Incredible project and fantastic video! Repurposing old Apple Alps boards for modern use is always fascinating, since these were some of the best keyboards ever made. Question: on 1:51 you say these keycaps are made of ABS. But are you sure they are not PBT instead? I know for a fact that PBT caps resist yellowing much better than ABS, but Apple used to make the spacebars of their old keyboards out of ABS to avoid warping (which can be a problem with PBT spacebars), which is why the ABS spacebar is more susceptible to yellowing than the rest of the PBT keys.
Thank you. You are absolutely right, the yellowing plastics are in fact ABS. Whereas the other keycaps are another plastic (I'm happy to verify which if anyone can suggest a way to non-destructively test if they're PBT).
@@mttcx Deskthotity article on this keyboard states these are probably PBT indeed: "The yellowing characteristics suggest ABS for the case and space bar, and a different material (e.g. PBT) for the remaining keys." Considering that all other Apple Alps boards that came after this one (I have them all :) had PBT, there is a good chance these are PBT as well.
probably the best modding video I've ever seen, it's almost art restoration grade, with every change you made being easily reversible if anybody ever wants to put it back how it was
Exactly! I think I cut that part from the script, but it was important to me to keep it 100% reversible. Long term, its 1980ms IIGS heritage will be more useful that some 2020’s mods some guy made 😄
Throughout the video, I kept saying "He's doing too much, it's not gonna work out." And then when you did the final assembly, I was like, "He did it." Well done. Good planning, good pivoting, and perseverance. Awesome final result.
Just FYI I worked at Apple in the product development teams in 2015 and 2016, I did experiments with whitening original Mac 128K cases and UV has no effect. The yellowed parts I put in a black toolbox submerged with hydrogen peroxide whitened just as fast as the ones I put on the roof of our office building. The whole UV thing is just a lie people keep spreading. Also the plastic cases people put them in most likely block all the UV anyway. The only effect you could see from sunlight is it being warmer, but you can get the same effect by doing it during the summer vs winter.
Thanks for your comment and email! That's interesting, there's certainly a lot of contradicting results online. I wanted to document my journey with this keyboard, allowing those interested to follow other's (more experienced) guidance. I can share my experience, but I'm not qualified in the matter, so I will avoid the subject or at least highlight this.
What concentration peroxide were you using? I'm curious to see a thorough experiment and writeup about retr0briting. As far as I know the mechanism of action isn't even fully understood yet.
@@DAAI741 Just fill a large container with water and put a few bottles of 3% peroxide from the store in. You don't need much of a ratio tbh, but the peroxide does get expended after a while and you might need to add more. I believe I used 10 bottles of that 3% stuff and it whitened it over a week. By the way it's just called bleaching or whitening, retr0brite is just a brand name, they didn't invent it. People have been using peroxide to bleach yellowed plastic since the 70s. It works by removing some of the fire retardant chemicals if I recall right.
@@RinoaL I've done it before in the sun, but I haven't tried it in the dark. What I'm more curious about is how to optimize its effectiveness when using off the shelf peroxide. I think I heard something about yellowing being caused by the degradation of bromine-based fire retardants. But I haven't seen an actual description of the chemical reaction. Retr0bright is actually not a brand name. It's just the name of the method. In fact it probably can't be trademarked for that reason because it's kind of widely used.
@@DAAI741 Thats good to keep in mind maybe the term came before, but there was a company called retr0brite that sponsored people on youtube over a decade and a half ago, so that made the name stick more. I think it's kinda a silly re-naming of it though.
I took an old clock/light that hung as an advertisement in a jewelry shop and wanted to make it ‘smart’. From afar it looks decades old but it hooks up to the internet and can be controlled via Siri. I would have liked to have left it untouched but the light and clock mechanism were always on and I wanted to be able to turn the light on/off without stopping time with a physical switch for just the light. So I did drill a hole but installed an old metal toggle switch that doesn’t at all hint that it was modernized. Future project is to add some LED strips inside and have it be able to do silly visual notifications while still looking like it’s an antique. 😊
I really appreciate you keeping in all aspects of the design process especially the things that didn’t work out. This was very enjoyable to watch and I learned a lot!
0:45 Apple keyboards still have the dedicated power button. I had no idea caps lock actually used to lock (like on typewriters), I kinda like it. Cool project, you nailed the end result.
@@mttcx From the point of view of the IIgs, this button is Reset, not Power. The IIgs didn't have a sleep mode, and only a power switch on the power supply at the back. Did the IIgs keyboard Reset button send an ADB code or just connect GND and PSW? It's been a long time ... Anyway, awesome mod!
@mttcx but I had a question, why did you remove the locking mechanism instead of binding that caplock key to a shift, so it would would work as intended? Are you not able to donthatvusing zmk?
I ended up undoing the changes I made to the caps lock, so will lock again. I like having a separate shift, and I can't differentiate between left and right shifts as they're on the same trace. I'm going to create a new layer for caps, and have it use capitals.
@@mttcx This is a feature that can be turned on for any keyboard, but unfortunately it's in the BIOS menu of motherboards. So not every motherboard will have that feature, and most users will probably not look for it. Apple making their own computers and peripherals gives them the ability to make use of the power button.
This is an awesome project. In 2023, I also bought an old ADB keyboard (A9M0330), and recreated the main circuit board to have USB-C connection. Now I'm working on a brand-new keyboard design, taking inspiration from this keyboard and making the layout more functional. It's called C-81 :)
WOW. You made this keyboard even better than before. My brother had Apple 2gs back in the late 80's and I really like that Control key exists where capslock keys usually is. This is keyboard mod perfection.
I remember distinctly growing up my friend had one of these keyboards at his house, and he had a dust shield on it. It was like a thin translucent gel-foam type material designed to catch debris but still allow for a smooth typing experience. I will never forget the satisfaction I got using that keyboard, for one single day, like 30 years ago as a kid. Legendary video
Awesome video, I went on your channel to look for more of your videos to watch but was sadly disappointed that there wasn’t more, please don’t stop making videos, it was a treat to watch
this is such an incredible project! You mentioned the diode-free wiring of the keys on this keyboard and speculated that it could cause issues down the line. Years ago I went down the Apple Extended Keyboard rabbit hole and although I loved the keyboard itself, at the rate I was typing I'd sometimes run into issues with ghosting and missed keystrokes. My solution: I took an old janky AEK that was no good anymore, desoldered absolutely everything off the PCB, sanded off the traces, and then put in new Matias switches that were hand wired to one another using diodes. It's incredibly janky but it does work! I spent some time playing with these smaller vintage Apple keyboards and I seem to recall having fewer typing issues on those so maybe the smaller matrix is better suited to the lack of diodes. The lack of diodes are the sole demerit on some of the best keyboards Apple ever made. But again, what a remarkable project!
I just ordered this board on eBay, along with all the PCBs and 3D printed parts from JLC (I also got the knob CNC'd). This is one of the best keyboard restorations I've ever seen. Excellent work!
The graphics were amazing in this video. My unasked for suggestion would be to make the audio backing track fade in and out when you speak less noticeable. The music choice and your voice over are both good its just that transition for me. Hope to see another video soon!
Besides the awesome and impressive project, very very clean editing and storytelling. I am looking forward to watching your next projects. Special mention to the compositing at the end to show typing.
youtube doesn't allow me to save this video in my "glorious videos that are so important" playlist and I'm so mad because this was not only excellent work, but also the way you showed the whole process and all your Ls make this such a humbling and inspiring experience. literally one of the best videos put out here and I command you for that. ALSO, nice desk.
My guy, incredible work, top notch production quality and content, also I would pay $$$$ for one of these as I do not have the skills to build my own. Keep with the great work, with this uniqueness and quality your channel will be huge in the future 🔥👊
One of the best mod videos I've ever seen for sure. How you paid attention to every detail is remarkable, I really enjoyed to take a glass of water and seeing the entire process. Cheers!
You forgot the most important thing about this keyboard: it's got incredible switches! The salmon alps are legendary and very much sough after in the community.
What a great project. I love seeing the struggle for using USB-C. As an electrical engineer, my first USB-C project ran into many similar issues. Great work and cannot wait to see your next project!
I'm not an Apple guy, but I love love LOVE retro technology. And what I love more is forcing retro tech to interface with new tech. You've done an amazing job.
Fantastic restomod! Good to see you were able to keep the case relatively stock on the outside and could repurpose parts of the keyboard that were no longer relevant to replace with more modern features. Looks fantastic too! Might also be worth looking into taking out the switches eventually to clean them, as Alps SKCM are somewhat notorious for dust exposure. Many have had a lot of success with usage of paraffin wax on the sliders which helps to both insulate them against dust and also act as a passive lubricant, increasing smoothness. All in all looks like a long-term project that you'll be able to tinker with. This is the type of keyborad content that I really enjoy, lots of user preference and hobbyist DIY stuff to make the keyboard fit your exact needs.
This is one of the coolest projects I have seen restoring a piece of Apple and Alps history. Man I would love to get a vintage Apple board with orange alps, or a broken one so I can use the orange alps in another board I own.
Awesome job! It was super entertaining too. Electronics aren't really my thing, but computers and vintage Macs have been my dream machines since I was young.
Amazing video, can't help but smile at the way modern processes like 3D printing and custom boards can save this lovely old keyboard from being just a museum piece. Love it.
I spent a lot of time typing on the M0116/M0118 line which is basically the same keyboard but with more plastic. These are still really nice keyboards and many programmers will appreciate having the caps key and control key swapped in hardware by default.
This is a fantastically slick mod. Thank you for both showing your full process -- mistakes and all -- and for not cutting corners! This is a really inspiring build!
Great work on this project, the end result is stellar Now complete the set by getting a modern wireless mouse’s internals inside that classic apple mouse!
While I love my clunky bland heavy IBM Model M's I cannot deny that this is absolutely great keyboard mod you've built here. Hope you plan on doing this with even more classic keyboards. It's also awesome that we now live in a time where someone who's never even done surface mount soldering can easily design and fab custom PCBs!
Great video man! Having attempted a somewhat similar project, it’s so nice to see the dead ends and redos you went through. So much of these sort of projects are 2 steps forward 1 step back. It’s great to see that part of the process realistically shown and worked through. Subbed.
FYI, I do not recommend using standard square-pin headers for inserting into DIP sockets. They’re too thick, and will permanently loosen the socket’s contacts, meaning that if you ever want to revert this to the original chip, you will likely need to replace the socket. Instead, use “machined pin” headers, which have thinner, round pins. I recommend the 0.4mm diameter ones if you can find them. (They’re readily available from the major distributors.) Mill-Max and Preci-Dip are two big brands for machined pin products.
Thank you, this is a great suggestion. I did look at using machined pins, but 'cheaped out' in the end. I couldn't find any clear guidance on whether machined pins would actually make much different. But I suspect you are right, thank you!
really great project and demonstration of skills. Awesome keyboard. sometimes its totally overboard but I do tend to model the area that I'm working in at the CAD stage and try to do assembly with components to face these problems off at the pass.
Excellent video! Thanks for sharing. I'm a big fan of these vintage keyboards. Just a small suggestion: the audio seems to get a bit louder during the brief pauses between your sentences, which can be a little distracting.
A tip from me: If you want to do SMD soldering you definitely need more flux, in your video it looks way too dry. Always remember: If you have problems, flux is your friend. I recommend the Amtech 559, I've been using it for years and have never had any problems. You can also leave it on the PCB if it doesn't bother you.
Insane video, great editing and a clear way of following what youre doing. some of the camera angles were a bit off when showing the circuitry i personally prefer seeing the entire pcb but nitpicking aside defintely want to see more!
this is actually insane, congrats thanks for open sourcing the entire project also, really tempted to give this a go at some point if I can track down one of these keyboards
I give this channel approximately 1 week before it absolutely blows up in popularity! Excellent production quality, and beautiful work on the keyboard!
Incredible project and fantastic video! Repurposing old Apple Alps boards for modern use is always fascinating, since these were some of the best keyboards ever made.
Question: on 1:51 you say these keycaps are made of ABS. But are you sure they are not PBT instead? I know for a fact that PBT caps resist yellowing much better than ABS, but Apple used to make the spacebars of their old keyboards out of ABS to avoid warping (which can be a problem with PBT spacebars), which is why the ABS spacebar is more susceptible to yellowing than the rest of the PBT keys.
Thank you. You are absolutely right, the yellowing plastics are in fact ABS.
Whereas the other keycaps are another plastic (I'm happy to verify which if anyone can suggest a way to non-destructively test if they're PBT).
@@mttcx Deskthotity article on this keyboard states these are probably PBT indeed: "The yellowing characteristics suggest ABS for the case and space bar, and a different material (e.g. PBT) for the remaining keys."
Considering that all other Apple Alps boards that came after this one (I have them all :) had PBT, there is a good chance these are PBT as well.
probably the best modding video I've ever seen, it's almost art restoration grade, with every change you made being easily reversible if anybody ever wants to put it back how it was
Exactly! I think I cut that part from the script, but it was important to me to keep it 100% reversible. Long term, its 1980ms IIGS heritage will be more useful that some 2020’s mods some guy made 😄
yeah i was very surprised how non-destructive the mods were
The trace following effect on the pcb was amazing! this video is such high quality for only having 26 subscribers! now 27 :D
now 527 :D
Almost 1k!
I got whiplash reading this comment, I assumed the video was from an established channel because of the production values.
1.86k :)
Now almost 2000
Insane graphic at 2:29 for the pcb, so cool!
Literally what I thought...I was blown away lmao.
Throughout the video, I kept saying "He's doing too much, it's not gonna work out." And then when you did the final assembly, I was like, "He did it." Well done. Good planning, good pivoting, and perseverance. Awesome final result.
holymoly this is your first video? investing early - looking forward to your future vids!
Just FYI I worked at Apple in the product development teams in 2015 and 2016, I did experiments with whitening original Mac 128K cases and UV has no effect. The yellowed parts I put in a black toolbox submerged with hydrogen peroxide whitened just as fast as the ones I put on the roof of our office building. The whole UV thing is just a lie people keep spreading. Also the plastic cases people put them in most likely block all the UV anyway.
The only effect you could see from sunlight is it being warmer, but you can get the same effect by doing it during the summer vs winter.
Thanks for your comment and email!
That's interesting, there's certainly a lot of contradicting results online.
I wanted to document my journey with this keyboard, allowing those interested to follow other's (more experienced) guidance.
I can share my experience, but I'm not qualified in the matter, so I will avoid the subject or at least highlight this.
What concentration peroxide were you using? I'm curious to see a thorough experiment and writeup about retr0briting. As far as I know the mechanism of action isn't even fully understood yet.
@@DAAI741 Just fill a large container with water and put a few bottles of 3% peroxide from the store in. You don't need much of a ratio tbh, but the peroxide does get expended after a while and you might need to add more. I believe I used 10 bottles of that 3% stuff and it whitened it over a week.
By the way it's just called bleaching or whitening, retr0brite is just a brand name, they didn't invent it. People have been using peroxide to bleach yellowed plastic since the 70s. It works by removing some of the fire retardant chemicals if I recall right.
@@RinoaL I've done it before in the sun, but I haven't tried it in the dark. What I'm more curious about is how to optimize its effectiveness when using off the shelf peroxide.
I think I heard something about yellowing being caused by the degradation of bromine-based fire retardants. But I haven't seen an actual description of the chemical reaction.
Retr0bright is actually not a brand name. It's just the name of the method. In fact it probably can't be trademarked for that reason because it's kind of widely used.
@@DAAI741 Thats good to keep in mind maybe the term came before, but there was a company called retr0brite that sponsored people on youtube over a decade and a half ago, so that made the name stick more. I think it's kinda a silly re-naming of it though.
bro single-handedly become the division of product development
ABS yellows. Those caps, aside from the space bar, are PBT. That's why they don't yellow. The space bar does though.
You're correct - Correct in the description and pinned comment 👍
I have one of these keyboards that is BRIGHT yellow, I do not believe that ALL revisions would’ve been PBT
I love how you didn’t damage the keyboard housing. Vintage items should be preserved!
I took an old clock/light that hung as an advertisement in a jewelry shop and wanted to make it ‘smart’. From afar it looks decades old but it hooks up to the internet and can be controlled via Siri. I would have liked to have left it untouched but the light and clock mechanism were always on and I wanted to be able to turn the light on/off without stopping time with a physical switch for just the light. So I did drill a hole but installed an old metal toggle switch that doesn’t at all hint that it was modernized.
Future project is to add some LED strips inside and have it be able to do silly visual notifications while still looking like it’s an antique. 😊
@@johnkelly1620 very cool!
You could argue that the bleaching is damaging but when the parts are doomed to yellow/degrade anyway I guess it's not that big of a deal
Ahem… I use this keyboard at work.. have a key span adb to usb converter… oh and I still have the Woz signed IIgs computer… 😊
I really appreciate you keeping in all aspects of the design process especially the things that didn’t work out. This was very enjoyable to watch and I learned a lot!
I’m blown away by how not janky this is. The pcb with connectors, the printed caps for ports. Even the yellow tape!
Hardest keyboard flex I’ve seen in A LONG time. Nicely done, my man. Nicely done 👏🏾
Awesome project, it turns out really great!!!
Thanks for sharing!
0:45 Apple keyboards still have the dedicated power button. I had no idea caps lock actually used to lock (like on typewriters), I kinda like it. Cool project, you nailed the end result.
@@marcellkovacs5452 Ah good point, but only on laptop keyboards though, right? And thank you!
@@mttcx From the point of view of the IIgs, this button is Reset, not Power. The IIgs didn't have a sleep mode, and only a power switch on the power supply at the back. Did the IIgs keyboard Reset button send an ADB code or just connect GND and PSW? It's been a long time ... Anyway, awesome mod!
@mttcx but I had a question, why did you remove the locking mechanism instead of binding that caplock key to a shift, so it would would work as intended? Are you not able to donthatvusing zmk?
I ended up undoing the changes I made to the caps lock, so will lock again. I like having a separate shift, and I can't differentiate between left and right shifts as they're on the same trace. I'm going to create a new layer for caps, and have it use capitals.
@@mttcx This is a feature that can be turned on for any keyboard, but unfortunately it's in the BIOS menu of motherboards. So not every motherboard will have that feature, and most users will probably not look for it. Apple making their own computers and peripherals gives them the ability to make use of the power button.
This is an awesome project. In 2023, I also bought an old ADB keyboard (A9M0330), and recreated the main circuit board to have USB-C connection.
Now I'm working on a brand-new keyboard design, taking inspiration from this keyboard and making the layout more functional. It's called C-81 :)
WOW. You made this keyboard even better than before. My brother had Apple 2gs back in the late 80's and I really like that Control key exists where capslock keys usually is. This is keyboard mod perfection.
This is genuinely really cool; the amount of time and effort put into the keyboard.
I remember distinctly growing up my friend had one of these keyboards at his house, and he had a dust shield on it. It was like a thin translucent gel-foam type material designed to catch debris but still allow for a smooth typing experience. I will never forget the satisfaction I got using that keyboard, for one single day, like 30 years ago as a kid. Legendary video
Awesome video, I went on your channel to look for more of your videos to watch but was sadly disappointed that there wasn’t more, please don’t stop making videos, it was a treat to watch
this is such an incredible project! You mentioned the diode-free wiring of the keys on this keyboard and speculated that it could cause issues down the line. Years ago I went down the Apple Extended Keyboard rabbit hole and although I loved the keyboard itself, at the rate I was typing I'd sometimes run into issues with ghosting and missed keystrokes. My solution: I took an old janky AEK that was no good anymore, desoldered absolutely everything off the PCB, sanded off the traces, and then put in new Matias switches that were hand wired to one another using diodes. It's incredibly janky but it does work! I spent some time playing with these smaller vintage Apple keyboards and I seem to recall having fewer typing issues on those so maybe the smaller matrix is better suited to the lack of diodes.
The lack of diodes are the sole demerit on some of the best keyboards Apple ever made.
But again, what a remarkable project!
having the typing test be in the sun glare at 14:42 is such a nice touch
This channel’s gonna blowup!!
I find hidden Gems like these on RUclips once or twice a year and I love it!
Liked, Saved to Favorites, and Subbed! :)
I just ordered this board on eBay, along with all the PCBs and 3D printed parts from JLC (I also got the knob CNC'd). This is one of the best keyboard restorations I've ever seen. Excellent work!
The graphics were amazing in this video. My unasked for suggestion would be to make the audio backing track fade in and out when you speak less noticeable. The music choice and your voice over are both good its just that transition for me. Hope to see another video soon!
Besides the awesome and impressive project, very very clean editing and storytelling. I am looking forward to watching your next projects. Special mention to the compositing at the end to show typing.
youtube doesn't allow me to save this video in my "glorious videos that are so important" playlist and I'm so mad because this was not only excellent work, but also the way you showed the whole process and all your Ls make this such a humbling and inspiring experience. literally one of the best videos put out here and I command you for that. ALSO, nice desk.
My guy, incredible work, top notch production quality and content, also I would pay $$$$ for one of these as I do not have the skills to build my own.
Keep with the great work, with this uniqueness and quality your channel will be huge in the future 🔥👊
One of the best mod videos I've ever seen for sure. How you paid attention to every detail is remarkable, I really enjoyed to take a glass of water and seeing the entire process. Cheers!
You forgot the most important thing about this keyboard: it's got incredible switches! The salmon alps are legendary and very much sough after in the community.
The sound of those caps + Alps switches is heavenly
Loved seeing the entire process. You’re talented! Great work. End result was worthy of your efforts!
Lack of inverted t-nav is a deal breaker for me, but fantastic execution of this project!
I applaud the dedication to keep the original parts as intact as possible.
What a great project. I love seeing the struggle for using USB-C. As an electrical engineer, my first USB-C project ran into many similar issues. Great work and cannot wait to see your next project!
Dude, you are a real geek! My respect for all of this work, especially the reverse engineering!
I'm not an Apple guy, but I love love LOVE retro technology. And what I love more is forcing retro tech to interface with new tech. You've done an amazing job.
Fantastic restomod! Good to see you were able to keep the case relatively stock on the outside and could repurpose parts of the keyboard that were no longer relevant to replace with more modern features. Looks fantastic too! Might also be worth looking into taking out the switches eventually to clean them, as Alps SKCM are somewhat notorious for dust exposure. Many have had a lot of success with usage of paraffin wax on the sliders which helps to both insulate them against dust and also act as a passive lubricant, increasing smoothness. All in all looks like a long-term project that you'll be able to tinker with. This is the type of keyborad content that I really enjoy, lots of user preference and hobbyist DIY stuff to make the keyboard fit your exact needs.
This is one of the coolest projects I have seen restoring a piece of Apple and Alps history. Man I would love to get a vintage Apple board with orange alps, or a broken one so I can use the orange alps in another board I own.
Its fantastic. I can imagine you in a very successful startup that could change the concept of tech. Its what I think, keep doing it!
I'm flabbergasted by such an amazing project. Congrats. Great work
I remember using these Keyboards, at University on an Apple LC. Always liked the feel of the Keys
I love so much the lighting on the keyboard of your thumbnail
Oh my god dude
I can barely imagine the work and effort this took
You rarely see such quality content creators on YT. Happy to be one of your first 1k subscribers, excited for your upcoming projects!
Impressive - I remember the quality of the keyboard and watching the video brings back great memories. Great job!
The coolest part is that it's 100% reversible, love it when people do these reversible restomods on vintage stuff.
Awesome job! It was super entertaining too. Electronics aren't really my thing, but computers and vintage Macs have been my dream machines since I was young.
And it's decked out fully with orange Alps! These are incredible and very sought after in the community
I've saved them from being harvested this time
Even better!
So creative & technically impressive. What a labor of love
Great idea. That keyboard was ahead of its time for sure. It deserves to go on into the future!
I am a massive fan of repurposing old tech for new! Amazing work mate. Well done!
I have always truly adored this keyboard. Thank you for doing it modern justice ♥
The amount of work you put into this is bonkers. Well done.
A beautiful conversion of a beautiful keyboard. Apple’s Snow White design language was on point back in the day.
This is one high quality DIY electronics video. Thoroughly enjoyed it, even when I'm not a KB-nerd. Keep it up!
Amazing video, can't help but smile at the way modern processes like 3D printing and custom boards can save this lovely old keyboard from being just a museum piece. Love it.
Wow. 1st video and already some impressive numbers with a production quality on par with some well established channel. Keep it up 👍
I spent a lot of time typing on the M0116/M0118 line which is basically the same keyboard but with more plastic. These are still really nice keyboards and many programmers will appreciate having the caps key and control key swapped in hardware by default.
As an enjoyer of both classic Apple and of mechanical keyboards and DIY projects, this was a real treat to watch. Nicely done!
What a fantastic first video. Amazing to see the restoration plus modding. Anytime makers show their iterations I am all for it.
I wish someone would create a group buy for a modernized old school Apple keeb!
What design, just a copy?
This is a fantastically slick mod. Thank you for both showing your full process -- mistakes and all -- and for not cutting corners! This is a really inspiring build!
I did my college paper on an Apple II GS! It was awesome! Well done on the keyboard!
Great video! Production quality couldn't get much higher!
Great work on this project, the end result is stellar
Now complete the set by getting a modern wireless mouse’s internals inside that classic apple mouse!
I love this idea of modding vintage keyboards up to modern standarts. The keyboard turned out absolutely amaizing!
I miss the feel of those alps key switches. That was my first keyboard and still one of my favorites. Beautiful job!
This is probably the coolest keyboard project I’ve seen. Beautiful work.
This project scratched an itch I didn’t know I had. Phenomenal work!
Awesome project! I have been a big Lenovo keyboard fan all my life, but this looks so good that I am considering this myself. Great video!
I still remember just tapping away on that keyboard from the dead Apple we had lying around as a kid. I can still hear it.
While I love my clunky bland heavy IBM Model M's I cannot deny that this is absolutely great keyboard mod you've built here. Hope you plan on doing this with even more classic keyboards.
It's also awesome that we now live in a time where someone who's never even done surface mount soldering can easily design and fab custom PCBs!
This is a great video, I look forward to seeing more!
Great video man!
Having attempted a somewhat similar project, it’s so nice to see the dead ends and redos you went through.
So much of these sort of projects are 2 steps forward 1 step back.
It’s great to see that part of the process realistically shown and worked through.
Subbed.
This is an amazing project! Thank you for recording the whole journey of tinkering this board forward in time into 2024.
cool project and amazing video, subscribed to see the mouse update next!
FYI, I do not recommend using standard square-pin headers for inserting into DIP sockets. They’re too thick, and will permanently loosen the socket’s contacts, meaning that if you ever want to revert this to the original chip, you will likely need to replace the socket.
Instead, use “machined pin” headers, which have thinner, round pins. I recommend the 0.4mm diameter ones if you can find them. (They’re readily available from the major distributors.) Mill-Max and Preci-Dip are two big brands for machined pin products.
Thank you, this is a great suggestion.
I did look at using machined pins, but 'cheaped out' in the end. I couldn't find any clear guidance on whether machined pins would actually make much different. But I suspect you are right, thank you!
really great project and demonstration of skills. Awesome keyboard.
sometimes its totally overboard but I do tend to model the area that I'm working in at the CAD stage and try to do assembly with components to face these problems off at the pass.
Excellent video!
Thanks for sharing. I'm a big fan of these vintage keyboards. Just a small suggestion: the audio seems to get a bit louder during the brief pauses between your sentences, which can be a little distracting.
this is probably the best implementation of 'display on a keycap' that I've seen, bar none
Love the old Apple ID aesthetic. And really like your customisation.
A tip from me: If you want to do SMD soldering you definitely need more flux, in your video it looks way too dry. Always remember: If you have problems, flux is your friend. I recommend the Amtech 559, I've been using it for years and have never had any problems. You can also leave it on the PCB if it doesn't bother you.
Insane video, great editing and a clear way of following what youre doing. some of the camera angles were a bit off when showing the circuitry i personally prefer seeing the entire pcb but nitpicking aside defintely want to see more!
this is actually insane, congrats
thanks for open sourcing the entire project also, really tempted to give this a go at some point if I can track down one of these keyboards
I love this video! Great job! One piece of feedback - perhaps fade the music in and out rather than cutting it, as it is a bit distracting.
I give this channel approximately 1 week before it absolutely blows up in popularity!
Excellent production quality, and beautiful work on the keyboard!
what absolutely clean job with this mod. the final result is incredibly impressive.
Excellent video. And an all time classic keyboard!
Only 2k subscribers? That's pretty crazy, can't wait to see what else you make! Nice work with this one!
EPIC first video. Loved the process of the OEM plus build. GG
Great job! I really liked those old keyboards. Also, this is some fantastic editing.
Nice job. Many people who love Apple would want such a keyboard)
This is so incredibly cool! I'm not sure if I want to buy one, or do a project like this myself more. Amazing work!
not sure how you're going to make your next video any better... this was amazing! subbed
Thanks! I know I can do better with the edit/recording setup. Hopefully the subject is as captivating as this one seems to have been!
Wonderful end result! Projects like this make me want to learn how to design PCBs.
Now you’re really making me wanting to get back to my aek2 restoration project I have laying around! Awesome!
Do it! 😊
Amazing project! You have done a great job that deserves admiration!