Author Topic: Industrial F XT (Read 12151 times)

ebacho · « **on:** Fri, 24 January 2014, 17:02:01 »

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Industrial-IBM-clicky-keyboard-/251430365195?pt=US_Vintage_Computing_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3a8a6ae80b

Clickykeyboards page is sparely populated: http://www.clickykeyboards.com/index.cfm/fa/items.main/parentcat/11066/subcatid/0/id/171727

mr_a500 · « **Reply #1 on:** Fri, 24 January 2014, 17:07:10 »

Whoa. I find that much more interesting than the industrial SSK. Sadly, they don't ship to Canada.

127001 · « **Reply #2 on:** Fri, 24 January 2014, 17:26:57 »

Welp... was hoping the other industrials would have distracted everyone. Oh well.

AKIMbO · « **Reply #3 on:** Fri, 24 January 2014, 17:27:14 »

I'm definitely bidding on this. I'd love to have an industrial XT!

fohat.digs · « **Reply #4 on:** Fri, 24 January 2014, 17:30:19 »

I am not in this dogfight, but did I remember that industrial XT cases are metal top & bottom? Or was that something special(ized)?

ebacho · « **Reply #5 on:** Fri, 24 January 2014, 17:34:07 »

On closer inspection I think this listing is more similar to this one listed on clickykeyboards, judging by the font at any rate http://www.clickykeyboards.com/index.cfm/fa/items.main/parentcat/11066/subcatid/0/id/461779

Anyone know more about these than I do, please correct me.

Quote from: fohat.digs on Fri, 24 January 2014, 17:30:19

I am not in this dogfight, but did I remember that industrial XT cases are metal top & bottom? Or was that something special(ized)?

Might have been something specialized, since most XT's I saw while researching this particular one was the normal plastic top/metal bottom.

Aer Fixus · « **Reply #6 on:** Fri, 24 January 2014, 19:50:52 »

Quote from: ebacho on Fri, 24 January 2014, 17:34:07

On closer inspection I think this listing is more similar to this one listed on clickykeyboards, judging by the font at any rate http://www.clickykeyboards.com/index.cfm/fa/items.main/parentcat/11066/subcatid/0/id/461779

Anyone know more about these than I do, please correct me.

Quote from: fohat.digs on Fri, 24 January 2014, 17:30:19
I am not in this dogfight, but did I remember that industrial XT cases are metal top & bottom? Or was that something special(ized)?

Might have been something specialized, since most XT's I saw while researching this particular one was the normal plastic top/metal bottom.

Figures it'd be posted here... Anyway, it's certainly not buckling spring. You can just tell by the shape of the caps. I don't know what kind of switches it has, but it might be the old style alps like some of the other boards of the era including some other IBM boards that used green alps.

The shape of the caps is wrong and the plate is not curved. The keys are molded to curve.

fohat.digs · « **Reply #7 on:** Fri, 24 January 2014, 20:22:52 »

Quote from: Aer Fixus on Fri, 24 January 2014, 19:50:52

Anyway, it's certainly not buckling spring. You can just tell by the shape of the caps. I don't know what kind of switches it has, but it might be the old style alps like some of the other boards of the era including some other IBM boards that used green alps.

The shape of the caps is wrong and the plate is not curved. The keys are molded to curve.

Huh?

This looks just like all the F XTs I have had.

ebacho · « **Reply #8 on:** Fri, 24 January 2014, 20:26:12 »

Quote from: fohat.digs on Fri, 24 January 2014, 20:22:52

Quote from: Aer Fixus on Fri, 24 January 2014, 19:50:52
Anyway, it's certainly not buckling spring. You can just tell by the shape of the caps. I don't know what kind of switches it has, but it might be the old style alps like some of the other boards of the era including some other IBM boards that used green alps.

The shape of the caps is wrong and the plate is not curved. The keys are molded to curve.

Huh?

This looks just like all the F XTs I have had.

The incline appears different, and the font is a bit off as well on further examination. Compare the two clickykeyboard pages I linked earlier and it should be apparent if you look at the back of the keycap, which is slightly curved, compared to a normal XT, which is straighter and more defined.

That said, the board is still a collectible piece I'd imagine.

Aer Fixus · « **Reply #9 on:** Fri, 24 January 2014, 20:32:58 »

Quote from: fohat.digs on Fri, 24 January 2014, 20:22:52

Quote from: Aer Fixus on Fri, 24 January 2014, 19:50:52
Anyway, it's certainly not buckling spring. You can just tell by the shape of the caps. I don't know what kind of switches it has, but it might be the old style alps like some of the other boards of the era including some other IBM boards that used green alps.

The shape of the caps is wrong and the plate is not curved. The keys are molded to curve.

Huh?

This looks just like all the F XTs I have had.

Look at the edge of the keycaps (especially the stepped ones on the left of the alphanumerics). They line up flush with the plastic of the case. If you look, the case plastic is not curved like a normal XT, it's flat. The different rows of keys are molded for that row as apposed to normal buckling spring caps that are all molded the same shape and placed on a curve. Look at the tab key. Compared to the step, it's nearly flat. Now look at the left shift key. It's clearly angled.

Now look at a normal XT board. These keys are not angled compared to their step. And the case has a curve molded into it.

Soarer · « **Reply #10 on:** Fri, 24 January 2014, 20:34:06 »

Bottom edge of the F-keys is a dead straight line all the way down the column, would be curved if F.

Keycaps have more angular corners than F keycaps.

Still, I would

Aer Fixus · « **Reply #11 on:** Fri, 24 January 2014, 20:42:52 »

Quote from: Soarer on Fri, 24 January 2014, 20:34:06

Bottom edge of the F-keys is a dead straight line all the way down the column, would be curved if F.

Keycaps have more angular corners than F keycaps.

Still, I would

I'm not saying it's not worth having. It's just not a Model F.

AKIMbO · « **Reply #12 on:** Fri, 24 January 2014, 20:44:47 »

All this talk about the keyboard not being an F is reverse psychology. I'm not falling for it!

E TwentyNine · « **Reply #13 on:** Fri, 24 January 2014, 20:52:06 »

I enjoy the games people play here when a popular auction is being watched. "That industrial M will never go over $250!"

)

By the way, this is the same seller that sold the non-clicky industrial XT not too long ago.

fohat.digs · « **Reply #14 on:** Fri, 24 January 2014, 20:55:43 »

Quote from: AKIMbO on Fri, 24 January 2014, 20:44:47

All this talk about the keyboard not being an F is reverse psychology. I'm not falling for it!

I don't see how you can glean all this information from a single bad picture taken from an odd angle.

Elrick · « **Reply #15 on:** Fri, 24 January 2014, 21:28:18 »

Quote from: AKIMbO on Fri, 24 January 2014, 20:44:47

All this talk about the keyboard not being an F is reverse psychology. I'm not falling for it!

Don't worry they're trying to psyche you out, so that you wouldn't bid higher than them. If you love these relics then go for it like a junkie out for ice, don't hold back

.

Soarer · « **Reply #16 on:** Fri, 24 January 2014, 21:43:30 »

AKIMbO · « **Reply #17 on:** Fri, 24 January 2014, 21:46:51 »

Quote from: Soarer on Fri, 24 January 2014, 21:43:30

(Attachment Link)

Fine, fine! Soarer you win....it's not capacitive BS. T_T

Crushing my dreams man, you're crushing them.

Michael · « **Reply #18 on:** Fri, 24 January 2014, 21:49:01 »

Quote from: AKIMbO on Fri, 24 January 2014, 21:46:51

Quote from: Soarer on Fri, 24 January 2014, 21:43:30
(Attachment Link)

Fine, fine! Soarer you win....it's not capacitive BS. T_T

Crushing my dreams man, you're crushing them.

Ummm... you could always just paint the XT case that color. Just sayin'!

Aer Fixus · « **Reply #19 on:** Fri, 24 January 2014, 22:17:43 »

Quote from: Bro Caps on Fri, 24 January 2014, 21:49:01

Quote from: AKIMbO on Fri, 24 January 2014, 21:46:51
Quote from: Soarer on Fri, 24 January 2014, 21:43:30
(Attachment Link)

Fine, fine! Soarer you win....it's not capacitive BS. T_T

Crushing my dreams man, you're crushing them.

Ummm... you could always just paint the XT case that color. Just sayin'!

What about the black IBM logo?

Michael · « **Reply #20 on:** Fri, 24 January 2014, 22:25:39 »

Quote from: Aer Fixus on Fri, 24 January 2014, 22:17:43

Quote from: Bro Caps on Fri, 24 January 2014, 21:49:01
Quote from: AKIMbO on Fri, 24 January 2014, 21:46:51
Quote from: Soarer on Fri, 24 January 2014, 21:43:30
(Attachment Link)

Fine, fine! Soarer you win....it's not capacitive BS. T_T

Crushing my dreams man, you're crushing them.

Ummm... you could always just paint the XT case that color. Just sayin'!

What about the black IBM logo?

Edit: actually, you could print one out, and laminate it nicely

127001 · « **Reply #21 on:** Fri, 24 January 2014, 22:51:52 »

If someone here wins this please contact me. It ~~may~~ will be within your interest to do so.

dorkvader · « **Reply #22 on:** Sat, 25 January 2014, 00:55:08 »

Likely OAK switches, like in clickeykeybaords and webwit's examples:
http://webwit.nl/input/ibm_industrial/xt/

berserkfan · « **Reply #23 on:** Sat, 25 January 2014, 01:47:28 »

Quote from: dorkvader on Sat, 25 January 2014, 00:55:08

Likely OAK switches, like in clickeykeybaords and webwit's examples:
http://webwit.nl/input/ibm_industrial/xt/
Show Image

Am quite glad to have my gut feeling vindicated.

There's a lot of Model F XT lookalikes online, and those that don't use capacitative buckling springs tend to have keycaps similar to this. I didn't know about OAK switches, but I noticed the different keycaps and figured it was unlikely to be the only buckling spring keyboard with keycaps from a unique mould.

That said, if I hadn't decided to stop posting in great finds, I would have posted this also...

fohat.digs · « **Reply #24 on:** Sat, 25 January 2014, 09:30:45 »

Quote from: Soarer on Fri, 24 January 2014, 20:34:06

Bottom edge of the F-keys is a dead straight line all the way down the column, would be curved if F.

Keycaps have more angular corners than F keycaps.

Thank you, I stand corrected. I am glad that someone was knowledgeable enough to make it clear.

I was not bidding on it anyway, but somebody was.

Soarer · « **Reply #25 on:** Sat, 25 January 2014, 09:40:54 »

Oh no, I was just adding to what Aer Fixus said

And to be clear, I _would_ be bidding if it was more local!

AKIMbO · « **Reply #26 on:** Sat, 25 January 2014, 09:51:41 »

Enilighten me on the OAK switch. I can barely find anything online about it.

berserkfan · « **Reply #27 on:** Sat, 25 January 2014, 10:15:25 »

Quote from: AKIMbO on Sat, 25 January 2014, 09:51:41

Enilighten me on the OAK switch. I can barely find anything online about it.

Akimbo, if you're lucky, it might turn out to be something that beats Hall Effect or something! But I also didn't find anything when googling. Trust Dorkvader to have the esoteric knowledge nobody else has.

Photoelectric · « **Reply #28 on:** Sat, 25 January 2014, 13:34:50 »

Was trying to find information about Oak swtiches and found this article (look at the date):
http://www.nytimes.com/1981/03/05/business/technology-the-membrane-keyboard.html

AKIMbO · « **Reply #29 on:** Sat, 25 January 2014, 13:42:39 »

Quote from: Photoelectric on Sat, 25 January 2014, 13:34:50

Was trying to find information about Oak swtiches and found this article (look at the date):
http://www.nytimes.com/1981/03/05/business/technology-the-membrane-keyboard.html

That was an interesting read. So it's a capacitive membrane type switch with springs that allow over-travel of the key past actuation. Sounds interesting!

berserkfan · « **Reply #30 on:** Sat, 25 January 2014, 15:02:31 »

better you than me...

why not buy and give us a review? I don't think you will have too much competition in the bidding, heh

fohat.digs · « **Reply #31 on:** Sat, 25 January 2014, 16:25:04 »

Hi-Tek "Space Invaders" prove that buckling springs are not the only reasonable option.

However, if these were good, why have they disappeared with hardly a trace?

SpAmRaY · « **Reply #32 on:** Sat, 25 January 2014, 16:40:12 »

^^ bad marketing?

Elrick · « **Reply #33 on:** Sat, 25 January 2014, 17:12:58 »

Quote from: fohat.digs on Sat, 25 January 2014, 16:25:04

Hi-Tek "Space Invaders" prove that buckling springs are not the only reasonable option.

However, if these were good, why have they disappeared with hardly a trace?

Cost perhaps like all large businesses they start to hand over the engineering costings to the accountancy section and they start to disembowel the original design to help eliminate costs in production. IBM is littered with bad decisions due to these monumental arseholes, whose sole concern is to save a few cents on every item produced.

ebacho · « **Reply #34 on:** Sat, 25 January 2014, 17:25:21 »

Quote from: fohat.digs on Sat, 25 January 2014, 16:25:04

Hi-Tek "Space Invaders" prove that buckling springs are not the only reasonable option.

However, if these were good, why have they disappeared with hardly a trace?

Honestly I didn't like the feel of space invaders and much prefer buckling springs, though to be fair, I'm not sure how much feel would play a role in business decisions.

fohat.digs · « **Reply #35 on:** Sat, 25 January 2014, 17:40:31 »

Quote from: ebacho on Sat, 25 January 2014, 17:25:21

Honestly I didn't like the feel of space invaders and much prefer buckling springs,

Of course, I prefer the Model F over all others, hands down, but there is obviously room for many other mechanisms on the market.

I wonder whether Cherry really deserves the market share that they currently enjoy, or whether all the other mechanical switch makers have fallen by the wayside because of esoteric business fluctuations, including bad decisions on both sides of the supply/demand equation.

I think that Alps and Space Invaders both feel better than Cherries, and SMKs are very nice, too. But, except for Alps, you can only find these others in ancient, awkward configurations that require the user to make compromises in use, after he has gone to the trouble to track them down and buy them.

And now I am interested to try OAK!

jdcarpe · « **Reply #36 on:** Sat, 25 January 2014, 20:15:33 »

I had a snipe bid in before this got posted here. But I have withdrawn it, as I'm not as interested in OAK switches as some others probably are. So get those snipes in, collectors!

dorkvader · « **Reply #37 on:** Sat, 25 January 2014, 20:59:04 »

Quote from: AKIMbO on Sat, 25 January 2014, 09:51:41

Enilighten me on the OAK switch. I can barely find anything online about it.

Also seen in the sun type 3 and Osborne portable. There are some good pictures in an 'identify this' topic at Dt once.
http://deskthority.net/keyboards-f2/a-test-for-haata-t3702.html

Charizard^ · « **Reply #38 on:** Sat, 25 January 2014, 21:11:13 »

Do the keycaps look blue to anyone else? They kinda look blue to me. Also this keyboard isn't clicky according to the seller.

Wildcard · « **Reply #39 on:** Sun, 26 January 2014, 13:42:14 »

I was thinking of bidding earlier but I also noticed something was off and checked one of my XT's. I'm still going to bid though depending on where the price goes in the next day. If anything this will be good to try out new switches and use for other projects.

vivalarevolución · « **Reply #40 on:** Sun, 26 January 2014, 15:49:00 »

Quote from: fohat.digs on Sat, 25 January 2014, 17:40:31

Quote from: ebacho on Sat, 25 January 2014, 17:25:21
Honestly I didn't like the feel of space invaders and much prefer buckling springs,

Of course, I prefer the Model F over all others, hands down, but there is obviously room for many other mechanisms on the market.

I wonder whether Cherry really deserves the market share that they currently enjoy, or whether all the other mechanical switch makers have fallen by the wayside because of esoteric business fluctuations, including bad decisions on both sides of the supply/demand equation.

And now I am interested to try OAK!

You crazy, there is not room for anything else but buckling spring.

And Cherry does not deserve their market share. Typing on a Matias right now and it is wonderful. Much better than Cherry for typing.

127001 · « **Reply #41 on:** Mon, 27 January 2014, 00:01:41 »

Just throwing this out there:

I will trade a F AT for this keyboard to whoever wins it.

Pacifist · « **Reply #42 on:** Mon, 27 January 2014, 00:03:59 »

Quote from: 127001 on Mon, 27 January 2014, 00:01:41

Just throwing this out there:

I will trade a F AT for this keyboard to whoever wins it.

Just put down a snipe for it.

berserkfan · « **Reply #43 on:** Mon, 27 January 2014, 02:51:28 »

Quote from: 127001 on Mon, 27 January 2014, 00:01:41

Just throwing this out there:

I will trade a F AT for this keyboard to whoever wins it.

Fantastic deal! Too bad I'm not in the running, heh. Shipping costs will kill...

SpAmRaY · « **Reply #44 on:** Mon, 27 January 2014, 15:10:02 »

Only $51 plus shipping...not bad I suppose!

So who won?

AKIMbO · « **Reply #45 on:** Mon, 27 January 2014, 17:50:51 »

Quote from: SpAmRaY on Mon, 27 January 2014, 15:10:02

Only $51 plus shipping...not bad I suppose!

So who won?

Not I.

The_Beast · « **Reply #46 on:** Mon, 27 January 2014, 17:56:56 »

Forgot about this one! I wanted it for wcass project.

E TwentyNine · « **Reply #47 on:** Thu, 30 January 2014, 19:01:31 »

Well, you have another chance.

It's been relisted: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Industrial-IBM-non-clicky-keyboard-/251439095889

Charizard^ · « **Reply #48 on:** Thu, 30 January 2014, 19:54:54 »

I had the second chance offer but I let it get away. /:

News:

Author Topic: Industrial F XT (Read 12151 times)