Modder mods new fangled wireless keyboard to look like old timey one
By Laura June 
posted December 22nd 2009 1:23PM
posted December 22nd 2009 1:23PM
Before you laugh awkwardly at the weird sense of nostalgia this keyboard dredges up in your mind, let us introduce you to its wonders. Apparently modded by a Dutch man or woman courageous enough to admit that (like us) they prefer the pretty much extinct, giant, tactile-as-all-get out keyboards to newer, more streamlined models, this mod takes away the only gripe we ever had with such peripherals -- namely, their wiredness. The enterprising DIYer's taken a Logitech wireless Wii keyboard apart, mapping all the key codes along the way, thrown in a little basic soldering, wedged everything into the old keyboard and voila! Pretty magical, right? Well, okay -- not really, but still -- we sort of dig it. There's a before shot after the break, and hit the source link for the poorly machine translated how-to.
I just loved the way the typing on those sounded.
@devitus
click click click click BANG click click click click click BANG click click click POW
@devitus
Haha ya.
At my work place our good keyboard got damaged and someone brought in an wicked old keyboard for time being. It brought back the days of Windows 95/98.
@devitus
Model M FTW!
@devitus I have about 8 old Dell desktops in my classroom and my students LOVE those old clackety-clack keyboards. I do too. You really know when you're typing... and when anyone else is typing for that matter.
@devitus
I wanna do something with this typewriter I have lying around so I can get some REAL clacking.
@devitus
I still use one. They don't make keyboards as well as they used to. After 22 years of daily use my IBM keyboard still works as well today as it did when it was new. I also find that I can type much faster on it than most newer mushy key models.
I hate the typing sound so much!
Next up:
USB 3.0 Dot matrix printer.
@LAY
Us USB 3.0 is backward compatile with any USB device here you go:
Epson LX-300+ II Impact Printer
The rumors about the death of dot matrix printers are exaggregated.
@LAY
Okidata makes a USB dot matrix printer, complete with 12-24 pin print head.
I knew I wasn't the only one who likes that style of keyboard a lot more!
@zuluedison Oh there's a community - geekhack.org, they're quite serious about this kind of thing there.
Take that Apple keyboard!
"tactile-as-all-get"?
Was it supposed to be "tactile-as-i'll-get"?
I don't understand the meaning of the former...
@(Unverified)
tactile-as-all-get-out. It's a pretty common expression where I come from.
@CtrlBurn
tactile-as-all-get out is commonly accepted here in the southern US as well. Bet your bottom dollar.
@joelaf
Oh, well, I'm from the Southern US, so maybe it's just a regional thing.
@(Unverified) Still means a whole lot of nothing to me:
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=as%20all%20get%20out
You guy's are not alone, I perfer that style of keyboard myself as well.
There's a company called Unicomp that still makes these old style tactile keyboards. They bought the design from Lexmark, who bought it from IBM, so their keyboards use the same buckling spring design as the original IBM model M. Their website is pretty ghetto, but the keyboards are nice! http://pckeyboards.stores.yahoo.net/index.html
@poke
Good, but not quite as good as IBM. They have changed the plastic
@poke
Unicomp bought out the production facilities from Lexmark which was previously spun off and owned by IBM. Unicomp still uses the same machines and blueprints as were used by Lexmark/IBM.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=100076874
Clickety clack the 80's are back!
new fangled? That rates right up there with wang dang doodle
If someone makes this kinda stuff for the similar feeling IBM keyboards I'd buy one!!
I'm trying to jam by HDTV lcd into a crt tv. I like prefer the pretty much extinct, giant, space consuming old tvs. Plus no one will try to rip it off.
Reminds me of the Windows 95/98 days! lol
I'm typing this on an old IBM keyboard. When my Dell keyboard at the office started missing keystrokes, I brought this from my home parts bin - our IT guy provided me with a PS2 to USB adapter. I do have to admit to a bit of keyboard shock daily, as I go home to the (large size) Apple "chiclet" keyboard on my iMac.
My sony 300 cd changer uses this style keyboard to input tags
I have never understood the desire for wireless keyboards. They tend not to move away from the desk, and they drop keystrokes. Wireless mice, yes, but keyboards? Give me a wired keyboard any day.
@deej:
My use of a wireless keyboard: Sitting in my easy chair in front of the HDTV my HTPC is hooked up to.
For a normal PC, where one is sitting at a desk, however, I do not see much utility.
@deej I use a wireless keyboard because it's a nice flexibility for positioning. I can put it on my lap, move it out of the way if I need more desk space... etc. It's also handy since it's easy to connect it to another machine. If you have a workstation set up and don't have any need to move your keyboard, sure, wired is 10x better cause you never need to worry about replacing batteries or recharging, but I still prefer my wireless.
no one will STEAL it now.
Ah, Wyse... that brings back memories. They were built roughly along the same lines as the Northgate keyboards of legend. I've still got an old OmniKey 102 that was built in 1991. Works perfectly to this day. I've also got the newer Avant Stellar (same design, new company) made by CVT Inc. http://cvtinc.com/products/keyboards/menu.htm
Expensive they may be, but worth every penny if you want that feel and sound like I do. Outside of companies like CVT, they sure as hell don't build them to last like that anymore.
You can have my OmniKey when you pry it from my cold dead fingers!
@powermatt
Cherry still makes a mechanical switched keyboard.
@powermatt
Cherry Keyboards use the same ALPS key switches.
This isn't a mod. This is a murder.
I am that regarding Dutch modder, and for your convenience, I've written the whole story also in english: http://geekhack.org/showwiki.php?title=Island:8028
@martinmeijerink Ziet er goed uit!
"clickpunk"
it has started!
Does any other country use the rotated 180° L-shaped return-key like the UK? Those long rectangular return just look wrong to me...WRONG!
Disclaimer: alcohol has been consumed...so sorry for any spelling/incoherence
I guess the fact that you can't find one of these old keyboards in the trash in holland goes to show how good the dutch are @ recycling stuff.
I'm telling ya'all keyboards took a huge step back when they abandoned this type of technology. Typing on it made you feel like you were really working hard and interacting with the data because after 1/2 hour of typing your fingers and wrists were sore! There was nothing like walking into a data processing center and having to speak loud because of all the keyboard noise...
I still use a clicky keyboard. I am typing my comment with it. http://imgur.com/fQZwx.jpg
@parkerlreed
looks like an IBM model 1391401
@barCODE It is. I bummed it off my teacher at school. He had 5 or 6 in a pile, and this was the best looking one. Still works great. It can reach farther than my wireless one can. Tough as can be. It has been dropped, beaten, thrown and still works great.
@parkerlreed
My model m is still going strong after 20 years of near daily use and it shows no signs of slowing down, LONG LIVE THE PS2 PORT!