Unusual "Dauphin" tenkeyless boards

[Dimswitch]

Seller is asking $27.50 (or best offer) w/ $13.63 shipping.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160912684755&ssPageName=ADME:X:RTQ:US:1123

Cool little keyboard, appears to have a standard PS/2 connection (I pm'd seller) and black alps-type switches.

Kind of a "ghetto" happy-hacker?

Price seems reasonable anyway, especially considering they're NOS.

Edit: apparently the portable computers these were designed for were made by IBM: http://www.nytimes.com/1993/05/21/business/ibm-dauphin-deal.html

[Techno Trousers]

Hey,  those look pretty nice! I picked one up for my growing ALPS collection. At the very least I could reuse those black caps somewhere.

[dorkvader]

layout is sorta like the minitouch: I like this one better.

There's a chance a NeXT enter key will fit.

[Techno Trousers]

Wow,  those sure sold out fast.  Glad I saw this when I did.

[Dimswitch]

Wow,  those sure sold out fast.  Glad I saw this when I did.

Says there's still a few available on my screen...

[gunnish]

Proxy, someone?

[dorkvader]

Proxy, someone?

http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=37277.0

---
It shows 9 available on my screen.

[Dimswitch]

Ending up picking one up for myself as well

[neoezekiel]

I grabbed one too, hopefully it will be nice, if not, no big loss.

[Dimswitch]

I grabbed one too, hopefully it will be nice, if not, no big loss.

My thoughts as well... Trying to research the part number brings up absolutely nothing (that isn't just a link back to the eBay ad). Reading the description makes me wonder if these were a small run of keyboards that had yet to be released when the company went belly-up, or some sort of special order. Most intriguing.

[CPTBadAss]

Do we know if its Tactile or Linear Black Alps?

[AKIMbO]

Do we know if its Tactile or Linear Black Alps?

Looks more like an Acer or KPT type switch.

[CPTBadAss]

Looks more like an Acer or KPT type switch.

Well that's a deal breaker

[Dimswitch]

Looks more like an Acer or KPT type switch.

Based on? It doesn't really look like either to me. Perhaps some sort of variant of the KPT but take a look at the molding of the upper surface of the dauphin switch - not really sure what the switch is but I don't see anything to identify it any further than "ALPS-like" at this point. I'll be sure to post more info when my board arrives.

[neoezekiel]

I will likely do a full disassemble when mine comes in, I will post pictures when I have a chance.

[Dimswitch]

Well look what the mailman brought today:



Turns out these are indeed black alps:


Feels alright, but as a buckling spring kinda-guy, the linear-silent thing doesn't do much for me.

This was also in the plastic wrap with the keyboard:


So I guess this is actually a Datacomp board, model DCK84 (Which I can't find any other info on)

Tested as functional on a modern PC via ps/2.

It's a neat little keyboard. It would be excellent for all things portable and for gaming.

[CPTBadAss]

They're Linear Black Alps then?

[Dimswitch]

They're Linear Black Alps then?

Yes. Non-tactile, non-clicky. (Unless I'm just super desensitized on the tactile side of things...)

[CPTBadAss]

Interesting. Thanks for being the guinea pig and for the info!

[dorkvader]

Thanks for getting one and posting pictures! Can you pry off the enter key and tell if it is stabilized with a peg?

[Techno Trousers]

Just got mine today. Dimswitch covered most of it, so I'll just post a couple more photos. My dream of having a nice source of black ALPS keycaps is somewhat stymied by their extra low profile (cap compared to my SGI Granite 9500900):



Here is a picture under the Enter key that Dorkvader wanted to see. Two wire stabilizers, and the spring sits between the two pegs on the keycap when it's on (I just put it on top of the switch for the photo).



Overall I like the board, although it feels like a child's toy under my big hammy meat fists. 

I'm definitely not a fan of the black linear ALPS switches though, so one day soon when I start modding I may replace them with complicated white ALPS from a salvage board or two.

[SpAmRaY]

I'm an Alps noob, could these be switched for matias switches?

[CPTBadAss]

I'm an Alps noob, could these be switched for matias switches?

Yes

[Techno Trousers]

Funny, here's another Dauphin keyboard. I'll be this is a rubber dome though, since it doesn't have the big-ass enter key. Way too expensive too!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dauphin-Technology-Keyboard-/151070297158

[dorkvader]

I'm an Alps noob, could these be switched for matias switches?

Yes

anyone have 84 matias switches they want to sell me?

Or, another way to put this: anyone ant to split a box of matias swithes?

I want to give ALPS another shot.
--
Thank you for the pictures, Techno Trousers. That is exactly what I wanted to see (and what I like to see). One major issue with the siig minitouch is the enter key is so poorly stabilized, it likes to bind on off-axis hits (which are a problem for a key that large) Although with some modification, a NeXT enter key will fit with the "peg" stabilizer.

Unfortunately the NeXT doubleshot enter key will not fit on this keyboard, but I like the layout better anyway. and two stabilizers on the enterkey? that's good stuff.

[neoezekiel]

Well look what the mailman brought today:
(Attachment Link)
(Attachment Link)

Turns out these are indeed black alps:
(Attachment Link)

Feels alright, but as a buckling spring kinda-guy, the linear-silent thing doesn't do much for me.

This was also in the plastic wrap with the keyboard:
(Attachment Link) (Attachment Link)

So I guess this is actually a Datacomp board, model DCK84 (Which I can't find any other info on)

Tested as functional on a modern PC via ps/2.

It's a neat little keyboard. It would be excellent for all things portable and for gaming.

Well darn, you beat me to it