My recent Dell AT101W (Black) 30$ Find...and first experience with Black ALPS

[LiquidEvilGaming]

The pictures truly don't convey how excellent of condition this board was in...especially at a mere 30$ for the rarer Black color variant.  This is the first time i have ever used Black ALPS before and they aren't half bad really, the switches feel as though they may benefit from some lube perhaps but aside from that it's a fairly decent feeling.  I will say i was taken back by the pure size of the board...I have seen pictures but now having one in person it truly makes me understand and appreciate the Bigfoot nickname.  I would have to re arrange my entire desk setup to ever use this as a main keyboard.  Still for the price it was a neat little pickup especially in this condition.  Will likely attach it to one of my older Linux machines and give it some more use when i have the time to do so.  It's nice a board this old has the three channel routing on the back of the board also..something even many modern boards do not do.  I had intended to get rid of the stock keycaps and instead get a set of TaiHao Doubleshots but the caps look much nicer in person than i had thought so i may leave them be.

Do forgive the potato pictures and messy background, my work area really needs a good clean soon.  Also should really think about replacing my aging Cybershot DSC-h55

[Waateva]

Good find!  The AT101W was one of the first mech. keyboards I ended up using personally and I still enjoy it quite a bit, just wish ALPS had more keysets available...

[LiquidEvilGaming]

Good find!  The AT101W was one of the first mech. keyboards I ended up using personally and I still enjoy it quite a bit, just wish ALPS had more keysets available...

Yeah not many options out there sadly, at least as of late the ABS Doubleshots from TaiHao are something easy to obtain.  I'm actually considering once i sell some of my other boards picking up a Matias KBP V60

[klennkellon]

Congratulations.

ALPS are a lot of fun, black ALPS especially I think are a superior tactile switch when compared to MX Browns.

[LiquidEvilGaming]

Congratulations.

ALPS are a lot of fun, black ALPS especially I think are a superior tactile switch when compared to MX Browns.

They are a little heavier than i am used to since i tend to prefer lighter switches, but i won't deny they feel smoother and the tactility is superior also.  When my wife saw the board she said something akin to "that's so large it looks fake"

[fohat.digs]

When my wife saw the board she said something akin to "that's so large it  makes everything else  look fake"

fixed that for you

[LiquidEvilGaming]

When my wife saw the board she said something akin to "that's so large it  makes everything else  look fake"

fixed that for you

LOL

[klennkellon]

Your fingers will get used to the weight after awhile. It begins to feel lighter as you use it, it's possibly a more extreme example in your case since that keyboard looks to be hardly used and the switches probably haven't been properly worn in yet.

Chyros has a great tutorial on modding these switches into very smooth linear switches, you don't even have to do any soldering because ALPS can be opened up while they are in place!

[chyros]

Very nice! These black Bigfoots are very slick-looking boards IMO. They're big, but very stylish. Nice find!

[LiquidEvilGaming]

Very nice! These black Bigfoots are very slick-looking boards IMO. They're big, but very stylish. Nice find!

I do love the looks of it,however due to it's size it will be used at my Linux machine since i don't often use a mouse with that one.

I doubt anything will move the HHKB from my main PC (Though one never knows)

[Bucake]

looks like it's still in good shape, nice one

[livingspeedbump]

The Black Complicated Alps never really age well. You can however make them into linear switches fairly easily (unlike Cherries you don't have to desolder Alps to open them up). It makes an excellent linear board 

Great find though. I have a literal pile of the cream 101W's but not black ones.

[fohat.digs]

The Black Complicated Alps never really age well.

Not true. I still have an AT101W that I got with a new Dell system around 1997 that has seen heavy use but still works great.

Probably the exception rather than the rule, however.

[livingspeedbump]

The Black Complicated Alps never really age well.

Not true. I still have an AT101W that I got with a new Dell system around 1997 that has seen heavy use but still works great.

Probably the exception rather than the rule, however.

Yeah I've had 20+ boards, mainly from heavy office use, and not a single one felt great. I've had NIB boards as well to compare them too, and there is a huge difference, much larger than in other varieties of vintage switches. So having your own in a nicer environment those years surely helped though.

[fohat.digs]

I've had NIB boards as well to compare them too, and there is a huge difference,

I bought a new-in-box AT101W a couple of years ago and it was not very good. There must be environmental factors and voodoo that influence all of this.

[chyros]

I've had NIB boards as well to compare them too, and there is a huge difference,

I bought a new-in-box AT101W a couple of years ago and it was not very good. There must be environmental factors and voodoo that influence all of this.

I blame the Jewish-Nepalese conspiracy.

Black Alps are fairly stiff out of the box. I'm not sure it has anything to do with ageing, I just think they're not spectacular to begin with . They're not bad, but there's much better stuff out there. Black Alps are best to linearise, I think.

[LiquidEvilGaming]

I've had NIB boards as well to compare them too, and there is a huge difference,

I bought a new-in-box AT101W a couple of years ago and it was not very good. There must be environmental factors and voodoo that influence all of this.

I blame the Jewish-Nepalese conspiracy.

Black Alps are fairly stiff out of the box. I'm not sure it has anything to do with ageing, I just think they're not spectacular to begin with . They're not bad, but there's much better stuff out there. Black Alps are best to linearise, I think.

I may do it for funsies eventually however i tend to not be a huge fan of Linear so i may just leave this one as it is since it's in really good shape and buy one worse for wear and try your Linear mod you did a video of.

[chyros]

I've had NIB boards as well to compare them too, and there is a huge difference,

I bought a new-in-box AT101W a couple of years ago and it was not very good. There must be environmental factors and voodoo that influence all of this.

I blame the Jewish-Nepalese conspiracy.

Black Alps are fairly stiff out of the box. I'm not sure it has anything to do with ageing, I just think they're not spectacular to begin with . They're not bad, but there's much better stuff out there. Black Alps are best to linearise, I think.

I may do it for funsies eventually however i tend to not be a huge fan of Linear so i may just leave this one as it is since it's in really good shape and buy one worse for wear and try your Linear mod you did a video of.

Fair enough. The mod is completely reversible and non-invasive though, so it wouldn't hurt it .

[livingspeedbump]

I've had NIB boards as well to compare them too, and there is a huge difference,

I bought a new-in-box AT101W a couple of years ago and it was not very good. There must be environmental factors and voodoo that influence all of this.

I blame the Jewish-Nepalese conspiracy.

Black Alps are fairly stiff out of the box. I'm not sure it has anything to do with ageing, I just think they're not spectacular to begin with . They're not bad, but there's much better stuff out there. Black Alps are best to linearise, I think.

I may do it for funsies eventually however i tend to not be a huge fan of Linear so i may just leave this one as it is since it's in really good shape and buy one worse for wear and try your Linear mod you did a video of.

Fair enough. The mod is completely reversible and non-invasive though, so it wouldn't hurt it .

I think Thomas even has a video on how to do it