phg@cl.cam.ac.uk (Philip Gladwin) (11/08/90)
Hands up those who hate the A500's keyboard. Does anyone, anywhere, have any idea if it is possible to replace it? I am finally sick of its total lack of tactile feedback. I want a keyboard I can actually *feel* (!). I remember that there was something called the A1500 being marketed, in the UK at least, this time last year - by discarding the original case this was supposed to allow you to use a much better keyboard as well as neatening up all the cable spaghetti. Is it still around? Anyone actually used it? Is it worth the money? Even if it does exist, I bet you can't use the A501 HD with it. Hummph. Failing that, all I want to do is get something like an IBM Extended Keyboard linked up. This must be possible...? No? Oh come on - you mean we're actually stuck with Our Cheap Plastic Friend? Phil Gladwin phg@uk.ac.cam.cl phg@cl.cam.ac.uk
mike@maths.tcd.ie (Mike Rogers) (11/08/90)
In article <1990Nov7.162019.22797@cl.cam.ac.uk>, phg@cl.cam.ac.uk (Philip Gladwin) wrote: >I remember that there was something called the A1500 being >marketed, in the UK at least, this time last year - by To add to the confusion, C= have released their own A1500, basically a 2000 sans ISA with 1 MB and twin floppies, i think. But don't quote me on that one. Around STG950 -- Mike Rogers,Box 6,Regent Hse,TCD,EIRE | Radio, live transmission. mike@hamilton.maths.tcd.ie (UNIX=>AOK)| Radio, live transmission. mike@tcdmath.uucp (UUCP=>oldie/goodie)| Dance dance dance dance dance dance msrogers@vax1.tcd.ie(VMS => blergh) | To the radio.
ST00482@auvm.auvm.edu (11/09/90)
If you can find a person with an old 500 then you can swap keyboards when they aren't looking. Or find a broken one and swap. The old keyboards have a much better feel, and the mouse had metal rollers inside. dan.
joseph@valnet.UUCP (Joseph P. Hillenburg) (11/10/90)
TO THOSE WHO WANT A REPLACEMENT KEYBOARD FOR A2x00/A3000'S ONLY! Look in BYTE for a company called NorthGate. Their high end model works with the Amigas mentioned SIMPLY BY FLIPPING A SWITCH OR TWO. Joseph Hillenburg, Secretary, Bloomington Amiga Users Group (BAUG) joseph@valnet.UUCP ...!iuvax!valnet!joseph "Only Apple could slow down a 68000 chip." -Computer Shopper
frankjr@Neon.Stanford.EDU (Frank AnthonyJr Busalacchi) (11/10/90)
joseph@valnet.UUCP (Joseph P. Hillenburg) writes: >TO THOSE WHO WANT A REPLACEMENT KEYBOARD FOR A2x00/A3000'S ONLY! >Look in BYTE for a company called NorthGate. Their high end model works >with the Amigas mentioned SIMPLY BY FLIPPING A SWITCH OR TWO. As a matter of fact, I have the KeyBoard. It is the NorthGate OmniKey ULTRA. I bought it from a Mail Order place. It cost me $99 dollars plus tax. It is a great keyboard. It has a good heavy feel to it, and comes with a 5 year warranty. Some features: -------------- Control Key function Block f1-f12 on the left. Configurable Function Keys (shift F1) along the top (sf1-sf12) It has a full arrow key pad with home end page up, pagedown, delete, help, Print Screen, Scroll Lock, Pause in the cluster. It also has the standard amiga 2000 numeric pad to the left of the previously described cluster. The keys have a great tactile "clicky" feeling to them. My typing speeds have increased noticeably. The number to keyboard sales is 800-526-2446 Frank Busalacchi
jprad@dynalogic.UUCP (Jack Radigan) (11/11/90)
In article <Z02Ds2w163w@valnet>, Joseph P. Hillenburg writes: >TO THOSE WHO WANT A REPLACEMENT KEYBOARD FOR A2x00/A3000'S ONLY! > >Look in BYTE for a company called NorthGate. Their high end model works >with the Amigas mentioned SIMPLY BY FLIPPING A SWITCH OR TWO. Maybe for A2000 and A2500/20 owners, but not for A2500/30 & A3000 owners. I've got one (it requires a $15 keycap retro too), and it will lockup after a warm boot of my A3000. It has also not worked for Joann Dow on BIX as well. Calls to NorthGate proved fruitless. No apparent interest in correcting what is most likely a minor handshake incompatibility. The keyboard *is* nice and I'm quite depressed over the whole matter. -jack-
dfrancis@tronsbox.xei.com (Dennis Francis Heffernan) (11/11/90)
RE the Northgate keyboard I'd heard that it doesn't work on 030 Amigas- can anyone confirm this? dfrancis@tronsbox.xei.com ...uunet!tronsbox!dfrancis GEnie: D.HEFFERNAN1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ "I don't understand why you make such a big deal out of everything...haven't you learned; if it's not happenning to me it's not important?" -Murphy Brown
spence@cbmvax.commodore.com (Spencer Shanson) (11/13/90)
In article <1990Nov7.162019.22797@cl.cam.ac.uk> phg@cl.cam.ac.uk (Philip Gladwin) writes: >Hands up those who hate the A500's keyboard. Does anyone, >anywhere, have any idea if it is possible to replace it? >I am finally sick of its total lack of tactile feedback. >I want a keyboard I can actually *feel* (!). > >I remember that there was something called the A1500 being >marketed, in the UK at least, this time last year - by >discarding the original case this was supposed to allow >you to use a much better keyboard as well as neatening >up all the cable spaghetti. Is it still around? Anyone >actually used it? Is it worth the money? You are thinking of the A1500 made by Checkmate Systems (this is nothing to do with Commodore UK's own 1500). Basically, you buy the new case(s), put your A500 PCB in the new case, and the keyboard in the seperate case ie turn your A500 into a 2-piece system. I think the system also provides 2 ZorroII slots, though I wouldn't swear to this. Checkmate Systems are at: 80 Mildmay PArk, Stoke Newington, London. Phone : 081-249-7170 spence >Phil Gladwin >phg@uk.ac.cam.cl >phg@cl.cam.ac.uk -- --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Spencer Shanson - Amiga Software Engineer | email: spence@commodore.COM | or uunet!cbmvax!spence All opinions expressed are my own, and do not | "A picture is worth 1000 (necessarily) represent those of Commodore. | words, or about 300,000 | bytes."
joseph@valnet.UUCP (Joseph P. Hillenburg) (11/14/90)
So can someone at Commodore tell me what the details on the A1500 are? Is
it being sold in the US? I know someone who would be interestes, as they
need an A2000-style machine, but don't need the ISA slots.
Joseph Hillenburg
Secretary, Bloomington Amiga Users Group
joseph@valnet.UUCP ...!iuvax!valnet!joseph
"Only Apple could slow down a 68000 chip." -Computer Shoppercag4@cunixa.cc.columbia.edu (Carson A Gaspar) (11/16/90)
In article <Z02Ds2w163w@valnet> joseph@valnet.UUCP (Joseph P. Hillenburg) writes: >TO THOSE WHO WANT A REPLACEMENT KEYBOARD FOR A2x00/A3000'S ONLY! > >Look in BYTE for a company called NorthGate. Their high end model works >with the Amigas mentioned SIMPLY BY FLIPPING A SWITCH OR TWO. > >Joseph Hillenburg, Secretary, Bloomington Amiga Users Group (BAUG) >joseph@valnet.UUCP ...!iuvax!valnet!joseph >"Only Apple could slow down a 68000 chip." -Computer Shopper Safe Harbor sells an adaptor that lets you use 2000-type keyboards on a 1000. I'm currently typing on a Northgate OmniKey/PLUS using said adaptor. I suggest getting the more expensive keyboard if you get a NorthGate, as it is better than the PLUS (the clear-out price pf the PLUS was too good to pass by...). _______________________________________________________________ / \ / BIX: cgaspar \ / C \ Carson A. Gaspar / Internet: cag4@cunixa.cc.columbia.edu \ / CAG >-----------------< (Alternate) carson@close.cs.columbia.edu > \ G / IBM - is that \________________________________________/ /\___/\ Amiga compatible? / Don't try to outweird _me_! I get \ / \_________________/ stranger things than you free with my \ < Proud owner of an Amiga \ breakfast cereal! / \ 1000 with pawprints /\ -Zaphod Beeblebrox / \_______________________/ \______________________________________/