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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: codek on Tue, 02 November 2010, 17:34:35
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I had a IBM 486 DX in 1993. Sadly we gave it away awhile back but my only regret is that I didn't keep the keyboard. I believe it had buckling technology but was way lighter, about the same weight as a regular rubber dome keyboard.
How do these compare to the early Model M's?
How much do these roughly cost?
I liked them because they were considerably smaller than older Model M's
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Are you sure it wasn't a rubber dome model M with a steel backplate?
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Are you sure it wasn't a rubber dome model M with a steel backplate?
just read the ibm wiki. sorry...it had the "clickity clack" it's an M2. Apparently these have huge reliability issues, the capacitors fail all the time but I had one for about 7 years and everything worked was great.
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but I had one for about 7 years and everything worked was great.
Same here, I found few "new" in mid 90's in a Jurasic Parc warehouse. I beat the crap out ot them until the 2000's and never saw the end of those. Maybe I was just lucky. Those rubber domes were reliable to me. I still have 2 in mint conditions stored somewhere.
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I dont think the rubber dome Model Ms were made till 94 or 95. The rubber dome M2s were made earlier though.
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I dont think the rubber dome Model Ms were made till 94 or 95. The rubber dome M2s were made earlier though.
I just unboxed one. You're right. Under it says Lexmark Intl 1984.
So, if you're looking for a reliable M with RD, better look at an "older" one in good shape.
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I just unboxed one. You're right. Under it says Lexmark Intl 1984.
So, if you're looking for a reliable M with RD, better look at an "older" one in good shape.
wait a minute... wait a minute
so mine was a RD for sure?
I'm looking for a BS model m, not a RD
Aren't RD's the worst things in the world?
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No one can say what yours was for sure, if it clicked it definitely wasn't but people often confuse bottoming out or topping out sounds with a clicking switch.
Rubber dome keyboards aren't all the worst in the world, they vary greatly from cheap after market no names (worst) to oem's like HP and Dell (vary from terrible to decent) to nice aftermarket like Logitechs and Microsofts (better but still not great) to very nice after market like Topres which are excellent.
You can buy Model M's for $20-30 consistently on ebay. Cheaper if you keep your eyes open.
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Aren't RD's the worst things in the world?
Atlest on RD you have a button to press, lot worse is when you don't have even that... No RD isn't worst possible, and I find some Dell's with card reader to be very decent.
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Didja and Ekaros above seem to be saying how it could be worse without giving a real pointer.
The worst keyboards are membrane keyboards (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Membrane_keyboard) (i.e. keyboards with nothing on top of the membrane like a RD or model M) and chiclet keyboards (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiclet_keyboard) (a form of early rubber use) in that order.
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I have a '93 Lexmark IBM (blue letters on grey background IBM logo) and it's great, probably my favourite feel out of all 20 keyboards I own, except maybe for the old Model C2 terminal keyboard I can't really connect to a PC, which has an even better feel.
Not sure how my M compares to a pre-Lexmark IBM because I've never had one.
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The worst keyboards are membrane keyboards (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Membrane_keyboard) (i.e. keyboards with nothing on top of the membrane like a RD or model M) and chiclet keyboards (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiclet_keyboard) (a form of early rubber use) in that order.
There were plain awful sensor keyboards, too.