Possible ALPS switches?

[CodeChef]

Hey guys,

In my electronics classroom my teacher has a rack of old keyboards that pretty much all work. That rack is where I got my Model M. Anyways, today I noticed a keyboard that had switches that looked suspiciously like ALPS. Out of curiosity, I pressed a key. It was silent and felt an awful lot like a membrane. However, the switch underneath the key looked exactly like the one in this picture:



And also similar to this, but white and more translucent (not 100% opaque)



Does/did ALPS make membrane switches or something? Or is it time to ask my teacher for another one off the rack?

[Pylon]

I had an old Dell ergonomic w/ rubber domes with Alps compatible keycaps and a separate plunger, though it didn't look like an actual Alps switch. Much more square, but white and partly translucent.

It could also be cream Alps, which are dampened blacks. A lot of people say that those feel like rubber domes.

[Findecanor]

There are ALPS switches with white sliders that are tactile with rubber dampers. According to the Wiki, some Apple Extended Keyboard IIs come with them instead of cream. I don't know if they feel exactly the same.
The rubber dampers cushion the strokes when you bottom out and the tactile bump is soft enough to feel similar to a rubber dome.

That looks like a ALPS switch. If it is, then it should have the ALPS logo embossed on the top, but it could be hard to see unless you have good light. Note that the logo could also be upside down.

[ch_123]

Are those Grey Strongmans?

Findecanor - AEK IIs have Cream Alps. I've encountered plenty of them, all Cream. I'm convinced that the White ones with dampeners are just some weird exception to the rule.

[8_INCH_FLOPPY]

Nah, cream alps feel much different from rubber domes.  They may be dampened, but they still have that alps 'crunch'.

[CodeChef]

Note that these pictures aren't mine, they're pulled off the forum. And yes, I believe the second picture is of Strongmans. I guess I'll check them out more thoroughly on Monday. Should I post once I know more?

[muchadoaboutnothing]

My friend got an AEK with I forget what Alps (fell in love with it - took me a lot of convincing to get him to look for it) and also got an AEK2 with the dampeners, which he said felt awful.

[Findecanor]

Nah, cream alps feel much different from rubber domes.  They may be dampened, but they still have that alps 'crunch'.

That is your opinion, based on the keyboards that you have tested. My AEKII with cream ALPS felt a lot like rubber domes to me, very soft and crappy. I remember in ancient times when I have used AEKIIs, those keyboards felt a lot more frictiony.
There could also be a lot of differences between individual keyboards. The amount of wear and how much grime and dust that gets into the switch could change how it feels.

[CodeChef]

Alright, here's an update. The keyboard I thought was ALPS wasn't at all. I don't even know why I thought it was in the first place, I guess I looked quickly, but it actually looks nothing like an ALPS switch. However, I DID find a keyboard with ALPS complicated white switches! It's some keyboard by a company I've never heard of (2 00 (stylized like an infinity sign) 1). The connector is a 5-pin DIN. I asked my teacher if I could have it, and he said no. I asked him if I could buy it, and he said no. I asked if I could return the Model M I took from him (which is now cleaned and beautiful) and he said no. He knows how much I want it so he's using it as an incentive to do my work.

[CodeChef]

Yes, that's it. On first Google, this came up:

http://www.cir.com/pc/focs2001/focs2001.htm

and yes, it did have a brown plexi dust cover.

[aegrotatio]

This is so weird.  Please resolve.  Thanks.  LOL.

[CodeChef]

OK, apologies for the necropost, but yeah, it was a Focus 2001, and yes, they are real complicated white ALPS. Pics following.










Double-shot!


Annoying. I need to find that link to the .87 cent 5-pin DIN to 6-pin mini-DIN adapter.