Author Topic: Bash the Model F and Omnikey  (Read 2223 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline y11971alex

  • Thread Starter
  • Posts: 402
  • Location: Toronto, Canada
  • Looking for Toronto meetup
Bash the Model F and Omnikey
« on: Sat, 13 August 2016, 04:40:46 »
https://books.google.com/books?id=CT8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT38&lpg=PT38&dq=displaywriter+keyboard+%22Feel%22&source=bl&ots=pUtZfjbbFz&sig=NmxlW7GaepFkUX_NdVNgeQSM-Bc&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiL-p-6hb7OAhUDbiYKHbRPD84Q6AEIRTAG#v=onepage&q=displaywriter%20keyboard%20%22Feel%22&f=false

Mr. Malcome Dean of Infodyne Corp. is serious about his keyboards!  Displaywriter or bust.

While the Omnikey is not explicitly mentioned, I think Mr. Dean was talking about it.  Blue/white Alps = high tech sponge!
Keyboards owned: IBM Selectric | 3278 | 3101 | 5251 | Model F XT | AT | 122 (6110344) | Model M 1390120 | 1390131 | 1391472 | 1392464 (DisplayWriter SSK) | 1395100 (SSK) | Honeywell RD IBM 09F4230 | Leading Edge DC-2014 (Blue Alps) | Chicony 5891 (Monterey Blue) | E&E-101 (KPT Blue) | BTC 5100 | 5100C | 5369 | DEC VT100 (Hi-tek Linear) | Burroughs TP109 (Hall) | Realforce 87 (55g)

Keyboards wanted: IBM Model F 104 (Unsaver) | Model M 1391401

Offline chyros

  • a.k.a. Thomas
  • * Esteemed Elder
  • Posts: 3477
  • Location: The Netherlands
  • Hello and welcome.
Re: Bash the Model F and Omnikey
« Reply #1 on: Sat, 13 August 2016, 05:21:06 »
You can tell people were used to a different kind of typing when they consider 70 gf to be "light touch" xD .
Check my keyboard video reviews:


Offline fohat.digs

  • * Elevated Elder
  • Posts: 6467
  • Location: 35°55'N, 83°53'W
  • weird funny old guy
Re: Bash the Model F and Omnikey
« Reply #2 on: Sat, 13 August 2016, 07:40:25 »
He talked as if IBM stopped making decent keyboards with the Displaywriter.

By 1988 there had been multiple generations of buckling spring keyboards, almost any of which should have been much more satisfying to him than Alps, even if he had to move on to Ms instead of Fs.
"The Trump campaign announced in a letter that Republican candidates and committees are now expected to pay “a minimum of 5% of all fundraising solicitations to Trump National Committee JFC” for using his “name, image, and likeness in fundraising solicitations.”
“Any split that is higher than 5%,” the letter states, “will be seen favorably by the RNC and President Trump's campaign and is routinely reported to the highest levels of leadership within both organizations.”"

Offline mike52787

  • Posts: 1030
  • Location: South-West Florida
  • Alps Aficionado
Re: Bash the Model F and Omnikey
« Reply #3 on: Sat, 13 August 2016, 10:10:59 »
If he thought that BS and alps were ****ty he obviously had never used a compaq portable and experienced the joy that is foam and foil switches :))

Offline fohat.digs

  • * Elevated Elder
  • Posts: 6467
  • Location: 35°55'N, 83°53'W
  • weird funny old guy
Re: Bash the Model F and Omnikey
« Reply #4 on: Sat, 13 August 2016, 10:24:49 »
If he thought that BS and alps were ****ty he obviously had never used a compaq portable and experienced the joy that is foam and foil switches

He did not actively condemn buckling springs, and seemed to grudgingly accept the AT, but if his criticisms were about layout, then the plethora of very early layouts should have been a major problem.
"The Trump campaign announced in a letter that Republican candidates and committees are now expected to pay “a minimum of 5% of all fundraising solicitations to Trump National Committee JFC” for using his “name, image, and likeness in fundraising solicitations.”
“Any split that is higher than 5%,” the letter states, “will be seen favorably by the RNC and President Trump's campaign and is routinely reported to the highest levels of leadership within both organizations.”"

Offline mike52787

  • Posts: 1030
  • Location: South-West Florida
  • Alps Aficionado
Re: Bash the Model F and Omnikey
« Reply #5 on: Sat, 13 August 2016, 10:27:04 »
If he thought that BS and alps were ****ty he obviously had never used a compaq portable and experienced the joy that is foam and foil switches

He did not actively condemn buckling springs, and seemed to grudgingly accept the AT, but if his criticisms were about layout, then the plethora of very early layouts should have been a major problem.
If anything I think that the displaywriter layout is much more foreign and hard to get used to than the XT.

Offline chyros

  • a.k.a. Thomas
  • * Esteemed Elder
  • Posts: 3477
  • Location: The Netherlands
  • Hello and welcome.
Re: Bash the Model F and Omnikey
« Reply #6 on: Sat, 13 August 2016, 10:37:08 »
If he thought that BS and alps were ****ty he obviously had never used a compaq portable and experienced the joy that is foam and foil switches

He did not actively condemn buckling springs, and seemed to grudgingly accept the AT, but if his criticisms were about layout, then the plethora of very early layouts should have been a major problem.
If anything I think that the displaywriter layout is much more foreign and hard to get used to than the XT.
This is a recurring theme with layouts actually. People appeared to have begrudged all new layouts, then get used to them, and then complain when that was changed :p .
Check my keyboard video reviews:


Offline mike52787

  • Posts: 1030
  • Location: South-West Florida
  • Alps Aficionado
Re: Bash the Model F and Omnikey
« Reply #7 on: Sat, 13 August 2016, 10:38:33 »
If he thought that BS and alps were ****ty he obviously had never used a compaq portable and experienced the joy that is foam and foil switches

He did not actively condemn buckling springs, and seemed to grudgingly accept the AT, but if his criticisms were about layout, then the plethora of very early layouts should have been a major problem.
If anything I think that the displaywriter layout is much more foreign and hard to get used to than the XT.
This is a recurring theme with layouts actually. People appeared to have begrudged all new layouts, then get used to them, and then complain when that was changed :p .
Haha I guess Im not old enough to remember any of this.

Offline chyros

  • a.k.a. Thomas
  • * Esteemed Elder
  • Posts: 3477
  • Location: The Netherlands
  • Hello and welcome.
Re: Bash the Model F and Omnikey
« Reply #8 on: Sat, 13 August 2016, 10:59:47 »
If he thought that BS and alps were ****ty he obviously had never used a compaq portable and experienced the joy that is foam and foil switches

He did not actively condemn buckling springs, and seemed to grudgingly accept the AT, but if his criticisms were about layout, then the plethora of very early layouts should have been a major problem.
If anything I think that the displaywriter layout is much more foreign and hard to get used to than the XT.
This is a recurring theme with layouts actually. People appeared to have begrudged all new layouts, then get used to them, and then complain when that was changed :p .
Haha I guess Im not old enough to remember any of this.
Read of bunch of reviews like this, it's always the same. Everyone and their dog is basically complaining whatever IBM keyboard is out right now isn't the same layout as the previous one. ****ing hilarious if you ask me :p .
Check my keyboard video reviews:


Offline zslane

  • Posts: 2301
  • Location: Los Angeles, CA, USA
Re: Bash the Model F and Omnikey
« Reply #9 on: Sat, 13 August 2016, 11:43:45 »
I agree that one can get used to slight variations in layout if spread out over time. Minor layout differences aren't really worth *****ing about.

However, any and all condemnation of buckling spring switches is quite on point, in my view. They are noisy and uncomfortable, and the basis of the ugliest keyboards to ever become a de facto standard. From hell's heart I stab at thee, IBM...