UNIVAC punch card programming keyboard

[Techno Trousers]

Looks cool and steampunk as hell. Something tells me that a soarer's adapter or xwhatsit controller isn't going to do the job on this one, though.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/142032364818

[1391406]

It might sound something like this:

[chyros]

Ah, that's the Micro Switch microswitches, right? Well, if you ever fancied something exotic.... xD

[ander]

A kb with real micro-switches! I always wondered if those existed.

Speaking of wondering about stuff, I wonder why they made the buttons such an oddly un-ergonomic shape? It's authentic and all, of course, but I don't know how often I'd want to actually, you know, use it.

[chyros]

I think they look titty****ing awesome! Quite beautitul in a way. But probably not the most practical, no xD .

[snuci]

It's too bad the case isn't there also.  It's similar to mine but they do have different switches depending on the manufacture date.  Here's some pics of mine:  http://vintagecomputer.ca/univac-1701-keypunch-keyboard/

[ander]

It's too bad the case isn't there also.  It's similar to mine but they do have different switches depending on the manufacture date.  Here's some pics of mine...

When I saw that shot of them from the top, I thought they were Hall Effect switches. But clearly, they're actual microswitches (also called miniature snap-action switches), like they use on automated assembly lines to detect passing objects:





...but in a vertical configuration. Cool! I'm trying to imagine how that'd feel to type on... Very defined, for sure!