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geekhack Marketplace => Classifieds => Topic started by: kishy on Mon, 20 December 2010, 21:42:14

Title: IBM/Lexmark M5-1 1370478 or equiv
Post by: kishy on Mon, 20 December 2010, 21:42:14

I tend to doubt I'll find one, but here's my attempt.

I'd like to buy (considerably below value) an M5-1. Please PM if you can supply one...

Thanks

Edit: because of the "below value" thing, I'll commit to not sell the keyboard at a profit in the future, or if I do, pass the profits back to the person I get it from. This isn't a commitment to resell; I intend to keep the keyboard, but should I sell it, those would be the terms.

Title: IBM/Lexmark M5-1 1370478 or equiv
Post by: iMav on Mon, 20 December 2010, 21:46:58

I've only got an M5-2.  AND it won't be going for under value (if at all).

Why the interest in the M5-1??  Just trying to round off your M collection?

Title: IBM/Lexmark M5-1 1370478 or equiv
Post by: Pylon on Wed, 29 December 2010, 12:37:02

jpc's selling one.
http://geekhack.org/showthread.php?t=13803

Title: IBM/Lexmark M5-1 1370478 or equiv
Post by: jpc on Wed, 29 December 2010, 12:45:40

My guess is that the trackball design in the M5-1 has an intrinsic flaw. Very little force holds the roller up against the ball, and so the ball doesn't grab the roller reliably (on mine anyway.)

My guess is that any other M5-1 is going to have a similar issue.

Now maybe you could lube the roller's axle, to reduce friction there, or apply some tacky substance to the ball or the surface of the roller, to increase fiction there.

It's possible that my M5-1 is missing a part that would cause it to work better. The board was in great shape, it looks like a low-mileage board, but that doesn't prove it's complete.

The trackball on the M5-1 is tiny. Even if it worked, the size isn't great. Though the location is decent.

Kishy, you probably don't want just the trackball assembly, because you'd need more than that to convert a standard model M to an M5-1. The M5-1 has a different controller, a different barrel plate, and a different top half of the case, plus its unique trackball assembly.

Title: IBM/Lexmark M5-1 1370478 or equiv
Post by: Voixdelion on Sat, 05 February 2011, 23:44:05

Ran across this, though I don't know if it would pan out since it says call for quote, but maybe worth a shot:

http://www.usedibm.net/search/default.aspx?q=Rack&page=62

(and as to the unreliable tracking, this may be due to a worn ball if nothing is apparently wrong with the rest of it - had this same issue with a kensington that was miraculously fixed with a new ball though the old one wasn't appearing out of whack at all to the naked eye)

Title: IBM/Lexmark M5-1 1370478 or equiv
Post by: Pylon on Sun, 06 February 2011, 21:31:06

http://cgi.ebay.com/UBER-RARE-Vintage-IBM-Trackball-Keyboard-probably-new-/180622376198?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a0deebd06