Are "old dell logo" AT101 keyboards rare?

[iBro]

Hello I'm wondering how rare the "old dell logo" keyboards are. And what type of switch they use. I remember seeing one with salmon alps, but I also thought that some of them came with black alps.

Thanks!

[schizrade]

Who knows. All I know is I started my IT career using those AT101's... and I still love them to this day.

[SmallFry]

They aren't rare, but one with salmon/pink ALPS is a new one to me.

[fohat.digs]

It is my impression that "old logo" Dells came with several different Alps, maybe even white or blue. I seem to remember that salmon was the most common.

I had one a long time ago, and I remember that it had something different from my other AT101s, which are all blacks.

At one point, the Koreans were paying top dollar for them.

[SmallFry]

It'd be awesome to find an AT-101 with blue ALPS.

[Grimey]

It'd be awesome to find an AT-101 with blue ALPS.

Certainly would have saved me some soldering time if nothing else, my AT101W with blues is buttery smooth.

I have seen a few AT101Ws in my life, but never an AT101.  So I would assume they are less common if nothing else.

[fohat.digs]

The "W" after the 101 just indicates that it has a Windows key. I have probably had 8-10 of these, but only 1 old logo.

I would estimate that 2/3 were "W" and 1/3 were not.

[Catweazle]

In addition to ALPS switches used in the AT101 there is also an old logo Dell that uses buckling springs (it's actually a rebadged Model M).

[SmallFry]

I've seen those. They're pretty cool.

[kriminal]

i have a couple AT101 on work here, found them on work actually.

[Daniel Beardsmore]

http://deskthority.net/wiki/Dell_AT101

Black Alps on all the Windows key versions. Pink Alps on many of the previous versions. A few domes. The SGI Granite version (basically the same board) used damped cream Alps.

Not aware any ever came with blues – at AT101 family is all tactile switches.

And yes, blue Alps are both really smooth and really tactile as well. Unfortunately, the Alps heyday ended before Windows-key-based keyboards came into being, and the AT10*W boards are amongst the very few Alps CM boards with Windows keys or the standard Model M layout (though I read that the Model M copied a previous keyboard's layout). Decent Alps basically means nutter layouts.

Even then, the AT10*W keyboards have inferior scrapy switches. It's debatable whether the older tactile switches (e.g. pink) were better or not – I briefly tried a vintage Apple board with what would be either pink or orange and that was really smooth, or so it seemed at the time. Should have bought it, then I'd have a comparison. Maybe Alps switches just wear smoother with use? My AT102W was NIB, after all and it sees very little use, just a spare board at work on the test/setup bench.

I am looking forwards to the Matias Quiet Pro when it ships to Europe next year (already pre-ordered). I want a nice quiet but tactile switch for work, but it will also tell me how nice a Matias switch would be if it was sold undamped, as tactile Alps switches have a great sound. My AT102W sounds a lot nicer than my MX brown Filco or my G80-3000 with clears.

[dorkvader]

http://deskthority.net/wiki/Dell_AT101

Black Alps on all the Windows key versions. Pink Alps on many of the previous versions. A few domes. The SGI Granite version (basically the same board) used damped cream Alps.

Not aware any ever came with blues – at AT101 family is all tactile switches.

And yes, blue Alps are both really smooth and really tactile as well. Unfortunately, the Alps heyday ended before Windows-key-based keyboards came into being, and the AT10*W boards are amongst the very few Alps CM boards with Windows keys or the standard Model M layout (though I read that the Model M copied a previous keyboard's layout). Decent Alps basically means nutter layouts.

The model M's layout was based on a DEC, but it wasn't copied or stolen from anywhere (Look at the LK201 page: Most of the similarities are in the inverted T arrows and tenkey). It's like the HHKB being similar to a SUN type 3 and Type5: similarities are present, but it was by no means a copy.

It is, unfortunately true, that most ALPS keyboards have odd layouts and are mutually incompatible. There seems to be a wide range in quality, too (with northgate, and probably NeXt on one end, and ducky and maybe Siig on the other)

It seems almost miraculous that the AT101 is common enough to be easily found, modern enough to work with a normal computer, and standard enough to be recognizable.