Apple Desktop Bus Keyboard

Apple Desktop Bus Keyboard
Switch	Alps SKCM Orange Alps SKCM Salmon Alps SKCL Lock SMK Alps Mount
Sense method	Metal contact
Protocol	ADB
Keycaps	Dye-sub PBT, Double-Shot ABS

The Apple Desktop Bus Keyboard was introduced by Apple in 1986 and sold with the Apple IIGS, which introduced the protocol. It is commonly referred to as the Apple IIGS keyboard to discern it from other ADB-protocol keyboards.

The keyboard features a two-part case. The top half consists only of the horizontal plastic segment that houses the Apple logo and cutout for power button. The rest of the tray wraps tightly around the case and has almost no bezel compared to other Apple keyboards like the Apple Standard Keyboard (M0116). Notably, keycaps that meet the corners of the tray are rounded to remain consistent with the shape of the case.

The changes in switches and keycaps provided with the ADB keyboard can be divided into three rough “generations”, two of which used Alps switches with PBT keycaps, and one with SMK switches and ABS keycaps.

The early version of the ADB keyboard was manufactured in Japan and is most easily identified by it's distinctive rear label. The label uses the Helvetica font instead of the Garamond-like font used on later versions and future Apple keyboards, provides the S/N and P/N 658-4081 (with no model number). There is no indication of whether the serial numbers are sequential. Variants of this keyboard came with Alps SKCM Orange switches and Alps SKCL Lock for the Caps Lock key.

The keycaps are dyesub PBT and re-introduced the design language used with the Apple IIc keyboard that dates back to 1984. Unlike the IIc keyboard, the IIGS keycaps are sculpted and match the curve of the case.

The SMK version of the ADB keyboard was made in Taiwan and has the “complex” rear label, with a model number A9M0330. It came with tactile SMK Alps Mount switches, with an SMK Alps-mount Caps Lock key.

This variant was delivered with doubleshot ABS keycaps, with a slightly different height and darker-colored legends. Despite these differences, the PBT keycap variant may still be used on SMK models, as they are both Alps-mount.

The later Alps version keyboard features the same rear label and model number as the SMK version, but provides an origin of Japan instead of Taiwan. This revision came with Alps SKCM Salmon switches and re-introduced the dyesub PBT keycaps. In all other aspects, this variant seems to be identical to the earliest Alps version with SKCM Orange.

• Early Alps Version
• Serial Number: 385735

• Serial Number: 016244