On my Sawtooth running OS 8.6 I'm using a Royal Kludge RK61 with Kailh brown switches, and dye sublimated PBT keycaps. I have also lubed the stabilizers very well.
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Who uses a mechanical keyboard with their PowerPC?
- Thread starter timidpimpin
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It comes down to preferences, which are also subject to change. Up to a decade or so ago I was keen on having a matching all-Apple setup. These days I couldn't care less.
One of the big reasons I have the acrylic displays that I do is that when I got my Quicksilver I wanted to match it. During the time period of that Mac, these displays were pro displays with a pro price so having them (particularly the Cinema Display) was desirable to me.
When they were actually being sold, the companies I worked for were providing 17" flat screen CRTs. They weren't about to pay the price to get these displays.
Now, of course I have the Quad and the new Intel MP, both of which are metal. Had I got the metal displays back in 2013-14 they'd match now. The irony was that it was easier to get those back then versus the acrylic displays I sought.
This beauty is a Leading Edge DC-3014 with Alps SKCM Blue switches. And the only reason I use it with any of my Macs is because it's connected to a kvm switch between, currently, my MDD and my Windows Ryzen desktop. I love to have matching displays if I can, but I'll take the best keyboard and mouse I can find, no matter the design.
I actually found this keyboard in a garage 15 years ago for free, if you can believe it. Now they go for stupid amounts on ebay.
I'm literally bordering on drooling. What a beaut!
If it helps, I still need to keep a proper Apple keyboard around for the Mac specific keys, particularly at boot. If only that keyboard was a Apple Extended Keyboard II, with cream damped switched. But no, mine is an A1243, with keys only a laptop would love. I hear the only thing that doesn't work when you use an adb to usb adaptor is the caps lock key, and I would so take that.
FWIW ('cause I don't know if this counts or not), I use the Apple Pro keyboard M7803 on all my Macs. I have long had a preference for this keyboard as it suits me and I like the feel of it.
In the office 2 remaining Windows-Clients still have their grey 2003 mechanical Cherry Keyboards, which are IMHO the best keyboards I've ever used and they won't ever be replaced by any other keyboard, as long as possible.
The rest is OT ...
But recently I went for a couple of white&aluminum A1242 USB-keyboards (the ones without Num-block) for the 5 white intel-iMacs in the office (basically used as "fat"-clients for RDP to a WinServer, but also to connect to a DEVONthink DB-server on my main iMac)
Those small A1242 USB-KBs are harder to find now. But the TPU-keyboard-covers meant for pre-Retina MBPs do fit perfectly because they have the same keyboard-design. They keep away lint and dust and allow proper desinfection, which was the main reason to buy them.
Attached to the main iMac is a graphite-G3-KB with it's hockey puck-mouse.
The colored iMac G3 keyboards and the later acrylic ones with black-keys (those ones that came with the Cube) are really fancy, but really hard to open/maintain, without breaking off any part (it's possible, if you gently open the backside like an oyster and remove the inserts for cleaning without trying to pry open the fragile plastic-clambs at the frontside. On 2nd hand KB you'll often see the damage done, when previous owners haven't been that cautious and broke off the plastic clamps at the frontside).
The acrylic A1048 is great for maintenance (which is mandatory, because you can see every bit of dust and dirt, that found it's way into the keyboard), but typing on an A1048 is more a hassle.
Repair and maintainance for every external Apple keyboard, that followed, is nearly impossible... So I hope, the TPU-cover for my "new" A1242 KBs will also extend their life a bit.
The rest is OT ...
But recently I went for a couple of white&aluminum A1242 USB-keyboards (the ones without Num-block) for the 5 white intel-iMacs in the office (basically used as "fat"-clients for RDP to a WinServer, but also to connect to a DEVONthink DB-server on my main iMac)
Those small A1242 USB-KBs are harder to find now. But the TPU-keyboard-covers meant for pre-Retina MBPs do fit perfectly because they have the same keyboard-design. They keep away lint and dust and allow proper desinfection, which was the main reason to buy them.
Attached to the main iMac is a graphite-G3-KB with it's hockey puck-mouse.
The colored iMac G3 keyboards and the later acrylic ones with black-keys (those ones that came with the Cube) are really fancy, but really hard to open/maintain, without breaking off any part (it's possible, if you gently open the backside like an oyster and remove the inserts for cleaning without trying to pry open the fragile plastic-clambs at the frontside. On 2nd hand KB you'll often see the damage done, when previous owners haven't been that cautious and broke off the plastic clamps at the frontside).
The acrylic A1048 is great for maintenance (which is mandatory, because you can see every bit of dust and dirt, that found it's way into the keyboard), but typing on an A1048 is more a hassle.
Repair and maintainance for every external Apple keyboard, that followed, is nearly impossible... So I hope, the TPU-cover for my "new" A1242 KBs will also extend their life a bit.
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Ah, I have to add the keyboard of the Macintosh Classic to the list of great mechanical keyboards!
It came to me as a present and I nearly bought an adapter to make it work with a USB-connection, but finally I thought twice and became too thrifty for that adventure ...
It came to me as a present and I nearly bought an adapter to make it work with a USB-connection, but finally I thought twice and became too thrifty for that adventure ...
Attachments
I have an IBM keyboard that looks almost identical save for the ridge at the top. It came with the PS/2 55SX desktop my brother and I bought for my sister as her first computer. She now has an iMac but after considering throwing the old machine out I decided to keep it for sentimental reasons. Very noisy, though. It's an acquired taste for some in these days where everything unsubtle is considered pollution of some sort.
I also have a half dozen or so clackity old Mac keyboards, including that strange one that split apart with a separate numerical keypad. I loved that you could boot your old PowerMac from the keyboard without having to lean over and stretch to hit the on switch on the box itself. In fact, Apple didn't even bother with an on switch for the 6500 - you really needed that keyboard.
I mean, a ton of them do. They were almost all clones of that IBM Model M it sounds like you have. When you're going to clone the IBM, you might as well clone all of the IBM. I got this thing not knowing anything about it, and only learned recently that it has really desirable key switches to the people who care about this kind of thing. They feel good and make a nice noise.
While I don't have one for every Mac of mine, I do a Apple Pro Keyboard M7803 that I use with my Late 2011 17" MBP.
I think it my favorite keyboard. The key presses feel nice, and my fingers know just where to go, I tend to type faster on this keyboard.
While I am sure most people do not think it is as nice looking as the newest Apple keyboards, I much rather type on this older one than the flat, aluminum keyboard Apple is selling now.
Got 3 of these.. yes, these are great keyboards.. Also the one before it is nice.
For a long time, the keyboard on my home desk has been an Apple Extended(not Extended II-I think the Extended is orange Alps while the AEKII is cream, and some AEKIIs have Alps clones) connected via a Griffin iMate. This has been used with a Quicksilver, a dual 2.7 G5, and now a Mac Pro 5,1.
I have a box full of AEKIIs, and they're usually my keyboard of choice for any ADB system unless I need a smaller keyboard. There's one on my desk now for the occasionally used 9600 that's sitting under it. One issue I have run into with the AEKII(and I've not had with the AEK) is that the switches seem to periodically fail. The Mitsumi switches are a pain, but I've gotten quite adept and unsoldering, disassembling, cleaning and adjusting, and then resoldering Alps switches. That's part of the reason why I strongly prefer Alps-equipped AEKIIs. For anyone shopping, flip the keyboard over and look at the label. Alps switches will have a small "S" inside a box in the lower right corner. When in doubt, you can also pop off a keycap-the Mitsumi switches are all white, while Alps are black with a cream colored center plunger.
It's also worth mentioning that the compact Apple Keyboard and Apple Keyboard II also use Alps switches-I believe oranges on them also. The ubiquitous AppleDesign KB is a membrane one, although some are crisp enough that they might fool you into thinking they are mechanical. There are about three different countries of origin on those-I believe Mexico, Malaysia, and Taiwan if I'm remember right, but am not where I can check now. I spent one evening sorting the 30 or so I have around by country of origin and testing their key feel. I seem to recall all the Mexican ones were mushy feeling(your worst nightmare of a bad membrane), all Taiwanese one were crisp, and Malaysian ones could be either way. Don't 100% hold me to that now, as they're all in storage and I didn't keep as good of notes as I should have.
I have a couple of IBM/Unicomp Model M keyboards. At work, I've typically had one via a PS/2-USB adapter on my Quad. I have a Spacesaver M that has been around on several different systems, both PPC and Intel. I think the Model M has to be my favorite keyboard of all time. I'm also partial to them since IBM and Lexmark built the vast majority of them 30 miles up the road from me, and Unicomp is still headquartered there. I've needed parts like keycaps before, and after calling them, was able to drop by and have them fit the parts right in front of me. That's not to say that I need help changing keycaps, but it's nice to have the factory do it
I have a box full of AEKIIs, and they're usually my keyboard of choice for any ADB system unless I need a smaller keyboard. There's one on my desk now for the occasionally used 9600 that's sitting under it. One issue I have run into with the AEKII(and I've not had with the AEK) is that the switches seem to periodically fail. The Mitsumi switches are a pain, but I've gotten quite adept and unsoldering, disassembling, cleaning and adjusting, and then resoldering Alps switches. That's part of the reason why I strongly prefer Alps-equipped AEKIIs. For anyone shopping, flip the keyboard over and look at the label. Alps switches will have a small "S" inside a box in the lower right corner. When in doubt, you can also pop off a keycap-the Mitsumi switches are all white, while Alps are black with a cream colored center plunger.
It's also worth mentioning that the compact Apple Keyboard and Apple Keyboard II also use Alps switches-I believe oranges on them also. The ubiquitous AppleDesign KB is a membrane one, although some are crisp enough that they might fool you into thinking they are mechanical. There are about three different countries of origin on those-I believe Mexico, Malaysia, and Taiwan if I'm remember right, but am not where I can check now. I spent one evening sorting the 30 or so I have around by country of origin and testing their key feel. I seem to recall all the Mexican ones were mushy feeling(your worst nightmare of a bad membrane), all Taiwanese one were crisp, and Malaysian ones could be either way. Don't 100% hold me to that now, as they're all in storage and I didn't keep as good of notes as I should have.
I have a couple of IBM/Unicomp Model M keyboards. At work, I've typically had one via a PS/2-USB adapter on my Quad. I have a Spacesaver M that has been around on several different systems, both PPC and Intel. I think the Model M has to be my favorite keyboard of all time. I'm also partial to them since IBM and Lexmark built the vast majority of them 30 miles up the road from me, and Unicomp is still headquartered there. I've needed parts like keycaps before, and after calling them, was able to drop by and have them fit the parts right in front of me. That's not to say that I need help changing keycaps, but it's nice to have the factory do it
I just ordered a GK61 optical with hot swap, and possibly the lightest switches ever. Gateron optical yellow linear, which have a 35g spring, actuate at 1mm, and bottom out at 3.2mm.
I have an AEK II that I use with my 68k Macs and I love it! I don't have an ADB to USB adapter to use it with my other computers. My PDQ has an ADB port, but putting an AEK II in front of a laptop leads to an awkward viewing experience. If I plug my Apple Desktop Bus Mouse II into the AEKII while the AEKII is plugged into the PDQ, the mouse will behave erratically. This doesn't happen if I have the AEKII plugged into my 68k Macs.
That's strange, and is something I will have to experiment with.
The ADB spec is supposed to be fine with up to 5 devices. I know I've done 4 without trouble just for the heck of it(KB+tablet+trackball+mouse), albeit always on a desktop.
Original wired keyboards with G3 and G4 iMacs, original bluetooth keyboard with G5 iMac and Logitech K780 keyboard with G4 Mac mini.
My favourite keyboard too, at the time it was released I felt like a king!!!