Alps white.. What to do with them?

[DrunkenDonut]

So...... I managed to score myself my first alps white complicated switches

Not just the switches, but the whole keyboard actually. So far I've played with a lot of Cherry switches, and very few good Alps and alps style switches. I have to say that these feel very nice!

It's a full sized keyboard with an AT plug though, and I don't like using full sized boards or adapted plugs. I do have a Filco zero and an M1 that don't see a lot of use. Is the zero a worthy host?  is there anything I should know about transplanting alps switches before I start?

[False_Dmitry_II]

Or adapted plugs? You realize AT is electrically identical to PS/2, right? If it's plugged into the back of your computer you'd never be able to see it.

[Pylon]

You could chop off the numpad if the controller isn't there and do a little rewiring to fix up the matrices. Someone did that to an AT101 here.

[ch_123]

ALPS are generally a piece of cake, easier than Cherry MX.

If Wellington1869 was still here he'd tell you you'll have Zero transposition errors but that was the 2010 equivalent of 2011's Ping - way overblown as an issue.

I'm not too hot on the ABS M1 though - 2KRO and louder than hell.

 
I thought the Zero transpose thing was more like 2009?

[The Solutor]

What I can't understand about that other Filco debacle is:

Looks like a controller fault, so assuming the cherry filcos are unaffected I can't understand what's the point to have a modular controller board and not use it on any keyboard with the same layout.

Or I'm missing something ?

[DrunkenDonut]

That's interesting... Too bad I don't have a Gen 2 to examine.

If zero transposition was similar to the DAS transposition (anyone remember *that* ancient debacle? ), then I might actually run into it. I don't generally type fast enough to run into these things, but I just couldn't type with the DAS. After spending a couple weeks with it, I ended up triggering the transposition enough to be really annoying. I don't think it was the blue's fault. I seem to be okay with the Filco with blues FWIW.

I don't like adapted plugs for a couple of reasons. They take up more space and I'm already a bit cramped up here. Although I have dongles with wires, rather than just big connector blocks, it's still more wire that I have to hide away / tie up. Especially if it's AT->PS/2->USB. It's also why I prefer tenkeyless - takes up less space on my desk. I also like to have my adapters for use when I need them, not permanently connected somewhere.

I guess I'll get started with the Alps transplant soon then.

[False_Dmitry_II]

That's why I bought a set of ten AT -> PS/2 adapters on ebay for like $10. Now I just plug one into whatever I get that has an AT plug and pretend it's a permanent part of the wire.