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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: KillerBee on Sun, 24 October 2010, 10:55:52

Title: I thought 1 piece caps where a unicomp thing
Post by: KillerBee on Sun, 24 October 2010, 10:55:52

I have been tinkering with my model m lately since the arrival of SEPT 1985 board.

Since my original June 1985 was soo clean and new when I got I never bothered to clean the keys.

I just found out that the June 1985 board has one piece caps!!

Believe me I am very shocked to find that one of the earliest production model m's shipped with one piece key caps!

the letter set and the keypad both share the one piece design whereas the F1 - F12 keys are two piece as well as the insert/home/pg up/pg dn/end/delete/num lock/*/- and this guy /

I allways thought the one piece deal was either a unicomp deal or a maxiswitch thing.

Title: I thought 1 piece caps where a unicomp thing
Post by: MissileMike on Sun, 24 October 2010, 10:59:09

I have a 1987 space saver that is also one-piece- and a few others in my collection.  So they have been around since the start, I guess.

Title: I thought 1 piece caps where a unicomp thing
Post by: ch_123 on Sun, 24 October 2010, 11:17:53

The 3161 was a generic ANSI terminal whereas the 5250/3270 terminals were highly customizable. As the first Model M, perhaps it was deemed unnecessary to have two piece caps, and the idea of having two piece caps on all Model Ms came sometime later? Who knows.

Title: I thought 1 piece caps where a unicomp thing
Post by: KillerBee on Sun, 24 October 2010, 11:27:48

Quote from: ch_123;237990

As the first Model M, perhaps it was deemed unnecessary to have two piece caps

Maybe she was in the sense like an engineering mule

But by September they had added the two piece caps. So the test theory kinda holds its own

Title: I thought 1 piece caps where a unicomp thing
Post by: ch_123 on Sun, 24 October 2010, 11:59:31

Does your other one have two part keycaps?

IIRC, some of the lower end 3270/5250 terminal keyboards did not have two part caps either. Being able to change the layout was a feature that differentiated lower end from higher end terminals.

Title: I thought 1 piece caps where a unicomp thing
Post by: jpc on Sun, 24 October 2010, 12:11:49

Both types of keys have existed since the start.

My brand new Unicomp Endurapro came with two-piece key caps, to my surprise.  I had assumed, given all the cost reductions over the years, that two-piece caps were history. They're not; and perhaps they are no more expensive to produce than one-piece.

Title: I thought 1 piece caps where a unicomp thing
Post by: ch_123 on Sun, 24 October 2010, 12:23:51

Was it a white or black Unicomp?

Title: I thought 1 piece caps where a unicomp thing
Post by: ch_123 on Sun, 24 October 2010, 12:28:31

There were some PNs that were always two-part. There were some (albeit few) that were always one-part. Some were a bit of a mess, and I think IBM offered the choice on some models. Two part caps aren't always desirable.

Title: I thought 1 piece caps where a unicomp thing
Post by: KillerBee on Sun, 24 October 2010, 12:41:42

Quote from: ch_123;238018

Does your other one have two part keycaps?

Yes

June 1985 -- One Piece

Sept 1985 -- Two Piece

Remember same model number

Title: I thought 1 piece caps where a unicomp thing
Post by: woody on Sun, 24 October 2010, 16:04:59

Quote from: ch_123;238030

Was it a white or black Unicomp?

I think white Unicomps have 2-piece caps, the black have 1-piece. But please correct me.
________
Fordl?ndia (http://www.ford-wiki.com/wiki/Fordl?ndia)

Title: I thought 1 piece caps where a unicomp thing
Post by: MissileMike on Sun, 24 October 2010, 16:09:28

Two of my black unicomps from 2007 have 2 piece keycaps, the other 2008 has 1 piece.  Did they start going 1 piece later?

Title: I thought 1 piece caps where a unicomp thing
Post by: ch_123 on Sun, 24 October 2010, 16:12:53

It's all very confusing. I used to have a 2008 black/grey Unicomp that was mostly one-part (some keys were two part), but I think I have heard from some people since that they have had black/grey ones that were all double part.

AFAIK, the black terminal keyboards are double part.

Title: I thought 1 piece caps where a unicomp thing
Post by: jpc on Sun, 24 October 2010, 22:09:43

Quote from: ch_123;238030

Was it a white or black Unicomp?

White

Title: I thought 1 piece caps where a unicomp thing
Post by: ch_123 on Mon, 25 October 2010, 04:14:44

I'm pretty sure all the white ones are two part.