what a lovely key sculpt!
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Make and model?
Burroughs B25 K2
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Interesting machine. Already dated in 1984 when it was released.
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And a capacitive F&F keyboard. I suppose Topre (and topre-like) and HE have basically mooted it, but I always thought it would be interesting to see what modern design and materials could do with the technology. I’ve run across casual comments in restoration threads for Apple Lisa and other F&F boards that different foams (neoprene mousepads seem to the firmest thing anyone has tried) drastically change the bottom-out feel… which in typing it out is rather self-evident, LOL.
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Another 8BitDo, this time in Mark Rober’s latest upload. I know there’s nothing too exciting about this board, just interesting that they really seem to be selling.
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I still can’t believe we haven’t seen a GMK set based on the NES. I think @Future had something in the works a long time ago but I guess it never panned out
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You can see an interesting classic keyboard here, on the “Vector Graphics” PC:
At about 4-minutes in, there is some typing. Nice “thunk” sound and substantial keycaps.
Comments suggest that capacitive foam pads may have been replaced, to restore function.
The computer itself uses raster graphics, not vector.
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More Severance Content 
vibe looks phenomenal, thanks for sharing
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I normally wouldn’t bother posting one so visually non-descript, but I got a kick out of the mention of “full number pad” - I feel like at least one of the devs might be a keyboard person. From Sorry We’re Closed - a sort of Silent-Hill-meets-local-night-club indie game.
Yeah!
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I’m intrigued by the keyboards that some Tandy 1000 models had:
You can see an example at the beginning of that video, and in a closer-look, here:
These were a specific 3.0mm thickness profile used with Fujitsu 3rd Gen. Leaf Spring linears. These linears are said to be extremely smooth, even after decades in some cases, because of a partially contact-less design.
The switches themselves are appealing. But this profile doesn’t seem to be directly represented in MX.
I have seen a number of Chinese budget keycaps, usually beige + cream, that have a similar profile. Probably PBT, instead of ABS double-shots like the Tandy / Fujitsu.
Can anyone remind me where these kind of ‘cubic’ high-profile MX keycaps might be found? MT3 has a similar font, but different profile. Some of the MA profile are like a rounded version of these:
https://www.amazon.ca/TIMSEKER-Minimalist-Keycaps-Mechanical-Keyboard/dp/B0DB22YWXY?th=1
But I’m looking for the unapologetic, tall cubic beige + cream. Has anyone seen any recently?
(They always pop-up when you’re not looking for them. Usually, as budget keycaps. MT3-like legends.)
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I currently only have 2 vintage boards in my collection right now but funnily enough the Tandy 1000 Keyboard happens to be one of them lol. I only happen to own one because my vintage friend gifted me it, it also was adapted to USB so I have used it a handful of times at my setup. I am not an expert on the board but I can try to answer any questions about it since I physically have one.
Idk if this is official slang for the keycap profile in the vintage community but I believe my friend called them “tombstone/gravestone” profile. The switches are pretty smooth and interesting to type on, a good way I can describe it is it feels like the switches are kinda pushing back at you if that makes any sense.
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I don’t think those tombstone caps have directly inspired any modern profiles, but you could channel the vibes a bit with some BOW center-legend OEM, or maybe the “YMK” caps that appear to have been made with the RAMA molds.
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Both of you are right.
That is the official slang for the keycap profile. It also demonstrates that the keycap has not served as the direct inspiration for any MX profiles.
(Although, I have to say, the Tandy / Fujitsu font brings to mind MT3. The keycaps even kind of look like beige PBT dev/tty, but it’s a different profile.)
I was looking into Tandy 1980s keyboards. Although they started poorly with some of them, such as the Color Computer 1, they eventually evolved into affordable, full-travel rubber-domes in that series. The Model 100 and Tandy 1000 often sported more sophisticated keyboards, and high-profile keycaps.
In fact, you could say that Tandy is somewhat overlooked in today’s enthusiast community. Tandy seems to have put out not only some questionable rubber dome/membrane keyboards, but also perhaps individual rubber-dome on PCB, and especially the Fujitsu 3rd-generation leaf springs.
I think some accounts did say that the leaf springs seemed to provide some resistance, even if linear.
Regarding similar modern keycaps, I found a few uniform-profile keycaps that were somewhat reminiscent:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005007161986168.html
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005011549140018.html
However, the closest example I found so far are these SA clones:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/33051416730.html
They are kind of what I mean by ‘unapologetically retro and cubic.’
But they are tall and PBT, which means that they are likely to reduce perceived tactility.
I’m look at a beige 7u ‘retro’ Transition Lite TKL build, and those SA would work. But it’s for Gateron Lanes, so I should probably go with Cherry or a half-SA profile.
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MTNU Classic beige might also be a good choice. Also, while the font won’t be a good match, Keychron OSA might be a decent spiritual successor, being a cylindrical with some rounding, though the explicitly typewriter-influenced tombstone caps just didn’t seem to inspire any modern designers.
I’m interested in seeing where how it ends up. We had a few “Trash-80” computers lingering in my elementary school’s computer lab, and my first PC was a 1000RSX, though it had an unremarkable Enhanced Keyboard clone (slider over dome, IIRC), and not one of the quirkier ones from earlier models. I also lusted after a Model 100 portable, or more specifically the 102 variant that was on a silly TV movie I loved as a kid.
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MTNU Classic Beige! That must have been one of the keysets I was thinking about.
Yes, this would be perfect for a retro build, although it is a bit heavy for the Lanes.
Aesthetically, this is the right idea.
And Keychron OSA often comes up in buyer comparisons on the cheap Chinese PBT. Speaking of which, there’s another decent set, a retro MA:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005007779505884.html
And you’re right, Tandy came out with a variety of keyboards. I’m kind of surprised that there isn’t a Deskthority-style rundown of all of them. Maybe there is?
Regarding the movie, Gaten Matarazzo probably could have played the character in the red stripes very well. I suppose this program was another influence for Stranger Things.
I think MTNU Classic Beige is the most appropriate set. Could go with the clone SA if I want taller, cubic keycaps. I’ll use whatever ends up working best with the Gateron Lanes. I’ll post a photo if it leads to a viable build.
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