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Author Topic: Picked up a weird Model-M  (Read 9933 times)

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Offline TWX

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Picked up a weird Model-M
« on: Thu, 22 October 2009, 19:40:26 »
I just picked up (and am using at least for the moment) a weird black IBM Type-M-style keyboard with a rubber-head pointer mouse built in.  So far it's interesting.  I hadn't typed on a keyboard this loud in some time.  I can tell that I intrude the left hand on to the right hand's side a little though, since I keep bumping the pointer device when I do so.  I had to fix the spacebar as is seemingly common and probably why so many keyboards are junked...

Part # 13H6705
FRU # 13H6710
ID # M300723
Date 02/03/97
Plt # 00
Model M13

Last time I used an IBM Model-M regularly was in high school when they had them on the 286 PS/2 Model 25 all-in-ones they had for card catalog lookup stations.  Those were the pop off key cap type.  They eventually replaced them with the mini IBM keyboards whose keys were one piece instead of with caps on them.

Donno how my wife is going to like this keyboard when she's sitting about four feet away.  I might have to go back to my Maxiswitch/GW2K Anykey...
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TWX
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Offline TWX

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Picked up a weird Model-M
« Reply #1 on: Thu, 22 October 2009, 19:48:49 »
Heh.  Just re-read the label and found that this one is made by Maxiswitch too...  Shame they're not around anymore...
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Offline InSanCen

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Picked up a weird Model-M
« Reply #2 on: Thu, 22 October 2009, 21:12:47 »
IBM M13... congrats. What did you pay.

Typing on one now BTW... love it.
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Currently Using :- IBM M13 1996, Black :
Currently Own :- 1391406 1989 & 1990 : AT Model F 1985 : Boscom 122 (Black) : G80-3000 : G80-1800 (x2) : Wang 724 : G81-8000LPBGB (Card Reader, MY) : Unitek : AT102W : TVS Gold :
Project\'s :- Wang 724 Pink-->White Clicky : USB Model M : IBM LPFK :
Pointing stuff :- Logitech MX-518 : I-One Lynx R-15 Trackball : M13 Nipple : Microsoft Basic Optical\'s :

Offline TWX

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Picked up a weird Model-M
« Reply #3 on: Thu, 22 October 2009, 22:24:34 »
Nothing.  It was a discard.  Free.

That's how I've obtained all but a handful of my extra peripherals.  Sometimes it's mice with bad button switches, so I cannibalize to make good ones.  In this case, the lack of window/menu keys probably caused it to be tossed.
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Offline msiegel

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Picked up a weird Model-M
« Reply #4 on: Thu, 22 October 2009, 22:53:52 »
Quote from: TWX;127736
Nothing.  It was a discard.  Free.

That's how I've obtained all but a handful of my extra peripherals.  Sometimes it's mice with bad button switches, so I cannibalize to make good ones.  In this case, the lack of window/menu keys probably caused it to be tossed.


breaks in half? no windows key??

into the bin.

;)
ps - great find :D
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Filco Zero (Fukka) AEKII sliders and keycaps * Filco Tenkeyless MX brown * IBM F/AT parts: modding
Model F Mod Log * Open Source Generic keyboard controller

Offline TWX

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Picked up a weird Model-M
« Reply #5 on: Thu, 22 October 2009, 23:58:08 »
I used to despise the "lamer keys" as we called the Microsoft-added keys.  They always caused Quake (back before Win Quake) to crash.  I had a Mouse Systems ergonomic keyboard at the time, and I ended up prying the keys off and making blanks that fit in the holes to make it more like my old one was.  Any DOS game being played under Windows 95 was a PITA with those keys.  What really annoyed me is that there already was a keyboard command for the Start menu, and if memory serves there used to be one for the context menu too.
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Offline ch_123

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Picked up a weird Model-M
« Reply #6 on: Fri, 23 October 2009, 04:37:27 »
Quote from: TWX;127715
Part # 13H6705
FRU # 13H6710
ID # M300723
Date 02/03/97
Plt # 00
Model M13


Congratulations, you found for free a keyboard that used to regularly sell on ebay for $150-200 (not as much any more, they seem to be more common)

Quote
They eventually replaced them with the mini IBM keyboards whose keys were one piece instead of with caps on them.


Nope, the minis never replaced the 101-key keyboards, and the minis usually used double piece caps. It's just that most of the 101-key Model Ms that Lexmark made had single piece caps.
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Offline TWX

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Picked up a weird Model-M
« Reply #7 on: Fri, 23 October 2009, 09:51:36 »
Quote from: ch_123;127764
Congratulations, you found for free a keyboard that used to regularly sell on ebay for $150-200 (not as much any more, they seem to be more common)
Well, they never die, which is always nice.  Only thing I have to work out is that I need to swap mouse buttons on the keyboard, but I want to leave them normal on the trackball.  My laptop gives me the option of doing that, but for some reason it's not coming up as an option on the desktop.  Laptop runs XP Media Center, but the desktop runs straight ol' Pro...


Quote

Nope, the minis never replaced the 101-key keyboards, and the minis usually used double piece caps. It's just that most of the 101-key Model Ms that Lexmark made had single piece caps.


I mean the school replaced them, because kids kept rearranging the keys.  The new keyboards were minis and didn't have detachable keycaps.  They might have been rare or special order, but I couldn't pry them off.  They usually used me to test stuff like that because I could find the problems before those who would actually try to cause trouble did.
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Offline ch_123

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Picked up a weird Model-M
« Reply #8 on: Fri, 23 October 2009, 12:45:57 »
Oh right. They aren't that rare, just less common than the double piece models. There's a good chance that IBM made them to order based on your school's requests.
« Last Edit: Fri, 23 October 2009, 12:49:21 by ch_123 »
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Offline itlnstln

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Picked up a weird Model-M
« Reply #9 on: Fri, 23 October 2009, 13:11:33 »
I have never heard of a USB Space Saver, either.  Let alone one with a removable cable.
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Offline itlnstln

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Picked up a weird Model-M
« Reply #10 on: Fri, 23 October 2009, 13:22:33 »
Just photographers?
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Offline FourOhFour

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Picked up a weird Model-M
« Reply #11 on: Fri, 23 October 2009, 13:25:47 »
Quote from: ripster;127856
Probably talking different minis here.  I've never heard of a IBM Space Saving keyboard with non-removable keys.


Mine has the one-piece key caps. Still removable, but it'd be hard to do without tools.
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Offline itlnstln

  • Posts: 7048
Picked up a weird Model-M
« Reply #12 on: Fri, 23 October 2009, 13:30:20 »
A couple of paper clips would work fine. The Model M has some of the easiest to pull caps of any keyboard I have tried.  ALPS are the hardest.
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Offline FourOhFour

  • Posts: 85
Picked up a weird Model-M
« Reply #13 on: Fri, 23 October 2009, 13:31:12 »
Quote from: itlnstln;127878
A couple of paper clips would work fine.  The Model M has some of the easiest to pull caps of any keyboard I have tried.


Sure, but it's probably enough to deter idle hands causing trouble.
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Offline TWX

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Picked up a weird Model-M
« Reply #14 on: Fri, 23 October 2009, 16:50:16 »
Quote from: FourOhFour;127876
Mine has the one-piece key caps. Still removable, but it'd be hard to do without tools.
Show Image


That's the type.  If I remember correctly there were some keys with blue instead of black labels, but it's been about twelve years now and I can't really remember.
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Offline TWX

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Picked up a weird Model-M
« Reply #15 on: Fri, 23 October 2009, 16:52:28 »
The Sun Type 6 that I use at the office comes apart really easily.  I may end up taking them all off and running them through the dishwasher.  It's a nice keyboard and I like the feel, but boy does the dirt build up and show compared to most other keyboards I've used.
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Offline ch_123

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Picked up a weird Model-M
« Reply #16 on: Fri, 23 October 2009, 16:57:10 »
My college has some decade old Sun boxes which have either Type 6 or 7 keyboards, and I found them to be pretty crap, both in terms of the layout and the layout which I found caused me to make a lot of typos for some reason or another.

Were the Type 5s rubber domes? I think I have seen one around before, and it was probably the dirtiest keyboard I've ever seen.
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Offline TWX

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Picked up a weird Model-M
« Reply #17 on: Fri, 23 October 2009, 17:12:12 »
This Type-6 appears to be rubber-dome, but a fairly advanced one since the key cover attaches to a plastic block that then pushes on the dome.

I haven't seen a Type-5 in a long time.
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Offline D-EJ915

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Picked up a weird Model-M
« Reply #18 on: Fri, 23 October 2009, 18:18:31 »
they are rubber domes
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Offline TWX

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Re: Picked up a weird Model-M
« Reply #19 on: Sat, 03 February 2024, 08:25:28 »
...as I was saying...   ;D

I'd started a new job a couple years ago, the keyboard on the work PC at the office was pretty awful, and the computer had PS/2 ports, so I brought the M13 in and used it for around a year.  Then my PC got lifecycled and the new one didn't have PS/2 ports, and between the cheap adapter I ordered not alwys pasing keystrkes and the ire of my coworkers listening to it I ended up swapping in a Corsair K95 that I found when out thrifting.

I'd even done the superfloss mod, but it was still just too loud.

Since then when digging through my home assortment of crap I found more PS/2 to USB active adapters, perhaps I'll see if it works any better, but it's so loud that I doubt it'll be used too often. 
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