this post was submitted on 05 Jan 2025
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Is this a vintage keyboard repurposed for the TV show? (From Silo, season 1) (lemmy.world)
submitted 6 months ago by FarraigePlaisteach@lemmy.world to c/retrotechnology@lemmy.ca
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After seeing the various Commodore keyboards in Alien: Romulus I'm wondering if these ones from Silo existed in the past too.

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[–] hperrin@lemmy.ca 12 points 6 months ago (4 children)

Based on the key layout and shape of some of the keys, it definitely looks vintage.

Silo spoiler!Considering the silos were built in the 2030s, I’m not sure why they would use a retro keyboard. Or any retro technology. I get that they’re going for an “antique” look, because the silos are 250 years old at this point, but they could have just aged modern technology. I mean, the frickin suit helmets have a flat screen in them, why would they be using CRT monitors??

[–] ILikeTraaaains@lemmy.world 8 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

Magnification beyond certain point is forbidden in the pact, I don’t know how the residents of the silo could repair modern computers.

They are kept “in the past” both in technology and knowledge.

Season 2 spoilers

Tap for spoilerIn season 1 it is stated that they don’t know what stars are, in season 2 the same guy who studied “the lights in the sky” theorised about that the earth orbits the sun, thus, the population thinks that the sun orbits the earth.

Also people don’t know anything about cryptography.

[–] jballs@sh.itjust.works 8 points 6 months ago (1 children)

I kind of like the retro look. Considering the equipment in the silo needed to last hundreds of years, the retro look makes it seem more durable.

[–] Blue_Morpho@lemmy.world 7 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Which is weird because modern LCDs with LEDs will outlast a CRT.

[–] Serinus@lemmy.world 5 points 6 months ago (1 children)

And how often do they get fixed when they do break?

I think the show decision is mostly for the aesthetic, but also I get it.

[–] Blue_Morpho@lemmy.world 2 points 6 months ago

If they have the manufacturing to build crts they can have the manufacturing to build LCD screens.

Those computers need microprocessors. If you can make microprocessors you can make LEDs.

[–] DarkThoughts@fedia.io 2 points 6 months ago

The tech levels within the silos are purposely kept low. They also forbid things like pulley systems and other stuff that could potentially give them an advantage.

Would've been nice if you would've stuck with show spoilers specifically btw...

[–] brlemworld@lemmy.world 1 points 6 months ago

They don't want common plebs to have advanced technology. They are being raised to be submissive cattle

[–] tempest@lemmy.ca 9 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Vertical tab key on the left makes me think they tore the keyboard out of an IBM Selectric ( or similar 1960s electric typewriter as I have not seen one with beige keys). Image is too blurry to tell if the left shift looks right though.

If they didn't just put it in an enclosure they made then it's probably a terminal of some sort like a DECwriter, but not that cause it looks like it only came in black.

[–] Monument@lemmy.sdf.org 3 points 6 months ago

In the context of the series, a terminal would make a lot of sense.

[–] aeronmelon@lemmy.world 5 points 6 months ago (1 children)

That space bar is a mile long! Is that a Commodore keyboard?

[–] FarraigePlaisteach@lemmy.world 1 points 6 months ago

I've never seen a C= computer with a vertical tab key, so I doubt it.

[–] DarkThoughts@fedia.io 4 points 6 months ago

It looks very Commodore but aside from the odd caps on the corners, which may just be custom placed there, the biggest oddity would be the straightly aligned keys on the edges. On the older Commodore boards that share the general design of this one, the two bottom rows are usually slightly more aligned towards the left, compared to the top rows. Atari had some similar keyboard layouts like this but they generally looked different. Maybe some modern retro inspired replica.

[–] HakFoo@lemmy.sdf.org 2 points 6 months ago (1 children)

I'd wonder if it's a typewriter keyboard module. The layout is odd-- that two-line tab is unusual for example.

[–] FarraigePlaisteach@lemmy.world 1 points 6 months ago

I suspect this is the most likely answer. I still haven't found out what model it is yet, though.

[–] Mandarbmax@lemmy.world 2 points 6 months ago

Hard to say for sure but based on how the case looks blow molded and the spherical keycaps I suspect that it might be a Futaba manufactured vintage keyboard in the image. Couldn't tell you what model though, I'm sorry.

The blow molded case and spherical caps and oddly shaped tab and lone spacebar on the bottom row are all things that used to be common in the late 70s and early 80s but are no longer common in keyboard design so I do think it is authentic vintage even though I don't know much more than a strong guess about the manufacturer (Futaba) and an educated guess about the switch (Futaba MD, MR, or ML series) and keycaps (doubleshot injection molded ABS).

Hope this helps!