User avatar
bonoedgey
Canada

Posted Sun Apr 15, 2018 10:20 pm

Hello there.

First off I am not sure if I am putting this topic in the correct area.. My apologies if its not in the correct spot intric8.

I am seeing that most Amiga 1000s for sale don't include the keyboard. Now I am not sure if its cause its suppose to be rather faulty,
or if they want to maximize profit and sell seperately.. Maybe a bit of column A and a bit from column B.

Either way.. I have been looking at a few Amiga 1000s out there but would have to get a keyboard. I see that some sell the adapter to have
a 2000/3000/4000 keyboard instead.

Surfing sites for info.. I don't seem to see any way to have the RJ jack of the keyboard be able to be converted so you can use a common PC keyboard. Also it may not work cause I am sure Amiga keys have special purposes too.
The keyboards I see are 2000s and 4000s mostly but they are a few 100 dollars usually (US .. add a bit for me being a Canadian)
Is that normal? (my resource isn't the greatest I understand because its usually Ebay.. I don't see the classic Amiga keyboards up for
sale on any other sites that I have searched. I realize that Ebay isn't always the best choice..)

I don't own an Amiga 1000 yet.. cause I seem to have this keyboard dilema.. Its ok cause I mean I have a 500 and that suits me.. I just was
keen on the original one.. I wouldn't upgrade it much past the 512K or 1MB I don't think..

I know the topic says WTB I am just curious about people that have a vast knowledge of these things compared to myself.

Thank you for your time and effort everyone
I really appreciate it

Regards

Bonoedgey

User avatar
intric8
Seattle, WA, USA

Posted Mon Apr 16, 2018 9:18 am

Hey Bonoedgey

I think this is the perfect place to put a WTB. It may not get a million views, like over on Amibay, of course. (If you haven’t posted over on Amibay, I would highly encourage you to do so from a pure numbers perspective. I’d think you’d have a slightly better shot.)

So, this next part is just my own personal opinion. Feel free to toss it in the trash.

For me, the A1000 is a pure design marvel. It’s just drop dead gorgeous. And half of the beauty is the original keyboard. Sure, you could get an adapter and hook some other thing to it, but in my mind that sort of defeats the purpose. The original innards are fine, but to be frank the stock machine is quirky to say the least.

In a best case scenario, I’d wait until you find a machine that has its own keyboard that works. And then, I’d get a second one as a backup. (That’s what I’ve done.) I haven’t posted about this anywhere because I went on a trip soon after another acquisition, but I have 3 1000’s now. I picked up my 3rd, which came with its own keyboard. So I’m flush with 1000’s if you include the Phoenix (technically I have 4, but one is just a box of parts).

I’ve gotten one that looked brand new, but was dead. So it wasn’t expensive at all. Then I got one that looked like horse pee, but everything worked perfectly. Also cheap. Then I swapped all of the parts. That brought me to a very handsome artifact which gets regular use.

It takes patience of course, and an iron will. :)

I’d think finding a 1000 keyboard sans computer would be really, really hard. I can’t recall ever seeing a solitary 1000 keyboard. Just parts for one.

For what it’s worth, I think the 1000 keyboard is my favorite of all the Amigas I’ve ever used. It is very hefty, solid, and feels great. Aesthetically, the hardest parts are the outer case being a nice color and the keys not being faded. But again, if you can source 2 in various states, you can swap this and that.

I LOVE the A1000. It’s a near tie for me with the A2000. It’s a very strange, beautiful thing.

I’ll keep an eye out for you. And drop a note on this thread if you source one.

User avatar
bonoedgey
Canada

Posted Mon Apr 16, 2018 10:47 am

Thank you for the response intric8 .. and I won't ever throw your feedback in the trash :) I think that is ultimately what I will do too.. is wait for one that has the keyboard and everything in it

I too like the aesthetics. That is what is drawing me to it.. :) it looks like a beautiful machine. Also something about having the original that started it all is great :) that is super awesome that you have a few. Kinda envious but super happy for you :)

Thank you for your feedback as always intric8

And thank you for keeping me posted.. I don't care if its a bit yellow and needs some TLC.. I see it as a project :)

Regards

Bonoedgey

User avatar
McTrinsic

Posted Mon Apr 16, 2018 2:00 pm

There was some trade-in program in the late 80ies that just required you to bring the keyboard. So quite a few A1000s don't have one.
There is a recent alternative where someone sells an internal adaptor for USB keyboards.

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre ... 2364971223

Might be ok if you find a decent-looking keyboard.

User avatar
bonoedgey
Canada

Posted Mon Apr 16, 2018 3:15 pm

Thank you McTrinsic for that information
I really appreciate it

User avatar
BloodyCactus
Lexington VA

Posted Mon Apr 16, 2018 4:21 pm

you can convert A1k jack to DIN (a2k/3k/4k) easily and use one of those, also once you convert to a2k/3k/4k you could also use the ps2/usb converters.

User avatar
bonoedgey
Canada

Posted Mon Apr 16, 2018 9:11 pm

Thanks BloodyCactus :)

User avatar
Mr.Toast
Roseville, CA

Posted Fri Dec 28, 2018 10:08 am

Did you ever get this problem solved? I have **edit: all gone** (untested) A1000 keyboards. Replacement cables available on Amazon.

I just recently acquired them a few weeks back. You can check my thread in the lounge on them ("Abyss").

Regards,
Toast.
Last edited by Mr.Toast on Sun Feb 28, 2021 9:28 pm, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
TjLaZer
Tacompton

Posted Mon Feb 25, 2019 9:59 am

Mr.Toast wrote:Did you ever get this problem solved? I have a box of 12 (untested) A1000 keyboards. Replacement cables available on Amazon.

I just recently acquired them a few weeks back. You can check my thread in the lounge on them ("Abyss").

Regards,
Toast.
Post up pics of the Amiga 1000 keyboards, I'm sure you will have a lot of interest if they work.

As was mentioned, Commodore had a trade up program for buying the Amiga 2000 that only required you to turn in the keyboard for a hefty rebate. That's probably why there is a shortage of keyboards available.

User avatar
Mr.Toast
Roseville, CA

Posted Wed Feb 27, 2019 6:50 pm

Honestly, the hold up has been workspace on my side. I just got the bench largely cleared off this weekend and, let's just say I am enjoying the zen of a few days without a cluttered workspace. Besides, only getting a few hours in during the work week anyway.
.Toast
Last edited by Mr.Toast on Sun Feb 28, 2021 9:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.





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