Author Topic: IBM 4704 Model F 77-key reproduction keyboard review  (Read 6563 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline chyros

  • a.k.a. Thomas
  • * Esteemed Elder
  • Thread Starter
  • Posts: 3474
  • Location: The Netherlands
  • Hello and welcome.
IBM 4704 Model F 77-key reproduction keyboard review
« on: Sun, 20 June 2021, 04:42:55 »
Today we look at the extremely anticipated Model F77 repro keyboard by Ellipse! There's so much to say about this keyboard, so it turned into a quite lengthy review. Hope you enjoyed the video!

Check my keyboard video reviews:


Offline rowdy

  • HHKB Hapster
  • * Erudite Elder
  • Posts: 21175
  • Location: melbourne.vic.au
  • Missed another sale.
Re: IBM 4704 Model F 77-key reproduction keyboard review
« Reply #1 on: Sun, 20 June 2021, 18:29:17 »
A other great review!

Love the conversion to imperial units :)
"Because keyboards are accessories to PC makers, they focus on minimizing the manufacturing costs. But that’s incorrect. It’s in HHKB’s slogan, but when America’s cowboys were in the middle of a trip and their horse died, they would leave the horse there. But even if they were in the middle of a desert, they would take their saddle with them. The horse was a consumable good, but the saddle was an interface that their bodies had gotten used to. In the same vein, PCs are consumable goods, while keyboards are important interfaces." - Eiiti Wada

NEC APC-H4100E | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED red | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED green | Link 900243-08 | CM QFR MX black | KeyCool 87 white MX reds | HHKB 2 Pro | Model M 02-Mar-1993 | Model M 29-Nov-1995 | CM Trigger (broken) | CM QFS MX green | Ducky DK9087 Shine 3 TKL Yellow Edition MX black | Lexmark SSK 21-Apr-1994 | IBM SSK 13-Oct-1987 | CODE TKL MX clear | Model M 122 01-Jun-1988

Ị̸͚̯̲́ͤ̃͑̇̑ͯ̊̂͟ͅs̞͚̩͉̝̪̲͗͊ͪ̽̚̚ ̭̦͖͕̑́͌ͬͩ͟t̷̻͔̙̑͟h̹̠̼͋ͤ͋i̤̜̣̦̱̫͈͔̞ͭ͑ͥ̌̔s̬͔͎̍̈ͥͫ̐̾ͣ̔̇͘ͅ ̩̘̼͆̐̕e̞̰͓̲̺̎͐̏ͬ̓̅̾͠͝ͅv̶̰͕̱̞̥̍ͣ̄̕e͕͙͖̬̜͓͎̤̊ͭ͐͝ṇ̰͎̱̤̟̭ͫ͌̌͢͠ͅ ̳̥̦ͮ̐ͤ̎̊ͣ͡͡n̤̜̙̺̪̒͜e̶̻̦̿ͮ̂̀c̝̘̝͖̠̖͐ͨͪ̈̐͌ͩ̀e̷̥͇̋ͦs̢̡̤ͤͤͯ͜s͈̠̉̑͘a̱͕̗͖̳̥̺ͬͦͧ͆̌̑͡r̶̟̖̈͘ỷ̮̦̩͙͔ͫ̾ͬ̔ͬͮ̌?̵̘͇͔͙ͥͪ͞ͅ

Offline james97

  • Posts: 25
Re: IBM 4704 Model F 77-key reproduction keyboard review
« Reply #2 on: Sun, 20 June 2021, 22:23:39 »
The keyboard looks cool bro, very vintage and has it own style

Offline timw4mail

  • Posts: 1329
    • https://timshomepage.net
Re: IBM 4704 Model F 77-key reproduction keyboard review
« Reply #3 on: Tue, 14 September 2021, 10:19:16 »
The biggest thing I'm sad that doesn't exist about these keyboards is a full 101/103 key layout. I'm not usually a fan of cut down keyboards, but despite the weird num lock and fn key locations (and the lack of tilde/backtick on the top layer), it's the most usable small layout keyboard I've personally used.

I have the ANSI equivalent layout of the board shown, although I think I have fewer keys, as both of my shift keys are full sized.

I was not aware that there were metal-cased Model F keyboards before, but I only had a Model F AT for reference. Honestly, I'm not sure the absurdly heavy case is a plus, other than keeping the keyboard from sliding. 
Buckling Springs IBM Model F AT, New Model F 77, Unicomp New Model M
Clicky iOne Scorpius M10, OCN-branded Ducky DK-9008-C, Blackmore Nocturna, Redragon Kumara K552-1, Qtronix Scorpius Keypad, Chicony KB-5181(Monterey)
Tactile Apple AEKII (Cream damped ALPS), Filco FKBN91M/JB (Japanese Tenkeyless), Cherry G84-5200, Cherry G84-4100LPAUS, Datalux Spacesaver(Cherry ML), Redragon Devarajas K556 RGB, Newmen GM711, Poker II (Cherry MX Clear), Logitech G910 Orion Spark, Logitech K840
Linear Lenovo Y (Gateron Red), Aluminum kiosk keyboard (Cherry MX Black)