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Frame from Symbolics Space Cadet keyboard review (Honeywell Hall effect 4B3E) Plays via YouTube's privacy-enhanced embed

Symbolics Space Cadet keyboard review (Honeywell Hall effect 4B3E)

Chyrosran22
Demos
YouTube
Cited on HN 3 times, 2019–2023, never outright recommended score 0
Years with an HN recommendation, 2007–2026

Linked in Lisp machine threads as the go-to video on the Space Cadet keyboard and how its switches differ from the Knight keyboard.

A review of the Symbolics Space Cadet keyboard, with its Honeywell Hall effect switches, including how it sounds and feels, and a typing demonstration. It is part of a series of vintage keyboard reviews.

“Chyrosran22 on Youtube explains all this” (HN, 2020)

3 citations · Demos

3 Hacker News comments

From the HN archive; up to 20 kept per video, favoring different commenters. Recommendations first.

@cpr Mar 2020 Cites it
on HN thread 35 years ago today: the first domain name symbolics.com was registered
Read more
As gumby says, the Space Cadet keyboards, being Microswitch Hall effect-based, were a bit spongy due to the big plastic case, but the switches themselves were dreamy. But the whole experience was still not as satisfying as the original Knight keyboards, I suspect because the Knight boards used the original, larger switches, while the Space Cadets used the smaller. Chyrosran22 on Youtube explains all this ( [link] and [this video] ). By the way, after 40 years of despairing over the loss of Hall effect switches (I nursed a Space Cadet Livermore Labs clone from a group buy for some years into the mid-80's), there are now two keyboards using this technology, and I'm loving the one that's actually available. Steelseries Apex Pro is what's now shipping, and it's a dream. ( [link] ) The Input Club Keystone is still coming, slowly ( [link] ), but I'm also really looking forward to trying it.
Explains Space Cadet and Knight keyboard switch differences.

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