Author Topic: Is this keyboard PC compatible?  (Read 3344 times)

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Offline microsoft windows

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Is this keyboard PC compatible?
« on: Fri, 21 January 2011, 17:46:38 »


It's looking like a Unicomp Terminal emulator keyboard, but it's hard to tell what the plug is. It's also got no lock lights. Any thoughts?
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Offline Pylon

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Is this keyboard PC compatible?
« Reply #1 on: Fri, 21 January 2011, 18:32:49 »
Cross out international there and put "in basement". In fact, I read it like that at first.

Offline msiegel

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Is this keyboard PC compatible?
« Reply #2 on: Fri, 21 January 2011, 18:35:48 »
:lol:

well, the connector is small enough to be PS/2; can't see the pins though :-/

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Offline ch_123

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Is this keyboard PC compatible?
« Reply #3 on: Fri, 21 January 2011, 18:40:45 »
Odd. 5250-style layout. Lack of lock lights suggests that it's a real terminal keyboard. PS/2 plug suggests that it's meant to be plugged into a PC. for use as an emulator. I think the latter is more telling, given that 5250 terminal keyboards used RJ-45 style plugs.
« Last Edit: Fri, 21 January 2011, 18:44:30 by ch_123 »

Offline quadibloc

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Is this keyboard PC compatible?
« Reply #4 on: Fri, 21 January 2011, 18:47:49 »
And it looks like a genuine IBM keyboard but with someone else's sticker on it. That isn't certain, of course, but I think it's highly worth going for.

Offline ch_123

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Is this keyboard PC compatible?
« Reply #5 on: Fri, 21 January 2011, 18:50:05 »
It's a Unicomp OEM board. You can tell by the square in the left hand corner.

There's a chain of "Health Food" (read "Powdered Snake Oil") stores over here and in the UK called Holland and Barrett that use these keyboards on their tills, with a different OEM. No idea what connector they use, or what they are connected to.
« Last Edit: Fri, 21 January 2011, 18:53:25 by ch_123 »

Offline Pylon

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Is this keyboard PC compatible?
« Reply #6 on: Fri, 21 January 2011, 18:59:05 »
Hmm, I thought I saw a this rebranded Lexmark/Unicomp over at Christmas Tree Shops the other day:

Offline ch_123

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Is this keyboard PC compatible?
« Reply #7 on: Fri, 21 January 2011, 19:02:13 »
I think these have been spied before on eBay. I have vague memories suggesting that they were rubber dome Unicomp boards, though Im not sure.

Offline Pylon

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Is this keyboard PC compatible?
« Reply #8 on: Fri, 21 January 2011, 19:06:24 »
I didn't get to hear the clerk type on it though.

Offline ch_123

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Is this keyboard PC compatible?
« Reply #9 on: Fri, 21 January 2011, 19:12:01 »
It's a Unicomp board (you can tell from the White backspace). The F keys having shifted values (i.e. F1 and F13) suggest a 102-key 3270/5250 board, but it's a 101-key, and doesn't seem to have the usual terminal keys, so it's some custom variant of the Customizer.

Offline msiegel

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Is this keyboard PC compatible?
« Reply #10 on: Fri, 21 January 2011, 19:18:54 »
Quote from: ch_123;282606
you can tell from the White backspace.


good eye! :D

i must have forgotten to take my powdered snake oil today :(

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Offline ch_123

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Is this keyboard PC compatible?
« Reply #11 on: Fri, 21 January 2011, 19:20:41 »
Given that it's 1.30AM over here, you can tell that I snorted the whole bucket.

Offline microsoft windows

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Is this keyboard PC compatible?
« Reply #12 on: Fri, 21 January 2011, 21:05:42 »
Do you think this Computerlab branded Unicomp's a rubber dome? There's not much of a way to tell from the picture. I guess it'll have to be a  gamble if I buy it.

I just  noticed that it may have a  white backspace. Kind of hard to tell from the picture, but I'm thinking  more and  more that it's  a Unicomp.
« Last Edit: Fri, 21 January 2011, 21:07:46 by microsoft windows »
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