Was there ever a microcomputer with a full-size keyboard and a hex numpad?

Question

I'm aware of some early/super hobbyist microcomputers that came with ONLY a hex numpad (that is, no letters beyond F/no punctuation). I'm also aware of home microcomputers that had the usual decimal numpads.

But was there ever a microcomputer that came as standard with a full keyboard that included a numpad that also contained the hex digits? I know entering long strings of hex digits is a not uncommon activity on these early micros, at least for programmers, so it wouldn't surprise me if this was done.

(I seem to recall a memory in the back of my head of one that had this, but I could be completely imagining it — I thought it was the BBC Master but looking at photos it's clearly not!)

Answer 1

Apparently you misunderstood the reasoning behind a hex keypad: It never was a means to ease input of hex characters, but rather the cheapest method to input anything at all. Early single board computers like the KIM-1 or µProfessor used this as the only (and cheapest) method to enter everything.

Later, "full-size" home computers like the Apple II or Commodores were proud to have full-size ASCII keyboards - A hex keypad, even in addition to the full-size one, would probably have de-valued those machines in the eyes of the customers. And, frankly speaking: I have typed in a myriads of hex numbers during my life as a programmer, but honestly never came up with the desire for a hex keypad when I had a "real" one.

Answer 2

I'm going to point at the TK-80 with the TK-80BS external keyboard:

(The image is from [NEC] TK-80 (IPSJ Computer Museum).)

Unfortunately this doesn't answer your question fully, since you ask for a microcomputer that came as standard with a full keyboard that included a numpad that also contained the hex digits, and this is a computer plus an expansion kit and two separate keyboards. It is, however, close enough to be of interest.

NEC commercialized a fully-assembled kit, comprising both the TK-80 and the TK-80BS under the name "COMPO BS/80". As far as I can tell, the hexadecimal numpad of the TK-80 itself remains hidden under the case, accessible via a hinged door.

(The above image is from 70年代のマイコン.)

(The above image is from 東京の夏に雹（ひょう）が降った。COMPO BS/80 シースルーケース改造. The owner replaced some of the beige plastic from the case with a transparent sheet.)

Answer 3

None that I know of (*1).

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Where would the use case be (*2) - it's allways about the use case. On a single boarder all data is hex, so the keyboard needs hex plus function keys. They are not necessarily 'simplified' - some of them had more keys than 'full' keyboards - but special to purpose. Same as other to purpose keyboards, like for registers or CNC machines.

The typewriter keyboard in contrast is a general purpose keyboard, reduced to the maximum. It can handle all input, including function selection when considering a command line.

Modern PC keyboards are in turn an extension to the typewriter keyboard with a few function keys, added modifiers for more versatile use, numpad for accounting and generic function keys. All meant to cover as many usages as possible.

So where would be the use case for a typewriter keyboard plus hexpad (plus function key)? A use case generic enough to make construction of such a computer (not just keyboard) worthwhile?

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*1 - I'm saying this despite the fact that I did add A..F keys to a numpad on a terminal many years back - it had an unused row of key positions right of the numpad so soldering 5 more keys was not an issue.

*2 - Then again, none of my colleagues followed that and I wouldn't call them less productive - quite contrary.