OMG Anyone ever seen this awesome DSI keyboard before???

[chimera15]

I was going through a really awesome Japanese site I found on keyboards that has the force graphs for different keyboards...and found a keyboard I've never seen before...it's the coolest keyboard I've ever seeeen!!!

http://www5f.biglobe.ne.jp/~silencium/keyboard/html/alps.html
  It's about mid way down this page.  It's called a dsi modular Pro

[chimera15]

The coolest part about this is I bet it wouldn't take much to mod it so you could have the 3 parts be loose from the tray, and use the little mini alps keypad like a hhk.

It's a transformer!!! hehehe

[Hak Foo]

I'd wonder if robustness would be an issue long-term... the modular units working their way out of their connections when pounded on all day, every day.

[chimera15]

I'd wonder if robustness would be an issue long-term... the modular units working their way out of their connections when pounded on all day, every day.

I don't know, I wouldn't use it like that probably.  The first thing I'd do if I got one would be to solder whatever connections allow the modularity and make a hhk like keyboard out of that main part. lol  It's got white alps sliders.  That's the smallest keyboard I've ever seen, potentially with white alps.

[wellington1869]

i *love* the modularity. Every single keyboard should come like this. Love it.
I'd want one if I werent so wedded to buckling springs.

I suppose I can approximate something like this by buying an M space saver and a separate numpad. But conceptually its pretty awesome.

[wellington1869]

is this thing for sale?

a google search for 'dsi modular pro' gives only two hits, one from 2004 and one from 2001!

[watduzhkstand4]

that is pretty neat. Where do your think we can find that?

[wellington1869]

that is pretty neat. Where do your think we can find that?

i poked around real quick at dsi site but didnt see it...

[chimera15]

My guess is that it's real old.  Especially since it uses alps whites.   I sent an email to dsi about it.

[IBI]

Maybe it's a prototype for what eventually came to be the modular mac keyboard? It looks like there might be some sort of end port on that first picture.

[keyb_gr]

It's cool but I don't see the point. It's not like I'm one day in need of numpad to the right, and the next on the left.

Usually not, that's true. However, the point is that every user can arrange things the way he likes with just one version of the keyboard having to be produced.

[watduzhkstand4]

Usually not, that's true. However, the point is that every user can arrange things the way he likes with just one version of the keyboard having to be produced.

hahaha you're both right so I think I'll just stick with what I have now :bolt:

[chimera15]

dsi said they sold this keyboard over 10 years ago and don't even have any info on it anymore. sigh  If anyone finds one, it's probably extremely rare and would be a really great collectors item.

[chimera15]

Some news here.  After doing some keyboard browsing for a different keyboard I found a rebranded version of this keyboard.  Two different brands.  The Somers EK1, which also features a trackball module for the keyboard.

 And also rebranded as a "switchboard" by a company called datadesktech.



http://www.datadesktech.com/
http://spot.pcc.edu/at/at_equip_software.htm

The one price I saw showed upwards of $350 however.

[chimera15]

datadesktech doesn't appparently have it anymore, but they have another interesting keyboard called a trackboard.

http://www.datadesktech.com/desktop_base.html

[IBI]

That Datadesk Mac-101E looks like the same keyboard as well

[chimera15]

That Datadesk Mac-101E looks like the same keyboard as well

It has a similar construction no doubt, maybe even the same alps keys, but I don't think it's modular.

[ironcoder]

never mind

[claytronica]

Hey folks. I have one of these - it's actually up on ebay right now. auction ends later today.
If you miss it, and it hasn't sold, just let me know.

cheers

[wellington1869]

Hey folks. I have one of these - it's actually up on ebay right now. auction ends later today.
If you miss it, and it hasn't sold, just let me know.

cheers

link please? also, is it the modular one or the non modular one?

also, just out of curiosity, where did you buy it? how long did you have it? etc.

[itlnstln]

Here it is.
 
http://cgi.ebay.com/DSI-Modular-Pro-Keyboard_W0QQitemZ320407181951QQcmdZViewItemQQptZPCA_Mice_Trackballs?hash=item4a99c19a7f&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14
 
The writeup is worth reading....

PBR, seriously?  Buffalo wings sounds great right now.  I think I am going to eat my lunch early.  It's only 9:45 a.m. here, but I am freaking starving.

[wellington1869]

I hope he sells it, the modularity is sweet.  I dont know why every keyboard being sold today isnt modular like this.

[rdh]

The Somers EK1 adds an additional quirk - the alphabetic keys are in straight columns:

[watduzhkstand4]

yep and I found it useless imo.

[Eclairz]

The main reason modular keyboards don't sell is the same reasons why additional peripherals don't sell. if its unnecessary luxury then people won't buy it, if people can adapt they won't buy, if it costs more people won't buy, if it is not standard people won't buy.

Its hard wired into people's heads to follow each other and the point is getting a result from the purchase not the sentiment that comes with it.

Only clothes and popular expensive items like cars, cellphones and mp3 players come with sentiment attached. This is the life of all replacement societies why spend more when you can replace it.