Apple Newton Keyboard
| Apple Newton Keyboard | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Apple Newton Keyboard, model X0044 (UK layout) | |
| Manufacturer | Apple Computer, Inc. (Lexmark design; most units probably built by Key Tronic) |
| Type | Keyboard |
| Release date | Early 1996, with Newton OS 2.0 |
| Interface | 8-pin mini-DIN, Newton serial protocol (not ADB) |
| Compatible | Apple Newton MessagePad |
| Dimensions | 264 × 103 × 27 mm |
| Model | X0044 |
The Apple Newton Keyboard (model X0044) is a compact external keyboard for the Apple Newton MessagePad, available from early 1996 with Newton OS 2.0.[1] It is a derivative of the IBM Model M6-1, designed by Lexmark and using IBM buckling rubber sleeve key switches.[1]
Identification as an M6-1
[edit | edit source]Admiral Shark's Keyboards traces the lineage from three physical features, each narrower than the last:[1]
- The inner assembly's metal base plate is held together by teeth-like riveting, which marks it as a derivative of the Model M3 assembly of the IBM PS/2 L40SX keyboard.
- The keycaps mount on a crosspoint stem, which narrows it to the Model M6 or M6-1. The M3, M4 and M4-1 use a different mount and actuate the membrane through a keycap rod rather than a barrel slider.
- The barrel slider is black with a solidified mounting socket. M6 sliders are almost always brown with a more skeletal socket.
The first four key rows and the enlarged up-arrow key at bottom right match the Lexmark Lexbook MB-10, MB-15 and SE-10, which use the same medium-gauge sleeves and keycaps; the Lexbooks are siblings of the IBM ThinkPad 500 and 510CS, and the base-plate hook placement matches those too. The keyboard frame has an unused cut-out for a pointing-stick module below the G, H and B keys.[1]
Key switches
[edit | edit source]The X0044's keycaps are 16 × 16 × 3 mm excluding the stem, against 18 × 18 × 3.8 mm on a normal M6-1. The smaller keys use the medium-gauge sleeve that M6s and M6-1s otherwise use for function, navigation and Escape keys, which gives 2.5 mm of key travel against 3 mm on a standard IBM buckling-sleeve key. Multi-unit keys are wire-stabilised, and the X0044 has a grounding cable that most M6s lack.[1]
Construction
[edit | edit source]The case is a two-piece ABS clamshell. The bottom case is embossed "ABS" with a Lexmark-style part number, 1404795, below it. The inner assembly is held by plastic clips on all sides, and the cable is retained by a zip tie. The case colour samples as #495555 ("dark slate").[1]
| Part | Size |
|---|---|
| Outer case | 264 × 103 × 27 mm |
| Inner assembly | 245 × 85 × 0.4 mm |
| Controller PCB | 122.7 × 32 × 1.6 mm |
| Cable, keyboard to plug tip | 48 cm |
| Keycap | 16 × 16 × 3 mm (excluding stem) |
| Matrix size | 11 × 7 |
Connection
[edit | edit source]The X0044 does not use the Apple Desktop Bus. It uses its own serial protocol over an 8-pin mini-DIN plug, with three connections:[1]
| Function | Socket pin | Header pin | Wire colour | Microcontroller |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| +5 V | 2 | 5 | Brown | VCC |
| GND | 4 | 6 | Black | GND |
| DATA | 8 | 3 | Green | PD2 (typically RX1) |
ADB troubleshooting does not apply to it.
Revisions
[edit | edit source]Two revisions have been identified from examined examples. The last four digits of the controller IC number appear to be a year-and-week code; the changes appear on examples later than 95xx.[1]
| Earlier (IC code 95xx) | Later | |
|---|---|---|
| Assembly support | None; the assembly flexes and the plastic retaining clips snap | Two plus-shaped protrusions below the PCB area stop the assembly flexing |
| Keycap legends | Pad printed, with a visible outline around the text | No outline; apparently silk-screened |
The two examples examined are serial MQ5510026L5A (IC 1F15BLLAF9534, UK English) and serial PK7172HF6L5A (IC 1F15BCTCTAA9715, US English).[1]
Manufacture
[edit | edit source]Lexmark, the IBM spin-off that took over the Model M line, designed the keyboard. Key Tronic had taken over Model M6-1 production by the first quarter of 1996, before Lexmark left keyboard production in April 1996. Since the X0044 appeared in early 1996, Admiral Shark's Keyboards infers that most were made by Key Tronic in Mexico to Lexmark's design.[1]
Faults
[edit | edit source]- Broken retaining clips. On the earlier revision the inner assembly flexes when bottom-row keys are pressed, and the plastic clips snap. The later revision adds two plus-shaped supports under the PCB area to prevent it.[1]
- Binding keys. The X0044's keys bind more readily than other IBM buckling-sleeve keyboards, probably because the small sleeve struggles to stabilise the keycap.[1]
Modern use
[edit | edit source]Admiral Shark's Keyboards lists three ways to use the X0044 today: Markus Fritze's Newton Keyboard Enabler, a classic Mac OS extension that lets it stand in for an ADB keyboard; Jim Lombardo's Teensy 2.0 USB converter; and a TMK port by TheMK that runs on a Pro Micro.[1] All three rely on the pinout above.
See also
[edit | edit source]- Apple eMate 300 Service Source: Apple's service manual for the eMate 300, the Newton-family machine with a built-in keyboard.
- Apple Desktop Bus
- Apple Extended Keyboard II
References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 Admiral Shark's Keyboards, "Apple Newton Keyboard: The time Apple turned to IBM/Lexmark for a Model M", sharktastica.co.uk, published 15 April 2022, updated 29 July 2025. Based on two physically examined and photographed X0044s. Source for: availability in early 1996 with Newton OS 2.0; case colour sampled as #495555 "dark slate"; the measured specification table (outer case 264 × 103 × 27 mm, inner assembly 245 × 85 × 0.4 mm, controller PCB 122.7 × 32 × 1.6 mm, cable 48 cm keyboard to plug tip, keycap 16 × 16 × 3 mm excluding the stem, matrix size 11 × 7, accuracy ±0.2 mm); "ABS" and Lexmark-style part number 1404795 embossed in the bottom case; the zip-tie cable retainer; the 8-pin mini-DIN plug and its non-ADB protocol; identification as an M6-1 derivative by the teeth-like base-plate riveting, the crosspoint keycap mount and the black solidified-socket barrel slider; the medium-gauge sleeve and the resulting 2.5 mm key travel against 3 mm for standard IBM buckling-sleeve keys; the Lexbook MB-10/MB-15/SE-10 resemblance and the unused pointing-stick cutout below G, H and B; wire-stabilised multi-unit keys and the grounding cable most M6s lack; the two examined serial and IC numbers and the year-week reading of the last four IC digits; the two revisions (added plus-shaped protrusions and the change from pad-printed to apparently silk-screened legends); the socket and header pinout with wire colours; the note that Key Tronic took over M6-1 production by Q1 1996 ahead of Lexmark leaving the keyboard business in April 1996, and that most X0044s were therefore probably made by Key Tronic in Mexico to a Lexmark design; and the observation that the keys are more prone to binding than other IBM buckling-sleeve keyboards. Enthusiast research site (a secondary source), with photographs of both units; it marks where it infers rather than measures.