X500 Pro keyboard computer case


Young Ace

Young Ace

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The X500 Pro is the final product in a line of computer cases designed a few years back (the X500 Plus and later the Evo with a mechanical keyboard) as a tribute to the computers of the '80s and '90s (Commodore, Atari, Sinclair etc...). It's a wedge styled computer case with built-in, full size mechanical keyboard.
The X500 Pro is designed for modern hardware: mini-ITX motherboards (17cmx17cm), Flex-ATX power supplies (these can be found from 150W all the way up to 500W).
I have no affiliation with the project creator. I've just been waiting for this for years and would like to see it succeed.
 
i guess i like the idea of it. don't like the shape of it, though? i guess that's the size of things.
 
Why not post the kickstarter link? TBH, I was a bit saddened to see it was a Kickstarter, and that it's only about 10% funded (though it does have a while to go for funding)

I'll keep tabs on it, but not sure I can really justify splashing out on building another desktop, never mind the lack of space I've got to actually put it.
 
The big fat chunky ISO Enter key makes this an instant no for me.

There are a huge pile of color combinations presented for keycaps, but nothing that puts a US standard Enter key with a \ above it.

Keyboard threads are forever.
 
Apparently it's just a standard Ducky keyboard inside there, so I assume they do those in ANSI layouts. Unfortunately, the only configuration supported at the moment is the UK (ISO) layout with the slash button left of Z and shrunken left shift. If you're just ordering Cherry-MX compatible Amiga style keycaps then you can order ANSI or ISO in various nationalities, but it seems if you order the case you get lumbered with a UK ISO keyboard which may be of no use to you.
 
Not sure about this one.

One evolution of modern PC's are being bolted on the backside of the monitor. This thing looks like it has to either make the monitor go on top of the ventilation shafts (but the option exists to put the ventilation on the side) or you need a deep desk with 3 A4 paperstacks to get the monitor higher. Then there is the problem with the breakout board: No side DVD, no side USB (to connect a mouse or something "fast" without going to the backside. (granted, you can just plug a usb hub from the back and have it on the side).
My PC is at my feet, with the ventilation far away from my ears.
 
I remember back in the day when computers were still made this way, aluminium* stands existing that only stood on the case at the edges and were raised in the middle by an inch or two in a flat plateaux.

* May have actually been steel, given I couldn't see any corner supports helping those corners, and given even 14" monitors were quite heavy back then.

In this case, I don't think efficient ventilation has really been considered. If you're only mounting one case fan in that central position, I'd expect turbulence at the edges of the outflow meaning it's pumping not insignificant amounts of air back out of the uncovered half fan slots (some proportion of which it would then grab and pump around again). I'd expect that to raise noise levels, because you'd need to run the fan faster to get the same airflow across the hot boards and turblent airflow can be a little noisy in itself. And then there's nothing explicitly directing the airflow inside the case, other than their being fans on the hot bits. So a monitor stand on top of the case might actually improve airflow, you never know.
 
ible said:
i guess i like the idea of it. don't like the shape of it, though? i guess that's the size of things.
Click to expand...
You might like the Commodore 64x case replica from a couple years ago then even though it's even more constrained in size.
pmprog said:
Why not post the kickstarter link? TBH, I was a bit saddened to see it was a Kickstarter, and that it's only about 10% funded (though it does have a while to go for funding)

I'll keep tabs on it, but not sure I can really justify splashing out on building another desktop, never mind the lack of space I've got to actually put it.
Click to expand...
Sorry I figured it was better to show rather than tell. Of course not everyone's going to be hot for it like I am from just the teaser. The guy's past projects were successful though.
Grench said:
The big fat chunky ISO Enter key makes this an instant no for me.

There are a huge pile of color combinations presented for keycaps, but nothing that puts a US standard Enter key with a \ above it.

Keyboard threads are forever.
Click to expand...
levi said:
Apparently it's just a standard Ducky keyboard inside there, so I assume they do those in ANSI layouts. Unfortunately, the only configuration supported at the moment is the UK (ISO) layout with the slash button left of Z and shrunken left shift. If you're just ordering Cherry-MX compatible Amiga style keycaps then you can order ANSI or ISO in various nationalities, but it seems if you order the case you get lumbered with a UK ISO keyboard which may be of no use to you.
Click to expand...
I believe he offers ANSI keycaps to put on top of the ISO layout board. He's based in the UK so it's a UK supplier which is why the keyboard's ISO only. It's not like Ducky doesn't make this same model of keyboard with an ANSI layout that you'd be able to switch in, but that's extra cost out of pocket for the end user. It'd be nice if he included the whole Ducky keyboard so you could sell it for a US one.

Honestly, despite his track record this one doesn't seem to be shaping up as nicely so far. With the last model, you could've gotten a BYOB (keyboard) option with just the case. Nevertheless, I wanted to bring attention to this type of case and hope he doesn't falter and improves it if this doesn't go through since it's his last one.
 
As far as I know, almost all keyboard layouts are the same overall shape. So you could just buy a Ducky 105-key keyboard in your required lingo, strip that, swap the guts and bingo you have a UK layout keyboard to sell (albeit probably with the wrong sticker on the back of the case)
 
The chassis that I originally opened this thread with is dead so I ended up finding a substitute in the Checkmate A1500 which has the pizza box form factor. It's for Amiga fans but can fit mITX/mATX with a full-size reference blower-style graphics card (still have to use Flex-ATX PSU though). There'll also be risers so you can slide your keyboard under it when not in use.

https://www.amigasystems.com
 
The *chassis* is dead? Plenty of my old machines have bits broken off of them or flaps that no longer stay closed properly, but I wouldn't say any of them were dead. What happened?
 
levi said:
The *chassis* is dead? Plenty of my old machines have bits broken off of them or flaps that no longer stay closed properly, but I wouldn't say any of them were dead. What happened?
Click to expand...
I suppose I could've been more precise with my wording and said the project seems to be dead.
kuru said:
malwarebytes won't let me open that amigasystems page
Click to expand...
It's a false positive. That issue has been raised on the Facebook page before. This is the mirror of that site: http://www.imica.net. Here's the creator's Patreon which has links to the Facebook group and his YouTube channel. https://www.patreon.com/imicaltd
 
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