Maybe some customers wanted compatibility with their model C keyboards that also have this?
What Model C are you referring to?
Officially it's the IBM 3178 keyboard series. There are four. I have the data entry layout (C1) there also exist C2 C3 and C4.
Here's a picture of the label of the "model C2" that has front printed F# legends
http://www.9999hp.net/keyboard/temp/5640987-label.jpgAnd you can see said keycaps (from 1983) in this picture of the front:
http://www.9999hp.net/keyboard/temp/5640987-big.jpgMine came with the manual and it also shows which switch position on which keyboard supports typematic repeat (aka sends an upcode so you know if it's being held down). Images of this are on my imgur:
http://imgur.com/a/Qe41vThe C4 also has them, but I couldn't find a picture.
Ofcourse the 107-key "administrative" IBM 4704-400 keyboard also has these front printed F# on the number row), but they are much less common.
http://kishy.dyndns.org/?p=980Big thanks to dw_junon for having such good info on his 'site!
Maybe they want to showcase their capabilities?
Unicomp is that kid that waits until 10pm on Sunday night to do their homework. As of late they are too lazy to showcase anything.
Clearly they are going to be releasing something. This is a marked change from their marketing from previous years. Since there is already evidence of said change, it's reasonable to believe they might start to come out of their shell a little and start showcasing / marketing/ selling their abilities.
I mean, the Geekhack keycaps they made were pretty much a showcase / demonstration of their new capabilities now. They are showing what they can do and already showcasing. If they were the "kid that waits until 10pm on Sunday night to do their homework" before then they are less of that persona now.
There is still the issue of membrane availability.
Blah blah freakin blah. For all anyone knows they already have a pallet of these or have developed a procedure for folding the existing membrane as Mkawa has.
This seems a little inconsistent with your last point. If they are such procrastinators, then how would they release these much vaunted SSK's and 60%'s at all? No, Unicomp is playing things safe, like they have been, like the traditionalists they are. There's nothing inherently wrong with that, but I would expect a company to "showcase" a new manufacturing process for keycaps they have much sooner than release a much wanted keyboard style with no warning or preparation. They aren't that good at keeping secrets, and SSK unicomps have been talked about for many years. Your wishful thinking is getting in the way of reality.
And, as expected, they have released said showcase, with the geekhack keys. There's also a chance those APL sets they had were not NOS and were made recently as well to test out their dyesub machine.
Finally, to address your last point, rolling up the membrane is not an acceptable manufacturing process (has to be done by hand, wear issues, etc.), but I wouldn't put it past unicomp to try it.
Now if they do release something like an 87 key or 60% I'l be very happy and quite surprised, but I wouldn't bet on it either.
