[rescue] DEC keyboards

[Charles Shannon Hendrix]

Sun, 12 Nov 2006 @ 23:55 -0800, Steve Jones said:

> > They were PS/2 interfaced keyboards, and almost as heavy as an IBM
> > Model M. They didn't click like the IBM, but they were mechanical
> > keyswitches with a very good feel to them.
> 
> It sounds like you're describing classic DEC LK201 keyboards, as were
> shipped with the VT220, VAXstations, Rainbow, Pro 3x0's, etc. But I
> don't think I ever ran across any true DEC gear had such a keyboard

All of the DEC terminal keyboards I have are lightweight, with a really
mushy feel to the keys.

Definitely not those.  Later, 90s era keyboards is what I mean.

> with a PS/2 interface...  

Actually, several DEC terminals had PS/2 interfaces.  My VT520 does.

> Can you think of what you saw/used one with?

Alphastations and Alphaservers came with them in the mid 90s, and that's
where I used them. I banged out a lot of code on those things sitting in
front of an Alphastation.

The keyboards were heavy with mechanical switches and steel plates in
the bottom of the keyboard.  I've been unable to find any since then.

Twice I've ordered some that were claimed to be the right thing, but
they are the membrane junk that DEC switched to later.


-- 
shannon "AT" widomaker.com -- ["I want this Perl software checked for
viruses.  Use Norton Antivirus." -- Charlie Kirkpatrick]