Does it weigh a ton and have mighty ClIcKs that wake up the dead? If so, good find!
this post was submitted on 04 Jul 2025
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Weight and dopamine releasing clicks are the best.
L-shaped Enter key master race.
Nah, fuck that shape. Look what they did to my boy Right Shift. I'm glad L-shaped Enter keys died out in the mid 90s.
Yeah that's dirty and messed up, but l-shaped enter key is ughhshahhhhhhdhhshhhhdhhfh mmmmmmm yesss
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Ah, the beige years.
The early naughts were a little more aesthetic.
Not an apple fan but this is the only aesthetic tech should have. Transparent plastic everything. I yearned for the clamshell PowerBook g3 as a kid. Still do.
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How do you connect it to your computer? I have a big old keyboard but it's from before there were PS2 ports so I don't know what to do with it.
I’m dirt poor so all of my tech is ancient.
Damn, I see a firewire port on there too!
There's a couple options from before the ps2 standard, but I'd guess it's a 5-pin DIN connector on an AT keyboard (e.g. IBM model M). You'll need to know more about the keyboard to make a determination, but you might get lucky with a passive adapter to PS2 and chain to USB. Before the ps2 standard, there was more variety between manufacturers in both signaling and connectors.
It's probably a DIN plug. They made DIN to PS2 adapters
Pretty sure there's also DIN to USB
If it's a model M there's a guy on eBay that sells a model M USB cable.
I believe Packard Bell boards of that era are BTC-made rubber dome.
And the person I replied to said he had an old keyboard that predates the PS2 keyboard port. Hence me mentioning that there's an adapter cable for the model m, just in case that's what the person I replied to has.
My newest computer (custom mini-ITX with an AMD 5700X3D, 64 GB RAM, Radeon 9070XT, 4 TB NVME, etc.) is still compatible with the keyboard from my first computer (a Tandy 1000 RLX HD with an Intel 80286, 1 MB RAM, VGA graphics, 20 MB HDD). Manufactured three decades apart, but they both have PS/2 ports!
I still have that Tandy keyboard; I should dust it off and plug it in.
Well, you could get this to go to PS/2: https://www.cableleader.com/6-din5-female-to-mini-din6-male-at-to-ps-2-keyboard-adapter-cable.html
Then this to get from PS/2 to USB if you need to: https://www.cableleader.com/usb-type-a-male-to-ps2-6-pin-female-converter-for-logitech.html
I don't speak from personal experience, but it's my understanding you can do this with an active (as opposed to passive) ps2 to USB adapter. Should be compatible with pretty much any ps2 keyboard.
This keyboard reminds me a lot my previous keyboard, it was PC/AT - plugged it in through a PC/AT -> PS/2 adapter.
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A Packard Bell mechanical? Well done. Impressive even
I grew up with that keyboard lol
Edit:actually not quite. Mine was older. Didn't have a windows key etc
Nice, but definitely needs a cleaning
Everything does honestly. I have unmedicated adhd I think. Been meaning to take some wipes to it.
I dunno man. It’s no Northgate Omnikey.
I have an Omnikey, but I never use it because the keys have stiction issues. I use my Dell AT-101 now after my Model F died.
I’d say that’s a weird spot for the \ | key, but looking around, I think that’s one of the last keys on a 104 key keyboard to get standardized.
I had one of these when I was a kid, it's good to see an old friend again!
If I didn’t have this exact keyboard as a kid, we had one nearly identical to it. So much IMing and gaming time on that keyboard. Nice find!
I got mine free, from a bunch of stuff our company IT was throwing out because it was too old. That was over a decade ago, and it’s still the best keyboard I’ve ever had.
I had to get a new keyboard, and I just wanted a basic black or beige one. The internet really wanted to sell me one that lights up and has a bunch of extra keys. I don't need or want that. Just a basic tool with all the keys, thank you.
I'm generally not a fan of the oversized Enter key, but this is beautiful and I'd use the hell out of it
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Ohhhh I know these. Btc dome with slider switches, I've kind of wanted one of these for a while now. They use cherry MX compatible keycaps
I have that exact one. It’s a membrane board, but not bad sounding. I love the Big Ass Enter key. I tried and failed to convert it to mechanical. Impossible to find a mechanical keyboard with a BAE, sadly.
Look into vintage ALPS boards like the Focus FK-2001.
What makes it perfect for you?
It goes clicky click in a nice way. It feels solid, my other keyboards are shitty dollar tree ones which have RGB for some reason.
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I mean.....are you looking at it?
Isn't it super heavy as it contains a metal core? Or else it's another one from the same era.
I don't know but I guess Packard Bell is way too modern to have heavy stuff inside.
everytime someone posts a non iso layout, i kill a hostage
manly whistle
That's a damn fine lookin' keyboard right there!
Dude! Congratulations! Mechanical?
As for the big ass enter key, when I bought my laptop, I specifically ordered it with ISO layout for my keyboard.
Is it weird if I remember exactly how this feels?
I always love seeing old keyboards with the pen groove along the top.
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Omgggggg I want fucking all the keys: gimme Home, End, Page Up, Page Down, a whole number keypad. Pleeeeease. Especially now that laptops are big enough. Come on.
Looks like it's based on the IBM Model M. Used ones go for a couple hundred on ebay. The key feel, click and travel are very satisfying if noisy to type on.
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