IBM Model M with "CUBE Computer Corporation" logo?

[figit090]

I've been looking for an affordable IBM Model M for some time now, and I've come across one with a logo I haven't seen before.  I still can't afford it but I'm curious about it.
It's apparently made by Lexmark but has a 1991 date, which I find an odd contradiction given Lexmark took over in 1992, from what I have read.  I'm going to get an image of the back and see what it says.

I know of AT&T and DELL branded boards, but any story behind this one?  I can't find info on the computer it might have been paired with.  Is it rare?

What other branding did these boards have that I've missed, besides AT&T, Dell, CUBE, and IBM?

[rootwyrm]

... I know that keyboard. I know that keyboard and company very, very well.

Is it metallized sticker overtop the IBM logo or is it the CUBE OEM'd one with the rectangular cutout?

Okay, so I probably should do the background thing. CUBE turned into Xand around.. I think it was 96, 97? Anyhow, around '89 through about then, their specialty was top dollar PCs basically. (Which was incredibly STUPID when Dell was doing their best to crash both the price and margins, but I digress.) To that extent, CUBE had a habit of shipping - no surprise - top dollar keyboards with them. As I recall, keyboard options were basically IBM for "compact" and with servers, and Northgate. Don't quote me on Northgate availability though - I mean seriously, we're talking 20 years ago.

One of the reasons I remember CUBE fairly well is because they were one of the companies stupid enough to buy into Scott McNealy's delusion that 'hey home users will pay $6,000 for Java and SPARC because we're Sun and we're awesome.' And the stories I could tell you of that godawful horrible terrible design they tried to push on OEMs... ugh. But anyhow, those horrid things shipped with PS/2 instead of Sun ADB and sort-of half-assed ATX compliance. End result? (They also shipped other SPARC based systems, but it's been far too long.) Anyhow, guess where else you're likely to find a $200-300 keyboard? You guessed it - shipped with a $6000+ system.

[figit090]

... I know that keyboard. I know that keyboard and company very, very well.

Is it metallized sticker overtop the IBM logo or is it the CUBE OEM'd one with the rectangular cutout?

Okay, so I probably should do the background thing. CUBE turned into Xand around.. I think it was 96, 97? Anyhow, around '89 through about then, their specialty was top dollar PCs basically. (Which was incredibly STUPID when Dell was doing their best to crash both the price and margins, but I digress.) To that extent, CUBE had a habit of shipping - no surprise - top dollar keyboards with them. As I recall, keyboard options were basically IBM for "compact" and with servers, and Northgate. Don't quote me on Northgate availability though - I mean seriously, we're talking 20 years ago.

One of the reasons I remember CUBE fairly well is because they were one of the companies stupid enough to buy into Scott McNealy's delusion that 'hey home users will pay $6,000 for Java and SPARC because we're Sun and we're awesome.' And the stories I could tell you of that godawful horrible terrible design they tried to push on OEMs... ugh. But anyhow, those horrid things shipped with PS/2 instead of Sun ADB and sort-of half-assed ATX compliance. End result? (They also shipped other SPARC based systems, but it's been far too long.) Anyhow, guess where else you're likely to find a $200-300 keyboard? You guessed it - shipped with a $6000+ system.

Uhm, all I have to go by is the image really, I don't have the keyboard, but it looks like the cutout was put there anticipating the company logo.

I imagine it's a buckling spring model?  I wonder if it's worth more than a normal Model M...  I'm waiting on an image of the back to see about this lexmark but manufactured in 1991 business.

[rootwyrm]

Uhm, all I have to go by is the image really, I don't have the keyboard, but it looks like the cutout was put there anticipating the company logo.

I imagine it's a buckling spring model?  I wonder if it's worth more than a normal Model M...  I'm waiting on an image of the back to see about this lexmark but manufactured in 1991 business.

Yes, it is buckling spring. The photo isn't clear enough to identify whether it's an OEM'd with cutout or without. (Yes, the cutout model is worth more due to the rarity.) Manufactured by Lexmark is in fact, entirely normal - Lexmark was a manufacturer for IBM keyboards pretty much from the start, and the only other one besides Maxi-Switch to make the M13. I don't know the percentage of SSK's manufactured by Lexmark, but it's probably fairly high.

Would love to see what it came with. CUBE had some really interesting designs.

[figit090]

Ok, thanks for the help, when did Lexmark start making keyboards for IBM, I must have missed something.  I thought Lexmark took over in or about 1992 and when they did minor changes were made to the Model M making it slightly less beefy?  Would every board with Lexmark noted on the back feel different, even earlier than 1992? 

Basically I'm trying to make sure I get an older style board because I've read they are better.

How much more would you expect to pay if it's the cutout version?  I see someone has a DELL branded Model M on ebay for over a few hundred, I think that's outrageous.  I would consider paying $40 for this one I guess...perhaps it will hold value, who knows.  I do like how unique it is, but it is just a little sticker.

[rootwyrm]

Ok, thanks for the help, when did Lexmark start making keyboards for IBM, I must have missed something.  I thought Lexmark took over in or about 1992 and when they did minor changes were made to the Model M making it slightly less beefy?  Would every board with Lexmark noted on the back feel different, even earlier than 1992? 

Basically I'm trying to make sure I get an older style board because I've read they are better.

How much more would you expect to pay if it's the cutout version?  I see someone has a DELL branded Model M on ebay for over a few hundred, I think that's outrageous.  I would consider paying $40 for this one I guess...perhaps it will hold value, who knows.  I do like how unique it is, but it is just a little sticker.

Nope, the Lexmark boards are exactly identical in every regard. Lexmark primarily served as a contract manufacturer, which meant they built to IBM specs. Also remember that IBM and Lexmark were very tight back then, with a lot of cross-branding and cross-selling. People keep spreading this misinformation that Lexmark's are different from IBMs, and it's simply not true. The only case where it is true is for the M13 (which was Maxi-Switch/Lexmark) and after the tooling was sold off. In other words, 1401 is 1401 is 1401 and so on. Lexmark was making keyboards for IBM since at least 1984; and not all Lexmark made boards are marked obviously as such. (L1-MF in the Plt No? That's Lexmark.) Lexmark also made, no surprise, Lexmark branded boards - 1398601's - which have a similar logo cutout but it's of a shorter height. Uses the Lexmark two color diamond logo as a stickered decal similar to the LED window.

As to how much it's worth; depends on the collector and condition entirely. There's not exactly a lot of people who even know about CUBE, much less have seen one - and a lot of people who are going to falsely claim it's somehow associated with NeXT when it is very much not. Or cry 'fraud' because they've never seen one or heard of CUBE. And for those of you who are going to whine: again, I point you to Xand, which is CUBE, and is still in business. They may or may not be able to provide better details. But we're talking over 20 years ago, and I'll be the first to admit my memory isn't flawless.

I honestly couldn't and wouldn't hazard a guess as to 'worth' - I'm not in the business of buying and selling. I generally buy 'em to fix 'em. Given it's a '91 Lexmark, well, chances are close to 100% that it still works just fine. Or it's got a dead controller which is easily replaced. But other than a pretty damn rare branding, it's almost certainly a bog standard Model M.

[figit090]

They didn't even use different plastic?  From what I read and looking at images it looks like a lighter, possibly lighter-weight also, plastic. 

I'm new at this though, thank you for all your help.  I'm going to see if I can get more info on that board, maybe purchase it.  I'm also looking at a kinesis advantage/classic/ergo elan..etc and I'm not sure if I should get both, it might just make me have trouble picking!  haha.  I do like the uniqueness of the logo though.

Where do you find a replacement controller though?