Unusual (older?) FILCO for MAC in fleabay

[blueSmoke]

Found this on a fleabay clickthru...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/FILCO-FKB-97S-Mechanical-Japanese-ADB-Keyboard-for-Macintosh-ALPS-Mech-Working-/221208105758?pt=AU_Computers_Vintage&hash=item338107d31e

Says ADB & alps switches.

Seller says "These keyboards feature ALPS Mechanical Switches giving them the distinctive *Click* every time you use a key. The same switches that make the IBM Model M keyboard so desireable."...

Interesting, guess we did not know that part.


~180 bucks from Australia. Pricy? but may be somebody is looking for one?

[calavera]

Supposedly real white alps switches too. Not the simplified found in zeros.

[vivalarevolución]

Interesting keyboard.  It would be nice to try that out.  Who wants to buy it for me and get together so I can try it out?

[AKIMbO]

Weren't these called filco skeletons?

[dorkvader]

Seller says "These keyboards feature ALPS Mechanical Switches giving them the distinctive *Click* every time you use a key. The same switches that make the IBM Model M keyboard so desireable."...

Interesting, guess we did not know that part.

Don't lots of the IBM japan keyboards use alps? (green alps) ?

[SmallFry]

Holy **** Batman! I've only ever seen one of those...EVER. Ripster has one, that I think he acquired when he went to Japan.

[tricheboars]

that is a very ugly keyboard.  the white alps switches would be cool to type on though.

lol at this quote from the post:
"These keyboards feature ALPS Mechanical Switches giving them the distinctive *Click* every time you use a key. The same switches that make the IBM Model M keyboard so desireable."


DUDE Everyone post their ALPS Model M's!

[Halverson]

Those Filcos are on yahoo auctions quite often for quite a bit cheaper(Iirc).

Although all clear is pretty nice looking!

[mashby]

If I hadn't already depleted my wallet with other "must haves", I would be all over this keyboard.

[jabar]

that is a very ugly keyboard.

I don't care how rare the keyboard is, it is damn ugly. I hated that '90s Mac keyboard look.

[dorkvader]

lol at this quote from the post:
"These keyboards feature ALPS Mechanical Switches giving them the distinctive *Click* every time you use a key. The same switches that make the IBM Model M keyboard so desireable."


DUDE Everyone post their ALPS Model M's!

Seller says "These keyboards feature ALPS Mechanical Switches giving them the distinctive *Click* every time you use a key. The same switches that make the IBM Model M keyboard so desireable."...

Interesting, guess we did not know that part.

Don't lots of the IBM japan keyboards use alps? (green alps) ?

I've been interested in the ALPS IBMs for a while, but they're hard to get. Here's some pages on them

Sandy55
http://sandy55.fc2web.com/ps55/5576/5576.html#5576-001 (White ALPS)
http://sandy55.fc2web.com/ps55/5576/5576.html#5576-002 (White ALPS)
http://sandy55.fc2web.com/keyboard/ibm_p7x_jp.html (White ALPS)

Now none of these are model M's, but lots of people see IBM mechanical keyboard and think "model M" so he can be forgiven.
Even worse, a somewhat early (and very popular) page on these keyboards says they have ALPS switches.
http://www.dansdata.com/ibmkeyboard.htm
(he says a northgate uses the same keyswitches as his 42H1292 and 1391401)

qwerters (their name makes so much more sense now that I've typed it on a QWERTY keyboard for one)
http://ex4.sakura.ne.jp/kb/tech_alps_5576001.htm

mousefan
http://www7.ocn.ne.jp/~hisao/image/5962851.htm (White ALPS)
http://www7.ocn.ne.jp/~hisao/image/4773178.htm (Green ALPS)

[Leslieann]

I'm no Alps expert, but unless Alps uses the same stem, those are Cherry switches under at least some of the keys.

Scroll down., you can clearly see the Cherry (milk/clear/white) stems in a few of the pictures (return, space, left shift). Not to mention the greenish one just to the right of the Filco logo.

Interesting keyboard regardless.


Edit: It's a mixed board, which makes it only more interesting. Or is this common on some Alps boards?

[dorkvader]

I'm no Alps expert, but unless Alps uses the same stem, those are Cherry switches under at least some of the keys.

Scroll down., you can clearly see the Cherry (milk/clear/white) stems in a few of the pictures (return, space, left shift). Not to mention the greenish one just to the right of the Filco logo.

Interesting keyboard regardless.


Edit: It's a mixed board, which makes it only more interesting. Or is this common on some Alps boards?

I don't think it's mixed. The switch centers appear to be ALPS "z axis" or whatever it's called, but the stabilizers do appear to have the cruciform. Not sure about that green switch above the 7, maybe it's a mitsumi or something.

I would suspect it'a a board with ALPS switches and costar stabilizers.

---
Also for the sake of completeness, some ALPS do have a cruciform that's similar to cherry's M7. The original Apple M0110 had it, I believe (see lowpoly's mod). There's a tenkey with them for cheap on eBay right now
http://www.ebay.com/itm/390567041268

[Leslieann]

Ahh okay, that makes sense.
I figured the stabilizers, but missed the rest.

Interesting board, though, I'm not sure I would want it on my desk.

[sth]

i love these but i wish they'd have come in platinum with PBT keys