5150 Keyboard

[Half-Saint]

http://cgi.ebay.com/IBM-1503206-5150-83-Key-Keyboard-5150-/270570241568?cmd=ViewItem&pt=PCA_Mice_Trackballs&hash=item3eff3e3e20

What appear to be terminal space savers:
http://cgi.ebay.com/LOT-2-IBM-1987-73X3832-MODEL-00-CLICKY-KEY-KEYBOARD-KB-/370367361617?cmd=ViewItem&pt=PCA_Mice_Trackballs&hash=item563b9d7251

[skcheng]

I think the 5150 is an XT board.

Does that terminal space saving unit work on modern PCs?

[ch_123]

Those terminal keyboards are the rubber dome versions unfortunately.

[skcheng]

Those terminal keyboards are the rubber dome versions unfortunately.

I knew I could count on you for the correct info  

Too bad.....they look really cool even though I rarely use any of the Fn keys.

[phoenix]

The rubber dome terminal minis are now sold. I was the "1 offer" on those two rubber dome savers. That was a week ago I think. Seller counteroffered $20 but I declined because I only wanted the case of the one with broken keys. If someone here bought the two and wants to part with the broken one, let me know

Btw, for those who are interested: Model 00 -> rubber dome, 73X3832 -> rubber dome, 73X3848 -> rubber dome (there was another seller selling more than 10 of them last week when I looked). 13870xx -> Buy it now!

Easier way to tell without bothering with numbers: The mechanical one has a wide forehead and separated feet.

[EverythingIBM]

That model F XT one is selling relatively close where I live. Although, I really don't need another one. Unless I'm going to... accumulate the largest model F XT collection in the world. No thanks.

[skcheng]

I picked up the terminal space saving boards.   As usual, Google is my friend and this board has been discussed before:

Here

and:

Here also

Does anyone know if this keyboard works at all with modern PCs.  Is there a non-terminal board swap available??  The board just looks SOO cool!!

[kishy]

I picked up the terminal space saving boards.   As usual, Google is my friend and this board has been discussed before:

Here

and:

Here also

Does anyone know if this keyboard works at all with modern PCs.  Is there a non-terminal board swap available??  The board just looks SOO cool!!

Nobody AFAIK has been clear enough with hacking and mod attempts to determine if controller swaps are feasible.

Edit: and they won't be. I see it as very unlikely that the matrix on one of these is remotely compatible with a typical 1391401 controller, for example. USB mod it, success is more likely. Or just cable swap it and hack it up like I do.

These should be using the same quasi-AT protocol most other IBM terminal boards seem to use. Your reading is cut out for you.

[ch_123]

magic touch unmatched by any other type of switch.

Wait, what were you talking about? I got distracted.

[kishy]

Secret Special Research Item #5!

[EverythingIBM]

Yeah, but does it Save Space?

That's a good question my keyboard dutchman.

With some tinkering I'm sure one could create a space saving model F AT.

[JBert]

Ok, he probably meant "immediately usable switch". How's work on your converter going?

[ch_123]

Ok, he probably meant "immediately usable switch". How's work on your converter going?

I'm just generally cynical about people who've tried rubber domes and one mechanical switch and pronounced the latter to be the best thing conceivable. There should be a list of keyboards you have to try before you're allowed to make crazy assertions.

[EverythingIBM]

Next week I'll present Secret Special Research Item #6. A prototype keyboard from the 80ties from a company employing people like Richard Stallman. Their objective: the Ultimate I/O Experience! The company ran out of money just before they could deliver the good stuff. I have the only one.

It's interesting you're able to obtain so many keyboards living in the land of wooden shoes and windmills. Usually it's the people in the states who have most of the goodies.

[EverythingIBM]

I'm just generally cynical about people who've tried rubber domes and one mechanical switch and pronounced the latter to be the best thing conceivable. There should be a list of keyboards you have to try before you're allowed to make crazy assertions.

I tried ALPs, Model F/M buckling springs, rubber domes of course (many varieties), switches/rubber domes (I love the thinkpad keyboards), but I haven't tried cherries. I'd presume I would like the blue ones.

The model F buckling springs allow you to type more fast, seriously.

[ricercar]

a company employing people like Richard Stallman. Their objective: the Ultimate I/O Experience! The company ran out of money

Lisp Machine?

[ricercar]

I can't wait to see it.

[keyb_gr]

It's interesting you're able to obtain so many keyboards living in the land of wooden shoes and windmills. Usually it's the people in the states who have most of the goodies.

Not any more when webwit completes his collection... :madgrin:

Ever heard of "globalization"? It's good for more than questionable working conditions in overcrowded Asian countries.

Oh, and speaking of 5150, what would a thread like this be without...

[JohnElliott]

Nobody AFAIK has been clear enough with hacking and mod attempts to determine if controller swaps are feasible.

Edit: and they won't be. I see it as very unlikely that the matrix on one of these is remotely compatible with a typical 1391401 controller, for example.

If it's got the same number of columns and rows, it might be fun to try a controller swap, and then see how close you could get to normality with a registry-based remap. The difficulty would be things like the Pause key.

[maxlugar]

Without a doubt.  Buckling springs over capacitive contact key switches require less force than buckling springs over membrane (i.e. Model M) AND provide your your fingers with a lift on each key stroke i.e. they push your fingers up.

The 84-key AT Model F is the only keyboard I can consistently reach speeds over 100 wpm with accuracy.  However, the polar opposite Realforce 87U is a close second.  Don't ask me why.

[nowsharing]

The 73X3848s are still being relisted on Ebay.

This is probably a stupid question, but is it be possible to add the spring assemblies from an F or M to one of these?

[ch_123]

Lowpoly had a picture of the internals of the 73X... it looked very different to a Model F.

[sethstorm]

The 73X3848s are still being relisted on Ebay.

This is probably a stupid question, but is it be possible to add the spring assemblies from an F or M to one of these?

Isn't this (and its buckling spring predecessor) also known as the 3192 keyboard?

[ch_123]

Afaik, the buckling spring one was the keyboard of the 3290 terminal, but I have heard of a variation called the 3292, and it's possible that there was a 3190 series too.

[dfj]

hmm - they want $160 for shipping to Canada... flat rate.
 Now, last time I had _machinery_ shipped, that would have been quite sweet, but fer a 4 lb object, I think I will pass.
 
Headsup on the connector: that's not a normal large five pin DIN, it is the wide spacing version - I can't find sockets for them anywhere these days, so I end up needing to replace the nice IBM cables on me terminal keyboards. Note - the pins aren't carrying the same signals as the normal 5-pins either, you'll need to do the cable swap mod described elsewhere here for the 122 terminal M. (kish has done it a few times I think - but I don't know the link, nor have I figured out how to search this site properly while logged on grrr.... n00bage).

As fer converting it to buckling spring, my guess is you'd need to chop up a normal 122 for the keysockets, hammers, springs, membranes, etc... Sounds like fun, though.

Might as well just hack off the end of a 122, though, and do the required mess of membrane rerouting.

dfj