Honeywell 101RX, more info please...

[Cherry1990]

Today I found an old keyboard in my garage (I stored it 15 years ago or more, I don't remember...). It was a gift from a co-worker...
I never used it until now. It is a rubber dome keyboard. It "sounds" strange to me, it is very different from my Cherry G80-3000 MX Black.

I would like to know more about this type of keyboard, its typing quality etc. It is very silent and seems less noisy than Cherry MX Black. Probably also the key force is a bit less, I cannot measure it.

It is branded Honeywell-Bull because it was sold in Europe but I think it is like the others Honeywell keyboards. THe connector is the normal PS/2 and the cable is detachable.

Does anyone have more information on these keyboards?

Thank you!

P.S.: A couple of photos taken with my mobile phone...

[Cherry1990]

P.P.S.: I forgot some things: keycaps are not doubleshot, they are also thin. "Alt" labels have different colour. I don't know it they are ABS or PBT or if they are dye-sub or laser etched or something other...

[terrpn]

keyboard is definitely a rubber dome (see attached)

caps have not yellowed like the rest of the board, but look lasered ABS to me?

alt caps are green legend.........and it is ANSI

can't tell if it has a metal plate or not, but still pretty decent keyboard

i would retrobrite the case and give the caps a decent denture tab soak and it would look like a new one

[terrpn]

i am not sure, but maybe someone who knows better than me can clarify............because only the board has yellowed and none of the caps i'm thinking they might be PBT?

[Cherry1990]

Thank you terrpn!
I think it is without metal plate, because I can warp it easily. I took my old Cherry G81-3000 HAU and it is far better than this Honeywell...
Me too cannont undestand why body is so yellow and keycaps still white (a bit grey for dust but certainly not soo yellow like the chassis).
Keycaps are like the one you showed.
I think this is a low quality keyboard, not mechanical, less satisfactory than my old Cherry G81-3000 HAU, with harder keys. Strange thing is that is less fatiguing than my last Cherry (G80-3000LPM) that is a real mechanical board...

Is this the difference between Topre keyboards and real mechanical keyboards?!?

[Daniel Beardsmore]

Yellowing: it probably is as terrpn suggests — ABS case, and non-ABS keycaps (e.g. PBT), so only the ABS case has yellowed. What you do see is keyboards where only the space bar has yellowed, because it's the one ABS keycap (as PBT tends to warp after being moulded and with such a large key this is far more apparent — Topre for example use ABS just for the space bar).

Topre: is what the difference between Topre and "real" mechanical keyboards?

[Cherry1990]

The space bar is not more yellow than other keycaps... Also on my old 1990's Cherry the chassis is more yellow than keycaps (double shot), probably they are made with a low quality ABS...

After one day of typing I must admit that I put back my MX Black Cherry G80-3000 keyboard... It is better! The Honeywell will come back to my garage...

> Topre: is what the difference between Topre and "real" mechanical keyboards?
If it is a question for me, I don't know the answer... I am trying to understand if I can enjoy or not a Topre keyboard, before buy it... I know, I will search again on the web...

[Daniel Beardsmore]

You said: "Is this the difference between Topre keyboards and real mechanical keyboards?!?".

My question is: is what the difference?

Topre keyboards use rubber domes, so they're not comparable to metal-contact microswitch designs such as Alps SKCL/SKCM or Cherry MX. Topre's Realforce line does use a metal plate to mount the slider guides, so they're heavy and solid (though my 105UB has a bit of flex and creak to it).

Whether there's another rubber dome keyboard that feels approximately like Topre, I don't know; the closest I've found is the Dell KB1421, but the Realforce is far better made. Topre domes are an interesting design, and the tactile event is stretched, giving an unusual feel.

[Cherry1990]

Never tried a Topre. I was only asking (especially to myself) if this old keyboard can be, more or less, like a Topre... But, if nothing is like a Topre, the matter is closed. If Topre sells keyboards at 300 EUR or more yes, probably, they are really different from all other keyboards...