geekhack
geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: Santa on Mon, 14 December 2009, 18:08:17
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I have been researching keyboards for quite awhile because of a game called typeracer (lol) . So i got interested, found out about mechanical keyboards, and went digging up in my storage room for one. These are pics of what I found after cleaning:
(http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj188/Santamacx/Picture4.jpg)
(http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj188/Santamacx/Picture5.jpg)
(http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj188/Santamacx/Picture7.jpg)(http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj188/Santamacx/Picture8.jpg)
(http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj188/Santamacx/Picture9.jpg)
can u help identify this keyboard for me? It's definitely not rubber dome, each key has it's own plastic device. The keys make a loud-ish noise when it is pressed down upon the base.
also, I'm looking into buying a new keyboard possibly.
What I find good to me would be :
-tactile
-clicky (the most sound doesn't bother me, the more clicky the better)
- ~$35 range
I type a lot, and love to type.
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Some rubber dome keyboards do have the sliders beneath each key. I believe yours is one such example. NMB made that same -- or nearly the same -- keyboard for Micron, Compaq, and a variety of other OEMs. They were relatively common in the early days of rubber dome keyboards, but keyboard manufacturers have since found ways to cheapen their product even further, e.g. by removing the separate slider mechanism and building it into the keycaps.
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Those are some of the best rubber domes out there. If I were you, I'd keep that keyboard. It's not tactile like a mechanical, but still has a very good feel to it nonetheless.
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It certainly can't hurt to pick up something like a Model M anyway. Dunno whether they can be had for 35 bucks or less (IIRC they can if you look hard), but they're about as tactile and clicky as they come, and a classic in any case.
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Rebranded NMB rubber dome... not a bad feel to it... but still a rubber dome.
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nice ^^
I'm happy that it is quite good of a keyboard. So do u guys still suggest me to go for another keyboard?
btw what is a Topre? is it any good?
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hey I found this one for exactly my price range :)
http://cgi.ebay.com/IBM-MODEL-M-1391401-CLICKY-KEY-KEYBOARD-PS-2-MEX-LABEL_W0QQitemZ390126433359QQcmdZViewItemQQptZPCA_Mice_Trackballs?hash=item5ad558f44f
Is this model different in springiness than other models?
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It certainly can't hurt to pick up something like a Model M anyway. Dunno whether they can be had for 35 bucks or less (IIRC they can if you look hard), but they're about as tactile and clicky as they come, and a classic in any case.
hey I found this one for exactly my price range :)
http://cgi.ebay.com/IBM-MODEL-M-1391401-CLICKY-KEY-KEYBOARD-PS-2-MEX-LABEL_W0QQitemZ390126433359QQcmdZViewItemQQptZPCA_Mice_Trackballs?hash=item5ad558f44f
Is this model different in springiness than other models?
Looks like you found what you want.
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does the "mexican" blue label and the metal label make a difference in the keyboard?
edit:
ok, so I'm kind of caught up in a situation here
my brother just bought this keyboard : http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/keyboards/keyboard/devices/4741&cl=us,en
and he said that he was going to give it to me for christmas
but then i told him I was looking into buying a mechanical keyboard. He told me I was crazy and that I should get an old IBM with it too.
So should i just go with that keyboard or what? It seems ok-ish.... Ehh i'd much rather have an ibm model m though.
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Some believe that the earlier Ms were better made -- but the differences, if any, are very small. If anything, the amount and type of usage of the keyboard over the years will have more of an impact on its current quality than the build date will. So don't worry much about color or type of label.
By "get an old IBM with it too", your brother seems to be recommending the same thing that we are. An "old" Model M as a companion to the diNovo. If you do that, though, you'll be likely to consider the diNovo as a secondary/companion/backup to the M. :smile: You may be able to find an M or similar 'vintage' keyboard at local thrift stores -- Goodwill, etc -- but they're much rarer than they once were, so if you decide to try this you'll probably need to make several visits to several different stores before you find something.
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Some believe that the earlier Ms were better made -- but the differences, if any, are very small. If anything, the amount and type of usage of the keyboard over the years will have more of an impact on its current quality than the build date will. So don't worry much about color or type of label.
By "get an old IBM with it too", your brother seems to be recommending the same thing that we are. An "old" Model M as a companion to the diNovo. If you do that, though, you'll be likely to consider the diNovo as a secondary/companion/backup to the M. :smile: You may be able to find an M or similar 'vintage' keyboard at local thrift stores -- Goodwill, etc -- but they're much rarer than they once were, so if you decide to try this you'll probably need to make several visits to several different stores before you find something.
that's not what he meant xD
he mean to say an old IBM computer, and he said it jokingly. Like " yeah and you should get the first mac with it too"
something to that effect.
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Some believe that the earlier Ms were better made -- QUOTE]
It's not an illusion, they are better made.
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There are small differences, mostly in the casing quality. But even the most recent Ms -- fresh from Unicomp -- are of much higher quality than the keyboards used by 99% of computer users. Any M in good condition will be a huge step up for someone looking for an upgrade from rubber dome keyboards (with the exception of the somewhat uncommon rubber dome Ms, of course!).
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Invest on a good keyboard, it may last a lifetime and make your typing a new experience.
Yes go and grab a new IBM Model M (IBM or Lexamark).
Or go for the Blue Cherries switches (Filco or Scorpius)
In other words get initiated to the mysteries of the mechanical switches.
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There are small differences, mostly in the casing quality. But even the most recent Ms -- fresh from Unicomp -- are of much higher quality than the keyboards used by 99% of computer users. Any M in good condition will be a huge step up for someone looking for an upgrade from rubber dome keyboards (with the exception of the somewhat uncommon rubber dome Ms, of course!).
Agreed. Any Model M, new or used, in decent condition would be a huge step up for anyone used to typing on a cheap rubber dome keyboard and differences in quality among the Model Ms wouldn't be noticed by the unsophisticated user.
However, unlike many of you geekhackers, I believe the cumulative impact of cost reduction measures by IBM and later Lexmark reduced the overall Model M build quality which generally had a negative impact on the typing experience versus the earlier production models. Granted, these changes were subtle and occurred over a period of years.
Compare the typing experience of an almost 24 year old 1390120 vs. a 1999 NIB 42H1292. The build quality of the 1390120 is superior in every way to the 42H1292 and therefore provides a better typing experience...after 24 years of use.
This phenomenon is fundamental to any manufacturing operation and is part of product life cycle management. At Price Pfister, we continually sought opportunities to reduce standard costs, while Marketing maintained the perception that the "new and improved" products were equal to or better than their predecessors. Whether it's faucets or keyboards, all that matters is margin and how to continually increase it until the product reaches the end of the road.
OK, enough already, I'll get off the soap box. You'll still have to pry my 42H1292 or Unicomp Space Saver from my cold fingers.
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Invest on a good keyboard, it may last a lifetime and make your typing a new experience.
Yes go and grab a new IBM Model M (IBM or Lexamark).
Or go for the Blue Cherries switches (Filco or Scorpius)
In other words get initiated to the mysteries of the mechanical switches.
Good advice ! :)
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A few weeks ago, Brian O' Neill had a large number of 42H1292s selling for $25 a piece. I'd say he'd get more in sooner or later. One advantage of buying from him is that you know you're not going to get a crapped out Model M.
This is a good seller too, and it's one of oldies -
1390131 (http://cgi.ebay.ie/Vintage-IBM-1390131-M-Clicky-Keyboard-RESTORED-NOV-88_W0QQitemZ290380039737QQcmdZViewItemQQptZPCA_Mice_Trackballs?hash=item439bffc639#ht_4106wt_1167)
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what about this keyboard?
http://cgi.ebay.com/Cherry-MX119000-MX-119000-PS2-Touchpad-Keyboard-104_W0QQitemZ350289420255QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item518ee05fdf
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what about this keyboard?
http://cgi.ebay.com/Cherry-MX119000-MX-119000-PS2-Touchpad-Keyboard-104_W0QQitemZ350289420255QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item518ee05fdf
Great keyboard, but not clicky or tactile. Still mechanical though. It's just a straight shot up and down. I love them, but most people do not enjoy them for typing due to their high force. They're called a linear switch(since there is no 'bump' when the switch actuates)
Probably should go with the Model Ms to begin with, they're a great place to start :)
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what about this keyboard?
http://cgi.ebay.com/Cherry-MX119000-MX-119000-PS2-Touchpad-Keyboard-104_W0QQitemZ350289420255QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item518ee05fdf
Cherry Black switches? Eric?
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what about this keyboard?
http://cgi.ebay.com/Cherry-MX119000-MX-119000-PS2-Touchpad-Keyboard-104_W0QQitemZ350289420255QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item518ee05fdf
Just one thing to think about if you are getting a Compaq MX119000 is the layout. If this is going to be your daily driver, then you may get used to it over time, but if you are going back and forth between this layout and another layout, you'll be frustrated quite a bit.
I think it's nice of you brother to buy you a keyboard, which is not cheap either. It would be nice if you could get a good mechanical keyboard on top if you decide to keep his keyboard. It's rude to refuse a gift :-)
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Probably should go with the Model Ms to begin with, they're a great place to start :)
x2
They were my first really good keyboard many years ago, and even now I tend to be going back and forth between my main M and a vintage G80-3000 with blues.
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Well my brother did buy that keyboard, but he does this type of thing often. He browses techbargains and dealsea a lot and finds cheap keyboards/ pc hardware and buys it to probably sell it later or give as gifts. That's how I got my G9. He just happened to buy a dinovo and said I could have it.
About the Cherry MX vs. Model M
What's the feeling of the Cherry MX I listed up there vs. a rubber dome?
O yeah, my brother did get it for only $20
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As far as I know, they use the Black Cherry switches, which are stiff and non-tactile. Model M is a much much better choice.
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Well my brother did buy that keyboard, but he does this type of thing often. He browses techbargains and dealsea a lot and finds cheap keyboards/ pc hardware and buys it to probably sell it later or give as gifts. That's how I got my G9. He just happened to buy a dinovo and said I could have it.
About the Cherry MX vs. Model M
What's the feeling of the Cherry MX I listed up there vs. a rubber dome?
O yeah, my brother did get it for only $20
Still, he gets you stuffs :-) All you have to do is give him a big hug :-)
I don't know what Cherry MX is in the MX 11900. I have tried the blue and the brown cherries, but I think any Cherry MX would feel significantly different from a rubber dome.
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MX blacks are quite different from any rubber dome indeed. Being a linear type of switch with a mid-travel actuation point, they take some getting used to. The kind of actuation force required actually is lower than for a Model M but there is no feedback indicating whether the key has actually fired. Operation is smooth.
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o yeah a question, how do you guys know that my keyboard is a rubber dome? Can you just tell my the model number on the label on the back?
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That, plus prior experience with the same NMB model.
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k, thanks guys. I ordered a model m from ebay :D
hopefully it should come soon.