Re: IIgs Rom 01: Mac keyboards -- compatible??

[jcountry@IDEANET.DOE.STATE.IN.US (Jack Countryman IAC)]

On 6 Jul 1994, Stephen Buggie wrote:> 
>             WHICH MAC KEYBOARDS WILL WORK ON A IIGS ROM 01?
>             ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> I have tentatively bought a IIgs cpu (Rom 01) but it lacks a keyboard.

> Which Mac keyboards will work on a IIgs?  What about the compact sized
> older Mac keyboards (from Mac 128 and Fat Mac 512K)?  Will they work?
> 
> The older Mac keyboards are likely to be very cheap but also the keys
> have that fine familiar feel of the IIe keyboard.  Too, the width of
> the older Mac keyboards is compact and will not crowd out the other
> computer junque located nearby.
> What complications would I expect in using a Mac keyboard with a IIgs?
> Do Mac keyboards have open-Apple or closed-Apple keys, etc?
> 
> Stephen Buggie     sebugg@presby.edu> 

There are now three groups of mac keyboards.  The oldest ones, Mac 128, 
512, +, etc. connected by some sort of telephone style plug.  These do 
not work without adaptation (?).  The keyboards used on Mac SE through 
all models up to this year, have the same connector as the IIGS, and will 
work fine.  Some keys on the extended mac keyboards only work with the 
right additions to GS/OS, and those keys are not used in most ProDos 8 
programs (function keys, etc., although these keys do get used by the 
AE PC Transporter software/hardware!).  THe newest keyboards, including 
the adjustable (multi-piece keyboard) and perhaps some others are 
reported not to work, although they still have the same desktop bus 
connector.  These keyboards all use a "PowerKey" instead of the Reset 
key.  The PowerKey starts up the machine, and so is apparently wired 
differently than on older models.

So, what you want is one of the Apple/Mac standard desktop bus keyboards.  
Note:  I just got a IIGS keyboard (looks the same as the mac standard 
except the mac version has the smooth vertical block between the alphabet and 
numeric keypad keys) from All-Tech.  They have these for various prices 
in new or reconditioned versions.  Check to be sure the price includes 
the cable to connect to the IIGS.  1-800-995-7773.