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I don't know how their switches worked, but the Wang 2200 terminals¹ that my father worked with had an interesting angle on tactile feedback; on each keypress a single chunky solenoid attached to it physically moved to give a satisfying "chunk" noise and vibration.

The idea presumably was to give solid mechanical feedback to professional typists used to the same from electromechanical typewriters throwing the type arm onto the platten.

Note this was late 70s/early 80s so I may be confusing/conflating it with other machines.

¹ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wang_2200#/media/File%3AWang22...

2 comments

I can't say for sure about the Wang terminal keyboards, but what you're describing sounds a lot like a mechanism from some IBM Model B keyboards (usually called Beamsprings). I have an IBM 5251 keyboard that has a solenoid that hammers the side of the metal case whenever you type, and I've heard that it was added as users would have been used to typewriters and wanted to know for sure when they had registered a keypress

So honestly I don't quite remember if I encountered this with the Wangs, or if I'm recalling my Dad telling me about it from his experiences.

If the latter then odds are that it was either a machine from Wang and in that case most likely the 2200, or otherwise it will have most probably been equipment associated with the Gamma 10 from De La Rue Bull, or possibly the Ferranti Pegasus - both of which I know he worked with.

Of course, he might have been telling me a third-party anecdote in which case it's possible the IBM Display Station was the machine in question.

That all said, last time I was discussing this with someone they mentioned that the 2200's terminal had a "solenoid" trace on its PCB so it's quite possible that this really was the relevant device. Last time I personally had hands on a live 2200 was about 1993 though, so I really can't be sure.

There's a chap in the Netherlands with a Wang 2200 museum - perhaps I should just write to him and ask :D

This guy sells new beam-spring keyboards with optional solenoids. https://www.modelfkeyboards.com

I have never seen one in person.

Those are buckling spring. Beam springs are older and different.

There are new models that are recreating beam spring too. (Although I don't think they are in stock yet).

I have one, the reproduction of the model F104, and it's great. However I no longer use it daily as I've since built a custom ergonomic mechanical keyboard to do the same duty. I did not opt for the solenoid. The F keyboards use buckling springs, just like the M keyboards, the beam-spring keyboards are of a different design.