Cash converters.

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Cash converters.

Postby caluser2000 on Mon May 06, 2013 6:12 pm

Just popped in to Cashies today and scored an AT keyboard with din to mini-din connector for $3. Was quite gob smacked to actually see one there. It's a later (Mitsumi) type but no Windows keys and was probably used on 486/early pentium class machines I'd imagine. The adapter was a bonus as far as I was concerned. Needs a bit of a clean but is in general is in good condition. Been giving it a bit of a workout on the 386.

I rarely visit the place but goes to show little treasures can be found anywhere.
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Re: Cash converters.

Postby tezza on Mon May 06, 2013 9:39 pm

I don't think they are that common. Are you sure they are XT ones though? The early AT models also had those DIN plugs.
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Re: Cash converters.

Postby arjoll on Mon May 06, 2013 10:39 pm

The Nan-Tan keyboards were great, had excellent keyswitches and an XT/AT switch on the bottom. Had one on my Ultra 286 and then with my TL Systems 386 - I regret selling the latter when I sold my P133 in '02.
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Re: Cash converters.

Postby SpidersWeb on Tue May 07, 2013 7:51 am

Keyboard gold is when you have a 5pin DIN and an XT/AT switch underneath.
IBM Model M or Model F are $80+

Finding XT compatible keyboards is very hard. In the past I purchased a box of about 40 keyboards just to get on the one that had an XT/AT switch! 99% of keyboards you find with coiled cables and a 5 pin DIN will be AT not XT. My favourite has always been the 101 key XT keyboards - not just because of the extra keys but they almost always have this really great click - things got softer after that period :(

Good find at cashies on the AT version caluser, my local is Trash Palace, picked up a Phillips AT keyboard in 'as new' condition a few months back - has been my little buddy I drag around for quite a while. They get random items quite often.
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Re: Cash converters.

Postby SpidersWeb on Fri May 10, 2013 4:08 pm

101 key (cursor keys etc) without an XT switch will almost certainly be standard AT keyboard - common 286-486 era. Good to have a few about.
One above is the same, just has the extra 3 keys.
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Re: Cash converters.

Postby caluser2000 on Fri May 10, 2013 5:31 pm

When "com port" was mentioned I was expecting something a bit different. Certainly look like AT keyboards all right. As Spidey mentions they are handy to have around, especially if you have 286-early pentium class clones. It's the reason I got mine. Been using AT-PS/2 adapters on mine and wanted another keyboard without the windows keys
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Re: Cash converters.

Postby acsi on Fri May 10, 2013 11:59 pm

Spotted this in the $1 reserve TM listings. Looks like 2 of them are AT?

http://www.trademe.co.nz/computers/peripherals/other/auction-589603719.htm
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Re: Cash converters.

Postby caluser2000 on Sat May 11, 2013 7:52 am

Good spotting. Put a wee bid in. Early bird and all that. :lol:
Looks like Gavin from Chch is really keen on getting one. Nice to see. Another keen on older kit by the looks.
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Re: Cash converters.

Postby recycled on Sat May 11, 2013 9:43 am

machinecoder wrote:Im not sure what the lower one is, as note it doesnt have system (windows) keys ?

This is quite standard. Windows as a product does not predate the AT, so regular AT keyboards of the era, as mentioned 286, 386 and 486 keyboards do not have the 'windows' key. (See the original post by caluser2000)

The windows keys duplicate the key combination <ctrl>+<esc> to bring up the Windows 95 start menu, another clue to the age of PCs that would be matched to this keyboard. The introduction of these two 'extra' keys seemed quite superfluous at the time, many magazine articles asked 'why?'. (So you can estimate the age of your AT keyboard, without windows key before '95, with, would be after).

With windows 8, does it serve any purpose at all now or will we start to see them being removed again from newer keyboards?

Shame really, as the key's that appear to have been copied, 'open apple' and 'closed apple', are useful modifiers on any other vintage keyboard.

I don't think I've ever used the 'windows' keys.
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Re: Cash converters.

Postby caluser2000 on Sat May 11, 2013 3:52 pm

machinecoder wrote:
caluser2000 wrote:Good spotting. Put a wee bid in. Early bird and all that. :lol:
Looks like Gavin from Chch is really keen on getting one. Nice to see. Another keen on older kit by the looks.

Yes Mark, its not very often you see AT keyboards on trademe for some reason,
I think those 286 - 486 DOS computers should be considered more auspicious than they are currently.
Agreed. Give it a few more years I guess. One thing I do like about them is they can be had for next to nothing. My 386 and last 486 were giveaways. The Compaq, ACER and DECpc 486s I bought a on TM few years ago are still running fine. The last two had both had their processors and ram upgraded by the POs, which can be an advantage as well. Retro computing on the cheap, if you will, has it's advantages.

Copies of MS Dos seem to be doing ok. Recently received a Dos/Wfw bundle without a manual (of which I have a spare in storage) for $5.5 + postage which I considered fare. They installed and tested fine. I see there's still a Dos/wfw/office disk combo up for grabs http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing ... =591476855
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Re: Cash converters.

Postby SpidersWeb on Sat May 11, 2013 4:52 pm

recycled wrote:With windows 8, does it serve any purpose at all now or will we start to see them being removed again from newer keyboards?

Shame really, as the key's that appear to have been copied, 'open apple' and 'closed apple', are useful modifiers on any other vintage keyboard.

I don't think I've ever used the 'windows' keys.


Windows 8 is targetted towards touch, but I think the windows key returns you to the "home screen" or whatever they call it now.

On Windows I use the Windows key all the time, because it's faster to access programs by pressing "Start" and typing the name than navigating with the mouse. E.g. for notepad Start+NO+enter and it's up. The right click key is weird though, but I'd imagine people who use keys in Word would find it useful for speeding up things like incorrect spelling (no need to grab the mouse).

In other news, I just did a haul from my local 2nd hand store of choice.

- IBM System/6000 external and internal SCSI tape drives (the external case is an IBM product, PS/2 styled)
- 525Mb tapes for the above (IBM tapes with AIX 3.1 updates on them - no use to me but much more interesting than generic)
- 150Mb tape for my IBM 6150 which I've wanted for a long time
- Mice - generic IBM PS/2 and a serial Microsoft kidney without scroll ;)
- random bits / adaptors
- Seagate Barracuda 4Gb hard drive
- 200Mb drive
- 2Gb drive
- PCI SCSI controller + Iomega SCSI zip drive + all driver disks and manuals and two sets of 50 pin cables which I needed

Price: $45

I'm positing here instead of playing with mentioned toys, because my 6150 just killed it's other mains-cap and I'm giving it cool down time. Also I'm tired because it's 30kg+ and I moved it.
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Re: Cash converters.

Postby caluser2000 on Sat May 11, 2013 5:19 pm

Good haul.
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