comment: >
  
  What makes Amber Alps (or any of the other vintage switches) so desirable?
context: As a noob, what am I looking at here? >
  
  this is from a type of old apple keyboard that came with varying switch types - some are apparently borderline mythical in quality, and others, like the ones above, are potentially among the worst switches ever made >
  
  That doesn’t look like a butterfly switch >
  
  You're right, it looks like Mitsumi standard mechanicals, which have alps mount sliders.  i dont know much about these switches, theyre probably not that bad, but definitely no amber alps >
  
  Really interesting seeing the names Alps and Mitsumi pop up here, too.
  Those are mega familiar to me from fixing up PS2 controllers. Alps, Mistumi and Hosiden were the 3 main variants of PS2 controllers, denoted by the letters A, M and H respectively on the backs of controllers (named after the factories they came from). I'm pretty sure they've been involved with playstation constrollers since the beginning. H and A variants are mega common here in UK, haven't seen a single Mitsumi PS2 controller here yet.
  Caught me off guard seeing those names  here, but I guess they make all kinds of components so not surprising. >
  
  I swear PS2 controllers are so old and so badly kept that it's impossible to find one for under $60 in a decent condition.
  Ended up just buying a convertor to use Series X and PS5 controllers on my PS2, since it's literally cheaper to buy a Dualsense controller than a decent Dualshock PS2 controller. >
  
  PS2 controller repair was an interesting rabbit hole that I previously explored.
  Dualshock 2 was hilariously flimsy due to the membranes used to help achieve the pressure sensitive button feature. PS3 controllers were far sturdier in this regard, at least from my personal experience of fixing. Thankfully decent alternatives are available these days, like a Brook adapter + Dualshock 3 combo, or the retrofighters pad (both of which preserve that pressure sensitive feature). But I do love the Series X controller - that circular clicky dome-switch D-pad is wonderful.
  PS2 pads are surprisingly straightforward to fix with some basic soldering knowledge and a stack of the  correct replacement membranes +/- connector sockets depending the variant in question (these should still be readily available via AliExpress, ebay, etc). I'm probably biased in saying that as I previously carved my own niche fixing these for local shops! A joblot of busted PS2 controllers could be had for relatively little when I used to deal with them, and it was almost always the same issue of a faulty conductive membrane that needed replacing (also sometimes the occasional  drifting stick... another one of Alps' contributions!)
  The problem for the past 3ish years is that a key online knowledge source was lost when AssemblerGames forum was shut down around 2020 (but apparently the info is accessible via wayback machine and other preservation efforts.) Thankfully some solid YouTube tutorials have also emerged and the knowledge seems to be coming back somewhat. Understandably not everyone is up to that kind of DIYing, I know I wasn't for the longest time. >
  
  F >
  
  My 3rd blind-purchase Apple IIc. First two were mint condition Ambers, and some really dirty Ambers.
  Not so lucky this time around! Got shafted, and stuck with some of the worst designed crap ever conceived. I now fully understand the pain described by the use of these switches. >
  
  are the caps at least MX compatible? >
  
  Nope.  Cross mount is not equal to MX compatible.  These stems are a little bigger.  Also, as is visible from the keycap, the stem doesn't go into the switch like MX do.  So while the keycap will "fit" on an MX switch, you won't be able to press it down as it will already be on the switch housing. >
  
  Have an orange alps one in my garage, if you're interested pm me. The keycaps are quite different than the one you posted though. >
  
  more like what disppointment looks like >
  
  So what am I looking at? More than a filthy old keyboard with MX(?) stem switches? What's the disappointment? >
  
  apple IIC keyboards either come with amber alps (one of the most sought after vintage switches) or apple hairpin switches which are rather awful and the switches pictured definitely arent alps