I spent months hemming and hawwing over starting this project. Looking at the ebay listings, seeing if anything cooler showed up, and always coming back to the AX170. I was concerned I wouldn't be able to convert the keyboard once I had the machine though, since the DIY keyboard scene is like drinking from several fire hoses at once to get into, and I didn't want to gut a classic computer if I couldn't get it working again.

Thankfully, I came across a busted TI Silent 70 teletype, and it was close enough to try a USB conversion on. https://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-a-USB-Laptop-Keyboard-Controller/ served as a great tutorial for getting a basic keyboard conversion taken care of. I breadboarded up the teletype keyboard and after much fiddling and half-understanding I managed to get the little keyboard working on a modern PWith that under my belt and my appetite whetted, I ripped off the bandaid and ordered the AX170! A week or so later a nicely packed box that showed it's trip from Jordan to Georgia (USA) arrived:

I can't read Arabic, but I know it runs right to left, and with a bit of poking around I managed to get it partly working on a modern TV and found it still working with MS-basic, word processor, spreadsheet, paint, and calendar program on the ROM. Pretty decent factory feature set for the mid to late 80s.

Godspeed little AX170. When next you awaken you'll be roughly 1000x faster and I'll be sure to set up an MSX emulator so you don't lose any of your software library.