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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: squad on Mon, 10 August 2020, 15:15:39
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Hello. This is my first post.
I bought this Model M yesterday. This is my first Model M.
However, something is strange about this Model M. The numeric keypad seems to be very different from the other Model M 1391401.
In addition, the sticker on the back of this model says "Product of CELTECH".
"THIS KEYBOARD MAY H** BEEN CONVERTED **** ANOTHER PART NU****" also appears to be written on the sticker. (I don't know.)
If anyone knows anything about this, please let me know.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/303640252196 (https://www.ebay.com/itm/303640252196)
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I don't really see anything out of line. IBM (and later Lexmark and Unicomp) made all sorts of special runs for various customers.
What is it about the numpad that you are worried about?
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I don't really see anything out of line. IBM (and later Lexmark and Unicomp) made all sorts of special runs for various customers.
What is it about the numpad that you are worried about?
As far as I can tell, he means the weird legends. The numbers and text seem to be inverted from normal. I'm no Model M expert though.
[attachimg=1]
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The numbers and text seem to be inverted from normal.
That is certainly the exception rather than the rule, but there are so many variations for the sub-legends .... There are black, light and dark gray, light and dark brown, blue, and orange. (may be I am mis-remembering, orange may not make it onto the numpad) My guess is that if you want the "basic models" there are likely people out there who would gladly do a straight-up trade for the less common ones that you have, particularly since you are only talking about the non-zero digits.
I don't think that I have any that are that way, but I don't look at Model M numpads any more as a rule. I have used the 122-key terminals almost continuously for several years, and I keep "clean" numbers on them with no sub legends. With a full-size keyboard it seems like quite the anachronism for the numlock/numpad scenario to exist at all.
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I didn't see any that were like that in a few quick searches, though other bizarre legends did turn up. It almost makes me want to dig through my modest stack at home. I imagine they're all the usual.
I agree on the sublegends being pointless, on any modern board. I imagine, this being the modern ANSI template, IBM wanted to try to accommodate the XT and AT users with the M. Everybody basically followed the IBM standard, so going from either of those to a modern nav cluster was probably a pretty big shock to the system.