My new keyboard came in today!

[microsoft windows]

You guys won't believe this, but I actually PAID MONEY FOR A KEYBOARD. It's a Focus FK-9000 keyboard from the early 1990's with an integrated calculator.

I got it in the mail today. The guy took a lot of care into packing it; it can in huge box filled with so many packing peanuts I could fill a big garbage bag with them.

I took out the keyboard. It's got some neat features. First off, it's got red indicator lights built into the lock keys. Its keycaps also have multi-colored captions and are dual-shot as well! It's also got white Alps switches. Even better, it works!

[ch_123]

Does the LCD operate properly? Apparently this is a common point of failure on those boards.

[digi]

Awesome find! Mind telling how much you paid for it?

I worked for a PC shop about 15 years ago, we sold a lot of Focus KB's. They ranged from $45-$65 depending on which model you went with, i.e. 2000, 5000, 6000 or 8500 if I remember correctly. They are great KB's and I'd love to have another one.

I just received my Filco 87 key with Cherry browns which is really nice too. :nerd:

[microsoft windows]

I paid about $20 for it.

About the calculator, the PCB is dirty and probably needs a cleaning which explains why the LCD is acting a little flooky.

[msiegel]

I paid about $20 for it.

About the calculator, the PCB is dirty and probably needs a cleaning which explains why the LCD is acting a little flooky.

heh heh, even *you're* not immune to the keyboard buying bug XD

that's quite a deluxe board... even has air conditioning, according to the keycaps

http://www.clickykeyboards.com/index.cfm/fa/items.main/parentcat/29410/subcatid/0/id/406362

[microsoft windows]

I cleaned mine up and it's working fine except the calculator's LCD is a little flooky. It's probably a bad connection in its filthy mainboard. Mine's quite a lot older than the broken one at ClickyKeyboards; it was made in 1989!

In order to test it, though, I had to dig up the "old" computer (Yes, I mean dig up, there's that much junk.) since it was the only one with an old-fashioned AT-DIN port to test it on. I'm going to purchase a cheap little DIN-Mini Din adapter off Ebay soon and use it on one of my desktops (the one without the Model M).

Stay tuned for some blurry photos and a documentary on what caused the calculator to malfunction.

[microsoft windows]

Here are some pictures of the keyboard.


You can see these keys are double-shot without chopping them to bits.




I like the red indicator lights too. They and the wacked-out calculator add a little touch to this keyboard...

[AndrewZorn]

the calculator is hilarious

[hyperlinked]

the calculator is hilarious

It needs a built in lighter.

[SCTony]

LOL You crack me up Microsoft Windows.

"You can see these keys are double-shot without chopping them to bits."

[microsoft windows]

How do you tell whether or not it is the original white ALPS?

[itlnstln]

Complicated switches were only made by ALPS.  Generally, if you see "ALPS" on the top of the case of the switch, it is genuine (not always, but usually).  Something of that vintage is going to have the real deal.  Usually, you only see copies on newer keyboards.

[sixty]

Complicated switches were only made by ALPS.  Generally, if you see "ALPS" on the top of the case of the switch, it is genuine (not always, but usually).  Something of that vintage is going to have the real deal.  Usually, you only see copies on newer keyboards.

Actually most of the complicated old real alps (or whatever the hell they are called!) do not have a logo at the top of the case, only at the bottom. The same goes for the older blue sliders (which are identical to the old genuie complica... damn it, the good alps).

[itlnstln]

Actually most of the complicated old real alps (or whatever the hell they are called!) do not have a logo at the top of the case, only at the bottom. The same goes for the older blue sliders (which are identical to the old genuie complica... damn it, the good alps).

True, I wasn't very clear about this, but I wouldn't go desoldering switches just to check.

[microsoft windows]

I took a look at a switch and it's got the Alps logo. However, the yellow switches on the lock keys which have LEDS do not. But they've got to be genuine Alps since all the others (the white ones) are. There's also another flavor of the white ALPS on on key which switches between calculator and number-pad mode. This key is locked down when in calculator mode until it is pressed, which brings it back into number-pad mode. This one switch does not have the ALPS logo.

Here's the "lock-down" white ALPS switch. Note the little white part under the switch.



Here's the Caps-Lock key with the indicator lighted up.



Here are the keyswitches for the Caps-Lock and Tab keys. The Tab one, like the others other than the lock keys and the "lock-down" key, is an original White Alps. However, the Caps Lock is a Yellow Alps with an LED.

[microsoft windows]

I took a trip to the Alps wiki but all the URLS about the simplified ALPS resulted in Err 404 Not Found's. Guess those URLS have gone bad.

This keyboard was manufactured in November 1989. Do you know if they made simplified ALPS at the time?

About the feel of those keys, I'd say they feel the opposite of stiff. They click loudly but are very smooth and require much less force to depress a key and record a keystroke than an IBM.

Here's a picture I drew on my computer of one of the white switches.

You  can see the logo is below the switch.

[itlnstln]

You've got the real deal, microsoft, I wouldn't worry about it.  ALPS are lighter than BS by about 10g, or so.  I'm glad you're enjoying the 'board.

[microsoft windows]

It's a great keyboard. Now I just have to get a DIN-PS/2 adapter so I can use this on a computer better than the one with Wndows 3.1.

[ocdonkb]

It's a great keyboard. Now I just have to get a DIN-PS/2 adapter so I can use this on a computer better than the one with Wndows 3.1.

heh, I was just looking for the same thing. I think this what you need:

http://www.cablestogo.com/product.asp?cat_id=104&sku=02476

Assuming your keyboard has a 5 DIN male connector coming out... this adapter will convert from 5 DIN female to PS/2 male.

Note that the picture on that website is wrong. It's showing the AT male to PS/2 female connector - opposite of what you need.

[microsoft windows]

I found on Ebay that's a little cheaper.

[microsoft windows]

These keyswitches definitely feel much less stiff than the Model M. It takes virtually no effort (at least by my standard but I have been using a Model M for a long time) to type on the thing. Now I see (or feel) why people go crazy over those Omnikeys.

If only I had something better than an ancient cell-phone camera I'd make a wiki about these Focus keyboards.

[microsoft windows]

Those Japanese sites drive me nuts. They've probably got interesting stuff, but it's all in a wildly different language!

[itlnstln]

Guess what they say about Geekhack?

I could only imagine, ripster.

[microsoft windows]

I have no idea. Probably something like "Geekhack keyboard people English speaking" if it went through through the Google translator.

[microsoft windows]

I opened up the Focus FK9000 to clean up the calculator and I noticed that the motherboard was full of a white residue similar to leaky batteries. I cleaned it up. Stay tuned for more information coming up!

[InSanCen]

If you are talking around the controller it sounds like blown caps to me.

This.

Grab some low ESR's from digikey/mouser/maplin/farnell/RS and break out the Iron.

[microsoft windows]

I cleaned out the circut-board and it behaves similarly. I think there is an issue with the LCD controller.

[microsoft windows]

Doesn't look like most of the pictures are working. But took a good look at the calculator's PCB and the capacitors are just fine. I think there's an issue with the LCD controller instead as it looks like the rest works fine.

[microsoft windows]

Is the bulging at the top obvious?

[microsoft windows]

The capacitor on the calculator's mainboard appears to be fine then. I'm really starting to think it's the LCD controller as when I press a key, the LCD reacts.