IBM Pingmaster
| Error creating thumbnail: File with dimensions greater than 12.5 MP | |
| Part number | 5954339, 6112883, 6112884, 6113442, 6341739 |
|---|---|
| Branding | IBM |
| Manufacturer | Alps Electric |
| Keyswitches | Alps SKCC Green |
| Keycaps | Double-shot spherical ABS |
| Interface | IBM 4704 proprietary |
| Rollover | NKRO |
| Introduced | 1983<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PebUy7hvrd8</ref> |
IBM Pingmaster is the nickname given to a series of keyboards manufactured for the Asian market for IBM by Alps Electric around 1983. They are intended for use with the IBM 4704 display terminal. Five versions are known, which have either Chinese or Japanese legends.
The keyboard gained popularity when an eBay seller posted a large quantity for sale around 2013-2015. The nickname "IBM Pingmaster" was given to it in 2014 (at least) by Dorkvader for the pinging noise of the Alps SKCC Green switches when used with a replaced controller.<ref name="pingmasterorigin">Geekhack thread:Great Finds—IBM 6113442 (Chinese) or 6112884 (Japanese) Alps T-mount $30 + shipping</ref>
5954339[edit | edit source]
A Japanese variant of the "Pingmaster"; bottom row of the numpad is "0", "00", "000"
6112883[edit | edit source]
A Japanese <ref> WorthPoint - IBM 6112883 - PINGMASTER KEYBOARD (JAPANESE VER) OPEN-BOX</ref> variant of the "Pingmaster"; has a lot of relegendable keycaps.
6112884[edit | edit source]
A Japanese variant of the "Pingmaster"; bottom row of the numpad is "0", "000", "."
-
-
By default, the numpad is positioned in the centre cluster. It is common for owners today to relocate it to the right cluster.
-
-
Unlike the ones in the main cluster, the relegendable caps on the right use a uniform profile.
-
-
-
The connector features the only actual IBM branding on the board.
-
The connector is a DE-9 plug with only four pins used.
6113442[edit | edit source]
A Chinese variant of the "Pingmaster"; bottom row of the numpad is "0", "00", "."<ref>Imgur - IBM "Ping master" model no. 6113442</ref>
6341739[edit | edit source]
A Chinese <ref> WorthPoint - IBM 4704 ALPS GREEN "PINGMASTER" CHINESE LEGENDS KEYBOARD. 6341739 NOS</ref> variant of the "Pingmaster"; has a lot of relegendable keycaps.
