late 90's keyboards

i use a compaq keyboard from a late-90s presario. ps2 and like 12 years old but it has not failed me at all, ever. i have like 4 of these though:

which are actually pretty nice, despite the weird curvature, i just don't use them because they eat up batteries. i got a load of em at a circuit city that was closing down, because i love the mouse that was packaged with them. 8 bucks for the whole package, yay failing businesses.

me:

nicest keyboard i've ever used

anyone remember those IBM thinkpads with the keyboards that'd expand when you opened the lids?

no? ok.

  On 12/16/2010 at 11:24 PM, hahathhat said:

anyone remember those IBM thinkpads with the keyboards that'd expand when you opened the lids?

 

no? ok.

i have a vague recollection of this actually! over a decade ago? i think my dad had one of those for work stuff when i was younger.

  On 12/16/2010 at 11:26 PM, disparaissant said:

  On 12/16/2010 at 11:24 PM, hahathhat said:

anyone remember those IBM thinkpads with the keyboards that'd expand when you opened the lids?

 

no? ok.

i have a vague recollection of this actually! over a decade ago? i think my dad had one of those for work stuff when i was younger.

they were called butterfly keyboards, i think. school friend's uncle was a guy that worked at IBM. he invented the trackpoint, that little mouse dot in the center of laptop keyboards. school friend's house was full of weird IBM junk that didn't make the cut. there was another laptop, where the back popped off so you could put the screen on a projector. i scored a mouse that has a trackpoint instead of a scroll wheel (scroll left and right too). still have it somewhere...

edit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_ThinkPad_Butterfly_keyboard

the dude: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Selker

  On 12/16/2010 at 11:32 PM, hahathhat said:

along with the trackpoint, that little mouse dot in the center of laptop keyboards.

i've always called it a 'mouse-clit'

I AM SELLING THIS YAMAHA PORTASOUND POS-209 ON CRAIGSLIST BECAUSE I BARELY USE IT IS LIKE NEW $250 FIRM

want

  On 12/16/2010 at 11:32 PM, hahathhat said:

  On 12/16/2010 at 11:26 PM, disparaissant said:

  On 12/16/2010 at 11:24 PM, hahathhat said:

anyone remember those IBM thinkpads with the keyboards that'd expand when you opened the lids?

 

no? ok.

i have a vague recollection of this actually! over a decade ago? i think my dad had one of those for work stuff when i was younger.

 

they were called butterfly keyboards, i think. school friend's uncle was a guy that worked at IBM. he invented the trackpoint, that little mouse dot in the center of laptop keyboards. school friend's house was full of weird IBM junk that didn't make the cut. there was another laptop, where the back popped off so you could put the screen on a projector. i scored a mouse that has a trackpoint instead of a scroll wheel (scroll left and right too). still have it somewhere...

 

edit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_ThinkPad_Butterfly_keyboard

 

the dude: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Selker

yep, that would be it! ingenious bit of engineering, for sure.

incidentally, here's the keyboard/computer that turned me into the massive fucking nerd i am today.

It's definitely the hipster in me, but I love the look and feel of older computers.

  On 12/16/2010 at 3:49 PM, data said:

That's the keyboard I am using to type on right now. I love ergonomics, they feel great for typing and gaming to me. My old one stopped working right when I found this one going in the trash when I used to work at a Hospital that was throwing out old shit.

  On 12/16/2010 at 11:35 PM, kaini said:

  On 12/16/2010 at 11:32 PM, hahathhat said:

along with the trackpoint, that little mouse dot in the center of laptop keyboards.

 

i've always called it a 'mouse-clit'

  On 12/16/2010 at 11:47 PM, disparaissant said:

incidentally, here's the keyboard/computer that turned me into the massive fucking nerd i am today.

nice! neighbors would give me old computer stuff from the attic because they knew i liked it. i got one of those that way -- same one, portable II. had some cheesy golf game on it.

i should note a lot of this cool stuff mysteriously disappeared from the basement when i went away to college.

  On 12/16/2010 at 11:28 PM, chaosmachine said:

these things are despicable.

lol those ergonomic keyboards seemed awesome at the time but in retrospect they look ridiculous - typical 90s.

  On 12/17/2010 at 1:06 AM, hahathhat said:

  On 12/16/2010 at 11:47 PM, disparaissant said:

incidentally, here's the keyboard/computer that turned me into the massive fucking nerd i am today.

 

nice! neighbors would give me old computer stuff from the attic because they knew i liked it. i got one of those that way -- same one, portable II. had some cheesy golf game on it.

 

i should note a lot of this cool stuff mysteriously disappeared from the basement when i went away to college.

yeh the one we had for years had MS golf, a space invaders clone, and BASIC. MUSIC.BAS was my first attempt at making music with a computer, trying to dissect how they made all the shitty beeps play when they did and all. like i said, made me a huuuuge fucking nerd.

i very nearly bought one not too long ago, it was broken and i was contemplating filling it with modern hardware because HOW COOL WOULD THAT BE?

The 'sleek' design motifs apple knock about these days are going to look so fucking gaudy in ten years, I can imagine brushed chrome and white polycarbonate being like brown and orange floral linoleum in the 70s. Also that graphic thing they do where there is half-reflection of the icon underneath it as if it is on some gloriously glossy surface of infinite purity... what's that about? Anything in an industry like computers where everything is instantly obselete is conducive to everything being stylistic outdated, and also inspires a quicker turnaround on nostalgia and someone else can start flogging it back to you again, even with reduced functionality - keyboard that makes loads of noise and has no lettering on it! They sell earplugs on their site next to the extra clicky keyboards! I should start scratching the text off my piece of shit keyboard so I can sell it on next month when its the future! Everybody wins, infinite money! Trash is value! Value is historic! Hey do you rememeber when stuff had value? No! Did humans really land on the moon? Probably! Whatever!

whoa, just did a rant. Feel like a man now.

shit, look at the original imac these days. case in point. thing was WHOA when it came out, now it looks like a shitbubble with orange accents.

still quite annoying even a year+ later

  On 12/17/2010 at 6:09 PM, disparaissant said:

shit, look at the original imac these days. case in point. thing was WHOA when it came out, now it looks like a shitbubble with orange accents.

I sold my iBook G4 from 2004 to a friend, now when I see him using it it looks like hes fiddling with the drawer that you put detergent in for the washing machine. What a fucking caveman!

futuresnotbubble

lol

Remember all the G3 iMac-inspired translucent colored peripherals and low-end electronic gear? Zip drives, game controllers, etc.

Those take me right back-- to the terrible days of going over to a friend's house and being forced to use a carpal-tunnel aggravating one-button puckmouse.

edit: lol zip drives