New Keyboard: M3501

[Magna224]

Its a made in USA AEKII M3501 and I like it! The switches feel really nice to me, they are kind of like what I was expecting from black ALPS. The one I got has keycaps in amazing condition too!

[Magna224]

I'll find some for you Ripster. I have to go to work though and I might be out all weekend. But I will RipOmeter it eventually.

[koralatov]

Its a made in USA AEKII M3501 and I like it! The switches feel really nice to me, they are kind of like what I was expecting from black ALPS. The one I got has keycaps in amazing condition too!

These are great keyboards.  I have two of them: one “Assembled in Ireland” with white ALPS (left half of the below image), and another “Made in Ireland” with creamier ALPS (right half):

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I’m not sure why they’re different colours, but they feel the same to my untrained fingers.  Perhaps just a different plastic was used when they were manufactured?  (Yes, I’ve read the wiki but it didn’t clarify it much.)

How did you find the black ALPS in use?  I haven’t actually used them, but I’m very tempted to get a Dell AT102W for my work keyboard.  (I haven’t had any luck tracking down a PC keyboard that uses white ALPS.)

[Magna224]

How did you find the black ALPS in use?  I haven’t actually used them, but I’m very tempted to get a Dell AT102W for my work keyboard.  (I haven’t had any luck tracking down a PC keyboard that uses white ALPS.)

I had two dell at101's(only one left) but I didn't really like the Black ALPS switch. I ordered one of them on ebay and then found one locally for $2 the day after. The Pinks feel awesome though.

Right now I'm typing on my friends new realforce 55g, so I'm kind of just typing to feel it out. I feel like I can type faster on it  but it might just be my imagination. The ABS spacebar is a lot more annoying than I would have guessed.

[Magna224]

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It took 13-14 nickels to bottom them out. I'm not sure what I am going to do with the keyboard yet. I may use the switches and keycaps for something else since the ADB to something useful adapters are expensive.

[Magna224]

I was really expecting to like black ALPS, it was a big letdown. These make up for it though. The Orange ALPS are supposed to be better than these right? And how do the regular AEKII dampened ALPS compare?

[Daniel Beardsmore]

I've only used coloured tactile ALPS switches (original Mac keyboard, and a PowerMac keyboard) briefly but both seemed heavenly – crisp and smooth and soft like Cherry. The black switches at the AT10* series though are a bit naff. They're stiff and scrapy, and feel like they have a succession of tactile points (around three) instead of just one. They're definitely NOT blue ALPS without the click.

Blue Cherries are smooth because the switch contact spring doesn't rub against the stem (instead, it catapults the click collar under pressure), but on all the other switches it rubs along the stem, creating friction that's a little bothersome, but unnoticeable when typing fast. Something similar is supposed to be the case with ALPS, but with black ALPS the effect is a lot worse than brown Cherry, giving a very grungy switch. However, I never noticed this with the coloured tactile switches in the brief encounter I had with them. Also, the black ALPS in the AT102W board has short switchplates, which are alleged to worsen the feel as well, but I just don't know how, yet. My complicated blue ALPS keyboard, the only other classic ALPS I own, is long switchplate.

I can't believe I didn't buy that ALPS PowerMac keyboard when I had the chance, as it was really nice. Pink or orange ALPS, I think. I'd love to try an ABS M1, as Fukkas are so nice, that I wonder if their tactile switches are actually better than real complicated ALPS …

[1391406]

I have both, an M3501 (two of them actually) and an M0115. Personally, I much prefer the feel of the orange ALPS in the M0115.

[Magna224]

Is it just more uniformly smooth or is there a difference in the tactile feel, force required, something of that sort?

[Magna224]

Yeah, I don't think that would make me want to buy some Orange ALPS. I don't really feel a big difference ALPS white vs ALPS Blue( I would just have to swap a switchplate from my blues to try out an ALPS orange then?). The spring is the same only a different color? Or is it slightly different?

[Magna224]

I might swap a switchplate over from my blue ALPS to see if I can feel a difference.