Document: WM-080 P. Webb Category: Computing 2026-01-05 Using Old Tech in the New Age Abstract Don’t call it a comeback Body Keyboard Vintage tools tend to be on the expensive side so I’ve always looked at Apple’s Extended Keyboard (AEK) II as one such device. Imagine my surprise then when I found that I could order one from eBay for less than $100! In the original packaging!! 📸[Packaging for the AEK II][IMG1] If you look close you can see that it previously lived at "Computerland Corporation[1]," which was a Radio Shack-esque chain of stores. I looked it up out of curiousity and man, what a timeline...the drama! When I opened the box I was happy to see how great the keyboard looked. I know yellowing is to be expected but mine isn’t egregious. If I go through with restoring the original color, I’ll update this memo. 📸[Bean and Cocoa checking out the AEK II][IMG2] This thing is a CHONKER and I love it. But why use this instead of the very pretty, customized Womier RD75 pictured here? 📸[Comparing my Womier RD75][IMG3] For whatever reason, the system key would reset on my Womier and I’d waste time trying to get it to how it was before, using the VIA web app (which is only useable in Chromium browsers). I’d much rather not deal with that...although in hindsight, I could probably just use an app like Karabiner Elements[2] instead. In any event, I enjoy having a numpad as well. All the new fancy keyboards like to be minimal but I’ve come to realize I’m a maximalist, at least in this area. The quirk with the AEK II though, is that it comes with proprietary ports, Apple’s ADB. Of the adapters I found, only one appealed to me; a pre-assembled TMK ADB-USB converter I purchased from a person on a forum[3]. It felt sketch as hell but I figured, why not? My keyboard is also coming from a random person across the country, why not some doohickey from another country entirely? 📸[ADB adapter connected to my MacBook and keyboard][IMG4] Something that befuddled me on first use was that the button next to the USB port needed to be pressed before the keyboard would work. 📼[Apple Extended Keyboard II typing test][VID1] The only downside to AEK II was media controls not working; the function keys not doing things that modern Mac keyboards do, like changing volume, pausing music, &c. Fret not, mhoye[4] reminded me that I could probably use Karabiner Elements to fix this and indeed it has! One thing KE has no idea about is the Power button on this keyboard, which makes sense because it’s not a key. 📸[My Karabiner config][IMG5] There _is_ a way to make the Power button do something but that involves flashing the chip[5] on this ADB adapter. I would want it to operate like the emoji or globe/fn key. I have no idea how to do that just yet...another future project, maybe. Watch I ~~use~~ used my Apple Watch daily, most often to set a 15-minute alarm between my kittens’ eating times (they lack self-control so we feed them half their meal and make them wait for the other half), and unlocking my computer and security/password prompts. My watch is a Series 7 (2021) and I need to charge it every day-ish. It’s _fine_ but I feel meh about upgrading it. SegamanXero[6] told me about the round Pebble watch being made available for pre-order[7], which prompted me to look at Casio watches, LOL! I found two super dope ones and ordered them both. The Casio LF-20W-8A[8] ($30) and Casio LF-30W-8A[9] ($40). 📸[Casio LF-20W-8A][IMG6] 📸[Casio LF-30W-8A][IMG7] I’ve been wearing the former for a few days now and what I dislike the most is needing to type my password all the time. 😭 The convenience of a wrist-based authenticator is fantastic. Sure would be nice if Apple would sell a standalone Touch ID thingy! Something like that would increase "customer sat" so maybe someone could convince Tim Cook this is a great idea? "Services" seems to be the most important metric these days so maybe not...alas. Another plus of using an Apple Watch is not needing to have my phone on me when doing things around the house. At worst, my wife will be inconvenienced with waiting for me to get to my phone to answer her text about what food items we’re low on while she’s out shopping. Oh, and being able to raise my wrist to tell Siri is set a timer. The plus of using a Casio is having a cool fucking watch on my wrist. It costs 13x less than the cheapest Series 11 and is objectively rad. CD Player & Wired Headphones 📸[Coby CD player and Marshall headphones][IMG8] My wife got me a CD player for Christmas because I’ve been yapping about old tech for a hot minute (and I’ve never stopped buying CDs either, to rip FLACs to then play in Doppler[10]/IINA[11]). The Marshall Major V headphones[12] I purchased a few weeks prior, because I never had them in brown (and got a great deal)! I had a pair in black when Marshall first released these (oh god) nearly two decades ago...I’m not fact-checking this, I know I had hair then. Anyhoo, these headphones are wireless (Bluetooth) and support wired use. 📸[Assortment of Samurai Champloo CDs][IMG9] The same day my Marshalls arrived, so did several Samurai Champloo soundtracks. My 2006 self would not be surprised at my 2026 self. Once the rainy weather lets up, I’m gonna have to take some walks with my anti-skip CD player. My Nintendo GameBoy fanny pack is in disarray (ripped) but I do have other side bags I could use. I’m a dad, this is my life now, and I’m satisfied. 😎 Phone I haven’t made the jump to a flip phone yet but I’m still considering it. At best, it’d be a second phone, not a replacement for my iPhone. The utility of a wireless supercomputer in my pocket in 2026 is simply too great. All in all, I really enjoy this keyboard. It’s a joy to type on and I am happy that I got media controls working on it. I would love if future computers had keyboards like this. In any event, I’m getting ideas for systemSOFT[13] hardware. 🕸️ References [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [IMG1] [IMG2] [IMG3] [IMG4] [IMG5] [IMG6] [IMG7] [IMG8] [IMG9] [VID1]