use different, lighter springs than blacks, so they have a nicer feel overall besides the rubber damper, but yeah, no click.

[ch_123]

The guide I linked when I re-edited my previous post should explain what the complicated and simplified terms mean.

As for the vidoes, the second one sounds what I'd expect a good condition AEK II to sound like. The first one is quite loud... there were some AEK IIs that did not use Cream Alps, and used either Pink Alps or Mitsumi switches instead. These are quite rare though, and it could be that the recorder of the video somehow exaggerated the sound.

I believe they also use different, lighter springs than blacks, so they have a nicer feel overall besides the rubber damper, but yeah, no click.

Comparing them side-by-side, I don't think this is the case.

[Jim66]

The guide I linked when I re-edited my previous post should explain what the complicated and simplified terms mean.

Some great info there, just what I was after, thanks!

It's still pretty confusing, white.. cream, white cream/white.. Some clicky, some not.

I'll give it a read tomorrow when I'm not as tired.

[ch_123]

Some great info there, just what I was after, thanks!

It's still pretty confusing, white.. cream, white cream/white.. Some clicky, some not.

I'll give it a read tomorrow when I'm not as tired.

That won't help. The study of Alps switches is an arcane art that most people wisely avoid. Terminology arguments about complicated and simplified, real and fake rage on endlessly without conclusion.

[Jim66]

Nope.  Not that hard.  Read the Wiki.

Yeah I have had a poke around Wiki; I was just surprised to learn that the main 'legendary' competitor to the Model M isn't very tactile and certainly not in the slightest bit clicky.



On a side note, don't you thinks its a good price for the MK-96 (the link in the original post)?

Jim.