Author Topic: What's up with these PCjr keyboards?  (Read 4306 times)

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Offline Shawn Stanford

  • Thread Starter
  • Posts: 368
What's up with these PCjr keyboards?
« on: Tue, 14 September 2010, 06:21:39 »
http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-IBM-PC-jr-Keyboard-RARE-FREE-SHIP-/370430086456?pt=PCA_Mice_Trackballs&hash=item563f5a8d38#ht_2712wt_1126

Interesting layout. I gathered from the rather sketchy info on the site that they're rubber dome. Are they in any way compatible with modern equipment?

The Brat Prince of COBOL

Offline TexasFlood

  • Posts: 1084
What's up with these PCjr keyboards?
« Reply #1 on: Tue, 14 September 2010, 07:34:20 »
I noticed that.  Hey, it's ten keyless, and functionless, :wink:.

Offline ch_123

  • * Exalted Elder
  • Posts: 5860
What's up with these PCjr keyboards?
« Reply #2 on: Tue, 14 September 2010, 07:36:42 »
They're the 2nd generation PC Jr keyboards which were standard rubber domes AFAIK. The first ones had chiclet keys that were so bad that even the most concise description of the PC Jr will inevitably mention that the keyboard sucked so hard as to be half the reason the thing never sold.

Offline WhiteRice

  • Posts: 850
What's up with these PCjr keyboards?
« Reply #3 on: Tue, 14 September 2010, 10:03:33 »
Too bad, interesting layout

Offline 8_INCH_FLOPPY

  • Posts: 183
What's up with these PCjr keyboards?
« Reply #4 on: Tue, 14 September 2010, 20:59:10 »
That's funny, I wonder if that's why that wireless-IR Cherry keyboard has a switch that reads Jr. on one side ans Sr. on the other?  What does Sr. stand for?  Is that some other type of IR interface?  Anyone know where I can get drivers for either one?
« Last Edit: Tue, 14 September 2010, 21:08:07 by 8_INCH_FLOPPY »
Notable Switches I have tried:
black cherry, blue cherry, brown cherry, clear cherry, cherry M84, white alps, black alps, cream alps, Monterey blue alps, Fujitsu Peerless, Gateway2000 rubber dome, Keytronic rubber dome, Model M buckling spring, Model F buckling spring, futaba, black space invader

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HAPPY HUNTING
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Offline DesktopJinx

  • Posts: 98
What's up with these PCjr keyboards?
« Reply #5 on: Mon, 20 September 2010, 21:55:04 »
I remember these. The keys got wiggly and sticky pretty quickly. The PCjr has a unique keyboard cord and connector; I don't know if the underlying signaling is proprietary.

Honestly, everything about the PCjr was junk.
M15 for life

Offline Mercen_505

  • Posts: 200
What's up with these PCjr keyboards?
« Reply #6 on: Mon, 20 September 2010, 22:09:58 »
I've got both keyboards. The guts are exactly the same; the only difference between the two is the top half of the casing, and the keys themselves. The rubber membrane, circuit board, and bottom casing are the same.

Really cute keyboards... terrible to type on.

Offline ch_123

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What's up with these PCjr keyboards?
« Reply #7 on: Tue, 21 September 2010, 04:14:53 »
Are they rubber domes or what?

Offline Mercen_505

  • Posts: 200
What's up with these PCjr keyboards?
« Reply #8 on: Wed, 22 September 2010, 07:49:58 »
Yes, rubber dome.

Offline itlnstln

  • Posts: 7048
What's up with these PCjr keyboards?
« Reply #9 on: Wed, 22 September 2010, 10:11:18 »
Quote from: ripster;225366
Probably the fate of all our Topres.


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