I only read the Keyboards forum, so I didn't even know of this topic until dorkvader mentioned the switch at GH (I had to figure out the topic for myself, from the URL of one of the images).
It made me wonder: since these are all linear, what's inside one of the bigger switches that you lose by lopping off one side? The answer: nothing.
Actually, not quite. The missing side contains space for an LED:
http://www7.ocn.ne.jp/~hisao/image/hx10d.htmIt's just that, unlike the SKCL series and numerous other switches (space invaders, Omrons), the LED hole is not exposed unless you need an LED fitted, and then a separate top cover is fitted. (My SKCL green and yellow Alps switches have the LED hole in the upper shell, as always, but I noticed that the lower shell has no holes for the LED legs — I can't imagine why Alps would leave out those holes.)
Are they keycap compatible with the bigger switches? From what I understand (though I'm not clear on this) the more common "half-Alps" switch does not accept normal Alps keycaps.
Also, would you be able to check, for the record, whether "normal" Alps keycaps fit on these metal lid switches? (So long as they have a rectangular hole in the keycap peg — not all keycaps do, especially not Acer's.)