What's the oldest keyboard you own

[morpheus]

While it's not my oldest keyboard, it's certainly my oldest Topre keyboard
Sony NEWS NWP-411A (1986-87):

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Nice board man! I had no idea Sony made a Topre Keyboard, when did it come out and is it available in the US?

[ch_123]

My December 1984 Model M.

Not a separate keyboard, but my Commodore PET and its keyboard is slightly older, would have to open it to get exact date.

1984? Are you sure about that? Earliest I've seen in 1985.

[E TwentyNine]

Have you got a picture of the PET?  I used one for my Computing GCSE (my school didn't believe in ... I dunno... spending money, I guess).

Oddly enough, I don't have a picture of the PET itself, but it looks just like any PET with the gray real-key keyboard.

Relevant to GH, I do have pictures of the keyboard disassembled: http://imgur.com/a/NMTSo

[E TwentyNine]

My December 1984 Model M.

Not a separate keyboard, but my Commodore PET and its keyboard is slightly older, would have to open it to get exact date.

1984? Are you sure about that? Earliest I've seen in 1985.

Yep.  It's the earliest M I know of.  It's the first thread I ever posted here: http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=39985

And here are the pics also linked in that thread:  http://minus.com/mBlackModelM

[snoopy]

and the only proof is that number on the controller? I think without birth certificate or any other documentation you can't really proof the date of the complete board

[E TwentyNine]

and the only proof is that number on the controller? I think without birth certificate or any other documentation you can't really proof the date of the complete board

There's no question the controller board is from 1984.

But there's more to indicate it's a very early build. If you read through the thread you'll see the keyboard has a number of unique attributes as well (socketed programmable chip, different keyboard assembly mounts, how the LED board is wired up, the case itself).

There's a thread on it over at Deskthority, where webwit and clickykeyboards had a go at tracking down "lineage": http://deskthority.net/keyboards-f2/a-couple-of-model-m-s-i-m-curious-about-t5112.html

It's been suggested it's a prototype.  I have to take another shot at some old contacts from IBM to see if I can get more information.

[dorkvader]

and the only proof is that number on the controller? I think without birth certificate or any other documentation you can't really proof the date of the complete board

Like some of HaaTa's older keybaords, E TwentyNine's model M is also hard to date. I think t's a prototype of some sort, ans as such, the 1984 "date" correlates to the time they were designing it, that said, it could have been actually put together as late as 1985. Then again, do we count the "age" as the date it was first assembled? From what I know about the prototyping process, they probably put it together a few times and modified it before M production started.

So it's hard to say. Notice HaaTa posted the age of the IC's on his keyboard. My two mid 1970's microswitch keyboards have different dates on them from when the chips were made, to the manufacturing date on the PCB, to the production date on the frame. Which do I count?

[ch_123]

My December 1984 Model M.

Not a separate keyboard, but my Commodore PET and its keyboard is slightly older, would have to open it to get exact date.

1984? Are you sure about that? Earliest I've seen in 1985.

Yep.  It's the earliest M I know of.  It's the first thread I ever posted here: http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=39985

And here are the pics also linked in that thread:  http://minus.com/mBlackModelM

Oh yes, I remember this one now... Very nice find!

[mr_a500]

My three oldest keyboards were all made in 1980: Apple II Plus, TRS-80 Model III and IBM 3278 beam spring.

Of the nearly 50 keyboards I own, only 4 aren't from the 80's - the "newest" being a 1993 SGI granite. I don't own a single rubber dome keyboard.

[rowie]

My beam spring keyboard from '79.

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This keyboard looks wicked cool! How do you like it, and do you still use it?

[divito]

While it's not my oldest keyboard, it's certainly my oldest Topre keyboard
Sony NEWS NWP-411A (1986-87):

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That's quite a cool layout. Makes me think of what I want to design in the future.

[002]

Nice board man! I had no idea Sony made a Topre Keyboard, when did it come out and is it available in the US?

Sony made their NEWS (Network Engineering Workstation) in the late 80s til the mid 90s. They weren't very popular outside of Japan and I don't like your chances of finding one for sale in the USA, but they do pop up from time to time on Yahoo Auctions Japan

Topre made at least two other keyboards for Sony's 'NEWS' line, including the keyboard for the NWS-1200 (which uses conductive switches, like the Sony BKE-2010/2011), and the NWP-5461 keyboard.
Here's my thread on deskthority about the conductive Topre switch on the BKE-2011

[Tony]

1986, Compaq MX 11800.

[davkol]

Cherry G80-1000HAD with MX Black switches, made in mid '88 IIRC. Someone has asked me to take some pictures, because the switches feel vintage, but look modern... I guess I should already upload that stuff.

[Findecanor]

Commodore PC-10 keyboard and a terminal Model M, both from 1987.

[Retrete]

1983 Cherry M7 terminal keyboard

[SpAmRaY]

1983 Cherry M7 terminal keyboard

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That's a sweet mod! I believe I posted on it over at DT but doesn't hurt to say it here also!

[Dubsgalore]

1983 Cherry M7 terminal keyboard

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Incredibly Bad-ass

[sprit]

1983 Cherry M7 terminal keyboard

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Beautiful!  I never come across M7, seen M8.
For me the oldest one is Apple Model 0110 Macintosh keyboard in 1984, the first PC of mine.

[kilogeek]

The compaq RT 102 I have D.O.B. is 1993, looks like new, older than the model M I had (1995).
A guy I met few days ago bought me some hardware and told me he had several old AT & XT PCs
in his garage (286, 386... DIN connectors, before IBM PS/2 series) with 2 keyboards per PC,
he is going to bring them to me next time he goes to Paris, don't know the brands yet but
these are surely nice pieces of hardware   

[kilogeek]

[dorkvader]

this topic comes up every once in a while.

My oldest is a honeywell hall effect keyboard from mid 1976. I also have one from 1977 that I've posted pictures of. They're pretty similar, though the 1976 one has a cool ceramic gold pin IC package. I will be converting this KB to USB sometime in the future.

---
The oldest KB I'm actually using at the moment is a model F 122 from 1984

[Findecanor]

(Attachment Link)

NMB RT6856.

[tuxsavvy]

I guess my partly broken Northgate Omnikey 101 is the oldest one, may the same Omnikey may tie in against my APC Clicker F-21.

[tooki]

My oldest is an original Apple Extended Keyboard, which would have been sold between April 1987 and October 1990.

[1391406]

My IBM AT Model F.

[kmiller8]

my birthday board obviously

[TacticalCoder]

What's the oldest keyboard you own and still using, do you collect them...just curious

My daily driver is a 18 months old or so HHKB Pro 2 but I do have an Industrial Model M from 1990 hooked to a computer I use semi-regularly.

I've also got a very nice HP LaserJet 4M+ which is nearly 20 years old and which still works flawlessly (and cheap toners, lasting very long, for one of the lowest price-per-page ever). 300 000+ pages printed and still running strong. I've got 3 of them 

Oldest keyboard is probably the one hooked to my Atari 600 XL (which I have since I was a kid) or to the Ti99/4a I bought recently but I can't say I use these ones regularly.

[E TwentyNine]

My IBM AT Model F.

How do you decode the date on an AT Model F ?

[Melvang]

Hmm, well, I use all my keyboards (rofl)

The oldest is sorta hard. But, oldest manufactured is probably my Honeywell Dual Magnet Hall Effect (the vintage one) engineering sample (NIB) from 1970, with ICs from 1969!

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That's 6934 -> Week 34 1969!

Album
https://plus.google.com/photos/113845661925823397356/albums#photos/113845661925823397356/albums/5789286994082633025

Very nice looking board and PCB.  This is from back when traces were MANLY. 

I just picked up a terminal board that I would love to get a Soarer converter for and use.  It is a Link.  Back label says "KB LINK GEN US WY ASCII", Serial No: 45cz5500195, Part No:  50-120-000-100.  Everything on the inside says WYSE but the caps are double shot black on beige two tone not the purple/yellow on beige double shots like WYSE usually are.  The date on the case is 1983, and the date on the PCB is 1985.  This thing is practically NIB as the caps have ZERO shine and still have texture on them even the "E" which is the most common used letter on the English language.  I opened it up and the plate and the PCB were cleaner than the Orbweaver when I got that.  All for a steal of a price at $3 from an e-recycler.

[bazemk1979]

IBM Model F XT NIB

[JPG]

IBM Model F XT NIB

NIB? Nice.

[bazemk1979]

IBM Model F XT NIB

NIB? Nice.

yea was from a Rutenberg corp. or something like that

[1391406]

My IBM AT Model F.

How do you decode the date on an AT Model F ?

Personally, I don't know that any numbers on any of the stickers correlate to a date.

[kilogeek]

(Attachment Link)

NMB RT6856.

Yes you're right, not a rare piece... I'll get soon a very rare one : Bull Micral Keyboard, don't know yet what mechanism is used but these were built mainly for the french market in the 80's, same prices as first IBM PC XT & AT...

[dorkvader]

Yes you're right, not a rare piece... I'll get soon a very rare one : Bull Micral Keyboard, don't know yet what mechanism is used but these were built mainly for the french market in the 80's, same prices as first IBM PC XT & AT...

Hmm, interesting. Many of the more common bull keyboards I know of from the later 1980's are rubberdome (though likely quite nice rubber dome from what I have seen) I'm interested in seeing what you turn up here.

[127001]

Yes you're right, not a rare piece... I'll get soon a very rare one : Bull Micral Keyboard, don't know yet what mechanism is used but these were built mainly for the french market in the 80's, same prices as first IBM PC XT & AT...

Hmm, interesting. Many of the more common bull keyboards I know of from the later 1980's are rubberdome (though likely quite nice rubber dome from what I have seen) I'm interested in seeing what you turn up here.

http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=43697.0

Seems like it might be MX Blacks

[lilky]

So many awesome old keyboards in here  I wish I could get my hands on some of these bad boys...

[tricheboars]

My '87 Model M

[Comment]

I've got a 1990 G80-5000 that I keep at work, but I'm sure I've got something older than that. 

Plus it'll look like a spring chicken compared some of the choicer examples...

Where did you find yours? Been lookin around to find one but im sure you can guess how that turned out

[JDrive]

IBM PC XT, no idea on the build date.

[berserkfan]

Do typewriters count? I have one, but haven't seen it in years. Got to be somewhere in my house since no way I could have thrown out such a huge, heavy thing by accident.

[hydrospell]

Current oldest - 1986 Apple IIgs keyboard bought off prdlm2009
Tomorrow Fedex will deliver my 1984 M0110. 

[Tarzan]

I've got a 1983 Wyse on my desk at the moment.  I thought the foam-and-foil Keytronics/Wang keyboard I bought last year was older, but it's got a 1987 inspection sticker inside, so perhaps not.

[mr_a500]

The IBM beam spring I'm typing this with has a 1977 copyright, but unfortunately there's an Oct. 1980 stamp on the inside. Well at least it was designed in 1977, using a 1971 patented switch.

[dorkvader]

The IBM beam spring I'm typing this with has a 1977 copyright, but unfortunately there's an Oct. 1980 stamp on the inside. Well at least it was designed in 1977, using a 1971 patented switch.

there's a good chance it saw service sometime later in life.

For example, my 1984 model F was serviced by an IBM tech in 1988 and 1994, and bears a stamp for each time.

[mr_a500]

Your post gave me hope that this is a 70's keyboard... but the attached 3276 manual has a revision date of July 1980. Damn! Oh well. I would have preferred 1977 (year of the "1977 trinity" and Star Wars), but 1980 is good enough.

[dorkvader]

Sadly I only have three keyboards from 1977, and I gave one away.

[mr_a500]

Why must you taunt me?

Oh, but how many of those 1977 keyboards can you actually type things with?

[dorkvader]

Why must you taunt me?

Oh, but how many of those 1977 keyboards can you actually type things with?

One is a typewriter (selectric II) that I use to type addresses and notes to my roommates and the like. The other is a hall effect keyboard that HaaTa has working code for. I just have to mod the PCB for NKRO. Same deal with the KB I have from 1976.