eBay: fifteen M122s (not F122s)

[ed_avis]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/262227458872

$120 each is not super cheap, but I dare say they would take an offer for all fifteen...

[Techno Trousers]

By the part number, those are M-122s. Probably worth no more than $50 apiece, IMO.

[chyros]

Coincidentally I JUST released a video on how to tell them apart .

[taylorswiftttttt]

removed

[ed_avis]

Oh!  I assumed that a square badge meant F... I guess this means I bought the wrong thing here, too: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/232285556094

[chyros]

Oh!  I assumed that a square badge meant F... I guess this means I bought the wrong thing here, too: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/232285556094

Correct. None of the F122s had 139 model numbers as well, they all started with 611 or something IIRC. In any case, always ask for a pic of the back, it's easy to tell them apart then .

[fohat.digs]

All of my 122-key Fs have 611* model numbers, although my "Unsaver" actually has a sticker that calls it a Model M from 1996 - surely a re-stickered repair job.

Another give-away is that the Fs have 240-degree DIN plugs that are straight and have a threaded metal end that can screw into the female side. A plastic right-angle plug is sure to be an M, although it probably means a 1st-generation M.

But like Chyros said: metal back = F and plastic back = M.

[OldIsNew]

My M122 with the jumbo legs and straight connector - I knew it was an M prior to buying so I'm happy with it - but like everyone is saying make sure to see the back if you're looking for an F.

[kishy]

Another give-away is that the Fs have 240-degree DIN plugs that are straight and have a threaded metal end that can screw into the female side. A plastic right-angle plug is sure to be an M, although it probably means a 1st-generation M.

Although the 90-degree connector does mean M, the threaded one also appeared on early Ms (1386887).

Also keep in mind the keyboards are compatible with each other so in a field repair IBM could have replaced the cable with a non-original one. The back is really the only reliable way to tell.

[chyros]

Basically every past was changed bit by bit, so like I said, ONLY look for the metal backplate and don't look for anything else!

[ander]

It is nice to see them all spiffed up like this, though.

[ander]

My M122 with the jumbo legs and straight connector - I knew it was an M prior to buying so I'm happy with it...

And what's not to be happy about? These first-gen M-122s are just as fine as first-gen M-101s, like the 1390131 and 1390121. They just have a a bunch of extra keys, which is fun. (If you're into keyboards, why wouldn't you want more keys rather than fewer? I never did get the minimalization thing...)

And if anything, the 122s's extra weight and size makes them even more rock-solid than their 101-key counterparts, which is really saying something.. They're first-class M's (literally!) that set the standard for all buckling-spring boards that followed.

[chyros]

Ander's right. Typing on, or even just holding, any first-gen M, is just a really nice keyboard experience . They have something special about them.

[rowdy]

There are still 15 available.

Have these gone out of fashion?

[Techno Trousers]

There are still 15 available.

Have these gone out of fashion?

Too expensive for membrane buckling spring, IMO.

[fohat.digs]

Yes, I think that it is unrealistic to ask more than $40-$50 for a terminal without a converter, even in pristine condition.

[kishy]

Yes, I think that it is unrealistic to ask more than $40-$50 for a terminal without a converter, even in pristine condition.

Unrealistic to ask it of enthusiasts, sure. But it's perfectly reasonable to ask it when your target market is businesses that are using obsolete technology in mission-critical proprietary applications and when the system is down it's a catastrophe. Granted, it's an unlikely component to fail to begin with.

[ander]

There are still 15 available... Have these gone out of fashion?

As you may know, unlike regular 101-key Model M's, which can be used with modern PC's (via PS/2, or with a $2 cable-style PS/2->USB converter—the cheapest and most compatible type, IMHO). 122-key terminal M's like these, though, require a Soarer's converter for RJ45 connectors, and they're $40 (assuming you're not prepared to convert the board internally yourself).

So for about the same dough they'd spend on one of these boards and a converter, most people would rather have 101-key M's, which take up less desk space and are easier to resell.

Besides, for $30–40, you can get a native-USB (or PS/2, if you prefer) genuine buckling-spring 122-key terminal-style Model M, in the form of one of the Unicomp-made OEM boards that turn up regularly on eBay.

So as kishy says (and kishy's a legend, BTW—hi kishy), the only people to whom it really makes sense to buy boards like these are people who are still using 20- to 30-year-old IBM terminal equipment and must replace an original M-122 that has pooped out. Each of those things (using systems that old, and M-122's pooping out) are highly unlikely, so it's even less likely they'd both happen.

I hope that explains it.

[kishy]

So as kishy says (and kishy's a legend, BTW—hi kishy)

As much as I appreciate that, I'm just a guy with keyboards and a tendency to take them apart and ramble a bit

Hit the nail on the head with your whole reply.