Re: Detachable Keyboard?

[Mike Maginnis <maginnis@tarnover.org>]

On 07 Jan 2005 00:02:36 GMT, mjmahon@aol.com (Michael J. Mahon) wrote:

>Mike Maginnis wrote:
>
>>On 3 Jan 2005 09:02:59 GMT, Roger Johnstone <rojaws@orcon.net.nz>
>>wrote:
>>
>>>In <p4lht0lacs7a06mmrp29osu8n9b79fcdoj@4ax.com> Mike Maginnis  wrote:
>>>> I found this keyboard at a local thrift store in a box of otherwise
>>>> mundane Apple parts.  Anyone have any details on it?
>>>> 
>>>> http://tarnover.org/images/Hardware/detachable_keyboard/
>>>
>>>I remember seeing them advertised way back when. They were an external 
>>>keyboard kit which worked by removing the keyboard from your Apple IIe, 
>>>placing it in the keyboard enclosure provided, and then plugging the 
>>>cable back in to the keyboard socket on the motherboard. They also came 
>>>with a plate to cover the hole left on the front of the IIe case where 
>>>the keyboard was removed.
>>
>>Thanks.  I suppose I'll be returning to the store this evening then,
>>to see if they've got the plate you mentioned.  Maybe some
>>documentation socked away in the books area, too.  This is the first
>>I've seen anything like this for the IIe; I wonder why it wasn't more
>>popular...
>
>It was not cheap, and a detached keyboard was apparently not
>that high on most Apple user's priority lists.
>
>It's electronically trivial, being just an extension cable.  Mechanically
>it is more difficult, because of aesthetics and the form factor of the
>Apple keyboard.
>
>And speaking of aethestics, the Apple //e looks like an amputee with
>the metal cover where the keyboard belongs.  ;-(
>
>I wouldn't be difficult to parallel two keyboards, so that you could
>have your cake and eat it...
>
>-michael
>
>New Applesoft BASIC interface for NadaNet networking!
>Home page:  http://members.aol.com/MJMahon/

I went back to the thrift store and did a little digging around. No
cover plate, but I found a sales brochure from Innovative Micro and a
set of installation instructions printed on a dot-matrix printer.  I
don't have it in front of me (I'll scan and post it to my site
tonight), but the keyboard was called the D-Tach.  

There were two models listed on the brochure: the 100, which is the
one I found, and the 200.  The 100 cost $60; the 200 (IIRC) was listed
at $130, was made of oak and contained a numeric keypad kit.  I'll
have to check again tonight for further details.

- Mike
http://tarnover.org
maginnis@tarnover.org