Nice Score (3x Model M, 1x Apple Extended, 1x MacTouch)

[apb2390]

So I was talking to my robotics team coach, who owns the computer/robotics company that we work out of. I mentioned that I like old keyboards, and he told me to go look in the back of the shop, since there's probably a box back there. Sure enough, I found 3 IBM Model Ms (manufactured by Lexmark), 1 Apple Extended (manufactured by Apple) and 1 Mactouch (manufactured by Siig). He told me to take them because he had no need for them. I gladly obliged.

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The Apple Extended has orange Alps. They're tactile, but not clicky.
The MacTouch uses white Alps switches, and has a bigass enter key (very annoying, to be sure).

One of the Model Ms is from '86, one from '89, and one is from '95.

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Model M Number 1. The connector is PS/2.

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Model M Number 2.
This one is missing the shift key and a couple of keycap covers, obviously.
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The connector for this M. I believe it's RJ11, can anyone confirm this?

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The Logo from both of these Ms.

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The '95 Model M is a special find. It was in some really nice bubble wrapped packaging, and has a "Cypress AMS [Alarm Monitoring System]" logo next to the IBM logo. Cypress is the company that I found these at, so it's a rather neat find. I'll unwrap it later today (with accompanying pictures) unless I suddenly have reason not to.

EDIT: Unwrapped it, has no signs of wear. quite remarkable. Will post pics when I get a chance.

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The SIIG Mactouch. Not much to say here, it's a nice White Alps keyboard. The connector for this and the Apple Extended seems to be a PS/2-like connector, but with 5 pin slots. Disregard this, according to Mr. Beardsmore, this is an ADB (Apple Desktop Bus). I have no idea how this relates to USB or PS/2, so that should be a fun project to interface them :3.

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Here's the Apple extended. It's pretty standard, other than the switches. Obviously missing a Numpad "ENTER".

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The switch from the extended. It looks sort of like Pink Alps, and is tactile but non-clicky. Anyone have any insight as to what this switch is?
Never mind, it's orange Alps.


Alrighty, that's my "I found a stash of old keyboards" post. Sorry about some of the images being blurry, it's my sister's point and shoot.

[audioave10]

I believe that is a RJ11 but not positive.
The other just needs an AT to PS2 adapter. ( I'm sure its an AT plug.)
I can't say if all adapters work with the PS2...somebody here will know.

anyway...Nice Find for sure!

[apb2390]

All right, thanks for that info.

I also found that the Caps lock on the Apple Extended toggles down and up... interesting design.

[apb2390]

No, I didn't know that it's an industrial. I suppose that's why it's got the company logo on it.

[IvanIvanovich]

Industrial refers to the darker body, and is more sought after than the more typical light beige versions. Adding that it is in new condition, it could fetch a good price if you wanted to sell it.

[apb2390]

Would there be any other indicators of use? I can certainly tell (even with the packaging) that here's no wear on the keys.

[Daniel Beardsmore]

ISO doesn't mean bigass enter. ISO means that the right-hand side of left shift is replaced by an extra key, and the enter key is vertical (an upside-down L):



That MacTouch is a copy of the Apple BadDesign Keyboard, seen above with the ISO extra key labelled \ instead of ` – I had to grind off half the legend as it was too confusing: on a PC in Britain, \ really is beside Z, but when I moved across to the Mac, I'd hit that key, get "`", look at the keyboard, see that it really is labelled "\", and give it a bewildered stare before remembering that there was a second key, also labelled \, on the other side of the keyboard, that did what it said on the keycap. WTF Apple? I have a another, filthy AppleDesign Keyboard, from the same box of old keyboards I found, but the keycaps are not interchangeable!!

Effectively that MacTouch is just the same keyboard but with proper switches instead of the mushiest dome switches ever made.

I expect that the cost of shipping it to Britain is prohibitive considering that I boot my G4 tower maybe twice a year, and the StarMax (which does take ADB keyboards like yours) once a year. (ADB, Apple Desktop Bus, is a universal connector allowing a tree of up to 16 mice, keyboards, trackpads, joysticks, tablets etc to be connected using a single connector. This sort of Woz genius never got invited into IBM's world back in the 80s. ADB is also hotswap (the scan is run from the the vsync interrupt), but Apple never fitted the safety circuitry required, so while you can hotswap ADB devices to your heart's content—which I've done many a time—eventually it will fry the motherboard instead. Bonus tip: the cable is the same as S-Video.)

[apb2390]

This post significantly enlightened me as to what ISO actually is, and simultaneously made me laugh quite hard as I related your post content to your signature.

Updated OP to reflect new knowledge.

[mr626]

That is an amazing find. Just the Industrial M alone is awesome. I live in hope that one day I'll score a find like this.

Oh, and just so you know the two older Model Ms aren't from 1984. The first one is from 1987, and the other one I can't tell because I can't read the text in the photo (I *think* its 1989 though).

[apb2390]

Oh, and just so you know the two older Model Ms aren't from 1984. The first one is from 1987, and the other one I can't tell because I can't read the text in the photo (I *think* its 1989 though).

Well, I'm a derp. Didn't even notice the date field, and assumed that they were both '84. One is '87, the other '89.

[mr626]

Well, I'm a derp. Didn't even notice the date field, and assumed that they were both '84. One is '87, the other '89.

No worries. Plenty of sellers on ebay make the same mistake.

Now you just need to update your sig :tongue:

[Daniel Beardsmore]

I have no idea how [ADB] relates to USB or PS/2, so that should be a fun project to interface them :3.

There are ADB to USB adapters. ADB was a less prominent casualty with the iMac, alongside the floppy drive. I think ADB lingered on the blue-and-white G3 tower for a bit though. I only have one non-ADB Mac, though, an AGP graphics G4 tower.

[Hente]

Holy hell, a free Industrial Model M? Just like 626 said you're lucky as hell just for that alone, maximum jealous over here. :V

[apb2390]

I looked into ADB -> USB adapters, and found that the cheapest consistent one is $25 USD. For that price, I may as well grab a Teensy and have some fun.

[Daniel Beardsmore]

It would be nice if there was a large enough market that you could make and sell them, but I imagine the number of people interested in using old ADB keyboards, is far fewer even than people who want to mod their HHKBs or achieve NKRO over USB.