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geekhack Marketplace => Great Finds => Topic started by: msiegel on Tue, 04 January 2011, 20:12:21

Title: IBM M5-1 (w Trackball)
Post by: msiegel on Tue, 04 January 2011, 20:12:21

http://cgi.ebay.com/ORIGINAL-Rare-Klicky-IBM-M5-1-Keyboard-w-Trackball-1-/260715630444?pt=PCA_Mice_Trackballs&hash=item3cb3dccf6c

3 bids already; 4 days remaining

Title: IBM M5-1 (w Trackball)
Post by: microsoft windows on Tue, 04 January 2011, 20:24:41

A while ago, I sent Webwit a link for one of those and nobody else bid on it. He ended up getting it for just a dollar.

Title: IBM M5-1 (w Trackball)
Post by: jpc on Tue, 04 January 2011, 21:37:29

I had an M5-1 and the trackball did not work very well. The ball didn't grab the rollers about half of the time. Either this particular unit was defective, or the design of the M5-1 trackball has a weakness.

IBM replaced the M5-1 with the M5-2 quickly. Could it be due to a weakness in the M5-1 design? That is my guess. Though I would be totally happy to hear from people whose M5-1's have usable trackballs.

Someday I hope to find an M5-2 and evaluate the feasibility of an SSK5-2 :D

Title: IBM M5-1 (w Trackball)
Post by: jpc on Tue, 04 January 2011, 22:29:48

kishy, what happened to your M5-2?

I just read about the scratched ball and missing retaining ring. Did it have other problems beyond that?

Title: IBM M5-1 (w Trackball)
Post by: jpc on Tue, 04 January 2011, 23:15:16

Oh, sorry, I've sold that M5-1 now. If I knew you were looking for pictures I would have snapped a few.

I don't remember any ball bearings or plastic cups in the M5-1 mechanism.