chzel's Apple pie...err...M0110

[chzel]

A few months back I got an M0110 through Ebay, which the seller described as NIB.
The photos made it clear it was not NIB, as the box was from another keyboard (M2519), but it appeared an very good condition.
So I bought it. And it arrived safe and well-packed!

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The box

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The label

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$129...must have been good!

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I love the embossed logo!

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Out of the box, with cable, very little yellowing (I think)

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The rubber feet have turned into gooey feet, so off they will go!

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The label

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An extra sticker (does anyone know what it is?)

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Controller (15th week of 1984, making it the oldest keyboard I own, 2 years younger than me!)

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PCB detail, I love the attention to the details!

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The two kinds of switches (Alps SKCC Tall and Lock)

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Detail of the bottom with the switchplate.

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Slider and spring next to the equivalent from Hua-Jie AK-CN2 Alps clones
The sliders are buttery smooth, and the spring compatibility means we can easily customize the weight.

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The slider of the Lock switch.
After reading lowpoly's and other's guides, I was reluctant to hack up my Caps Lock.
Closer inspection confirms my initial thoughts. Removing the brown piece and the wire makes the switch linear NON-locking.
No cap surgery necessary, no extra switch needed!

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[scottc]

Nice! It has to be a Hasu converter here. You don't need to dremel up the caps lock or get a new switch, so what's the point in hand-wiring it?

Also: Why would you ruin such a nice old board with Cherry MX? That shouldn't even be a suggestion!

[chzel]

Nice! It has to be a Hasu converter here. You don't need to dremel up the caps lock or get a new switch, so what's the point in hand-wiring it?

Also: Why would you ruin such a nice old board with Cherry MX? That shouldn't even be a suggestion!

But...but...it fits...no, just kidding, I love linear switches and these SKCC are the smoothest I know of! But I admit, I did pop an MX in there just for fun!

Regarding the converter, I'd like to keep it as close to original as possible, but I also have any itch for hand wiring a board!

[Redmaus]

Is there a video of it typing anywhere? Wondering what those alps sound like. Looks like a very good layout for a keyboard that old.

[chzel]

Lowpoly has a couple of recordings in his epic thread.
The keyboard sounds like you are typing in a cave, really echo-y!

[Redmaus]

Lowpoly has a couple of recordings in his epic thread.
The keyboard sounds like you are typing in a cave, really echo-y!

Wow, he really made that board live up to its full potential. Yeah, it really goes like "clock clock clock!" when the keyboard is typing.

[Stabilized]

Has to be the Hasu in my opinion, as I really love the sound of the M0110 with its stock Alps switches.

Funny that this has come up recently as I was just considering buying one of these myself with the idea of modding it

Nice that you got one boxed and in such good condition, I think that would make me even more tempted just to stick a USB converter in that thing

[andrewjoy]

I will be converting my one once its cleaned and retrobrited

i will be modding the caps lock to a normal switch

[eldorange]

Is that Apple's equivalent for IBM's Kishsaver?

[seebart]

very nice chzel! A M0110 is quite a rare find! I did get my own M0110 here at DT but it's not "NIB" and supernice like your's! What amazed me about the M0110 is the typing sound and feel due to the compact case and thick plastic. Really good pics too! Thanks.

Here's my yellow frenchie:

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[andrewjoy]

awe man you have symbols in place of caps lock shift and so on NO FAIR

[seebart]

awe man you have symbols in place of caps lock shift and so on NO FAIR

you like that better andrew? I like chzel's better. But look at that enter key on mine. That's the sexiest enter key ever!

I read somewhere that Jobs specifically designed the M0110 without arrow key's so that the user would be forced to use the mouse more which was still relatively new at that time.

[andrewjoy]

i do on a mac, on other OS i like either or not both .

my one is ansi tho so i am stuck with the return

i am a strange one i like the ansi key layout but the ISO location for punctuation and @

[seebart]

i do on a mac, on other OS i like either or not both .

my one is ansi tho so i am stuck with the return

i am a strange one i like the ansi key layout but the ISO location for punctuation and @

I can digg.

[scottc]

awe man you have symbols in place of caps lock shift and so on NO FAIR

you like that better andrew? I like chzel's better. But look at that enter key on mine. That's the sexiest enter key ever!

I think that its sexiness is subjective! It looks a bit too thin for me, I like my enter keys a little bit chubbier...

i do on a mac, on other OS i like either or not both .

my one is ansi tho so i am stuck with the return

i am a strange one i like the ansi key layout but the ISO location for punctuation and @

That's actually really funny, I've basically gotten used to the opposite! Mostly ISO physical layout but ANSI layout. Kind of makes it feel a bit silly that I was so excited to get UK Cherry dyesubs and doubleshots now...

[andrewjoy]

That's actually really funny, I've basically gotten used to the opposite! Mostly ISO physical layout but ANSI layout. Kind of makes it feel a bit silly that I was so excited to get UK Cherry dyesubs and doubleshots now...

so UK mac layout then , ISO enter but with ansi layout

[seebart]

I think that its sexiness is subjective! It looks a bit too thin for me, I like my enter keys a little bit chubbier...

no you're right, it's borderline. That's quite a freaky layout anyhow. But that sound it makes on keystroke and bottom out...magic.

[scottc]

That's actually really funny, I've basically gotten used to the opposite! Mostly ISO physical layout but ANSI layout. Kind of makes it feel a bit silly that I was so excited to get UK Cherry dyesubs and doubleshots now...

so UK mac layout then , ISO enter but with ansi layout

Except with hash in the proper place and no stupid Simoleon sign!

[andrewjoy]

myself i just use a formerly NIB SSK on my mac

but i think i may switch to the M0110 once restored

[seebart]

I'm still a ISO guy with some ANSI tendencies. But in german we do need "Ü Ö Ä". With or without the keycaps.

[LLRnR]

myself i just use a formerly NIB SSK on my mac

but i think i may switch to the M0110 once restored

Cool, so then you won't be needing the SSK anymore

[andrewjoy]

i need that to be in its box and look awesome! Or i may put it on my server rack

[seebart]

i need that to be in its box and look awesome!

haha good one.

[LLRnR]

i need that to be in its box and look awesome!

haha good one.

Proof that keyboard collectors have no soul.

[chzel]

Proof that keyboard collectors have no soul.

What is that? Is soul a new kind of switch?

Thank you guys for the nice words!
I am a bit confused though!
What is the caps colour supposed to be?
Brownish like mine, or greyish like seebart's?
I mean, mine can't all be yellowed, they are PBT except the spacebar, aren't they?

[XMIT]

M0110 is one of the few keyboards I have trouble finding. These days Hall effect boards have been both cheaper and more plentiful.

I do have two M0110A at home that will become one restored M0110A and one parts board. I'm keeping a list of folks who want parts. I may have some more switches or key caps to spare if anyone is looking.

[LLRnR]

What is that? Is soul a new kind of switch?

Hee, hee! Sorry for having jumped in and posted off-topic on your thread, but I just couldn't keep myself from joking when I saw andrewjoy's musings on the M0110 vs the SSK.

On-topic now: yours looks really nice, I don't know what the "right" tint is supposed to be, but I like the yellow-gray look. It's consistent with the space bar.

[chzel]

Hee, hee! Sorry for having jumped in and posted off-topic on your thread, but I just couldn't keep myself from joking when I saw andrewjoy's musings on the M0110 vs the SSK.

No problem! Derailing threads is a long-standing tradition here!

[TheNacho]

Sorry for digging this up again, but I got myself an M0110 and my Teensy should arrive today. I would also like to unlock the CapsLock switch, since a latching control isnt really ideal. Anything specific I need to pay attention to. How dows one go about to modding the switch after unsoldering it?

[HzFaq]

Oh wow, thanks for digging this up, I totally didn't realise you could make the latching capslock not latch .

Getting a converter for mine just moved up in my priority list .