Keyboard for Apple IIgs?

no....@123.xyz

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Oct 25, 2011, 5:01:42 PM10/25/11

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Hi,

What would be a good alternative for my Apple M0487 keyboards to use
with IIgs?

Thanks!

Polymorph

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Oct 25, 2011, 6:07:20 PM10/25/11

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Just about all Mac ADB keyboards will work with the IIgs - *except*
the ergonomic split keyboard(s). Many like the "Apple Extended
Keyboard II". Personally, I use an "Apple Keyboard II" as it is
compact like the M0487, but it has a nicer feel to use.

Hope this helps.

Cheers,
Mike

Rockin' Kat

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Oct 25, 2011, 8:00:53 PM10/25/11

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I've always wondered... Anyone know why the ergonomic split keyboards
don't work?

-RK

no....@123.xyz

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Oct 25, 2011, 8:22:06 PM10/25/11

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Thanks, Mike!
I am assuming they all have the Reset button, too? Or is some key
combo required instead?

Rockin' Kat

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Oct 25, 2011, 9:10:26 PM10/25/11

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You mean the Power Key (triangle)? They all have it... but even the
original IIgs requires a key combo to reset.

-RK

Wholly Mindless

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Oct 25, 2011, 11:02:50 PM10/25/11

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Rockin' Kat wrote:
> You mean the Power Key (triangle)? They all have it... but even the
> original IIgs requires a key combo to reset.

Even the original ][+ could be configured to require a combo. All you have
to do is accidentally hit the reset button once and you flipped that switch
fast! Then you would learn to stretch your hand all the way across the
keyboard from control to reset so you didn't have to put down the coke.

--
Wholly

Tony Kavadias

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Oct 26, 2011, 6:03:50 AM10/26/11

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Because the Apple Adjustable Keyboard is actually two physical ADB
keyboards, and one interferes with the other on the same ADB bus (only
the Mac IIfx had two ADB microcontrollers and, hence, two ADB buses on
the one system).

Many people have complained that this prevented from playing some
games on the Macintosh, where key presses on the numeric keypad (one
of the two physical keyboards) would "cancel" any key-down events of
modifier keys on the main keyboard. Because of this massive
disturbance between the two keyboards on the one bus, many games were
rendered unplayable on the Mac.

The Apple IIGS would have the same issues, considering it used the
same ADB microcontroller as the Mac SE and Mac SE/30. And the
problems continue to plague the Power Macintosh 7500/100 and Macintosh
LC 575, since I happen to have both machines, and the aforementioned
keyboard.

;-)

--tonza

Tony Kavadias

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Oct 26, 2011, 6:07:38 AM10/26/11

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Yes, the Apple Adjustable Keyboard has a "power" key on the main
keyboard. You can reset a Mac using this key (along with the Control
and Command keys).

I presume that this key would also be used to reset an Apple IIGS, but
I don't have an Apple IIGS to test it with, I'm afraid.

--tonza

Steve Nickolas

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Oct 26, 2011, 6:51:50 AM10/26/11

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On Wed, 26 Oct 2011, Tony Kavadias wrote:

> Yes, the Apple Adjustable Keyboard has a "power" key on the main
> keyboard. You can reset a Mac using this key (along with the Control
> and Command keys).
>
> I presume that this key would also be used to reset an Apple IIGS, but
> I don't have an Apple IIGS to test it with, I'm afraid.
>
> --tonza
>

It is the same exact Three Finger Salute the //e, //c and IIgs use.

-uso.

D Finnigan

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Oct 26, 2011, 10:07:03 AM10/26/11

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Tony Kavadias wrote:
>
> The Apple IIGS would have the same issues, considering it used the
> same ADB microcontroller as the Mac SE and Mac SE/30. And the
> problems continue to plague the Power Macintosh 7500/100 and Macintosh
> LC 575, since I happen to have both machines, and the aforementioned
> keyboard.
>

For further reading, Mr. Empson has written some nice descriptions of the
IIgs ADB controller:

http://macgui.com/usenet/?group=1&id=123537
http://macgui.com/usenet/?group=1&id=241506

--
]DF$
Mac GUI Vault - A source for retro Apple II and
Macintosh computing.
http://macgui.com/vault/