geekhack
geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: Vintage on Wed, 21 November 2012, 20:58:36
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Hey GH! So at work(retail) we use these IBM terminal keyboards, that are actually pretty nice. Pretty sure they have dysubbed PBT caps... but I could be wrong. I found a pic of what appears to be the same exact keyboard as far as I can tell on Ebay and the sticker on that one says it's a Model M9?(Hard to tell because it's a bit blurry). According to Deskthority wiki that is a ANPOS board.
Anyway I wanted to know what kind of switch they use. I know that most Model M's used buckling springs, but those are supposed to be tactile, and to me the switches on the boards at work feel very linear. I wouldn't even be too shocked to hear that these were just very nice feeling membrane keys.
Also, not sure if all the switches on the board are the same but the no-standard keys that are hotkeyed to register functions appear to have tubes/shafts under them rather than conventional switches.
Anyone have any knowledge on these?
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In Googling for info, I found an earlier thread here on that very keyboard; apparently it is rubber dome. I know of one compact version of the Model M that came out in both a rubber dome version and a buckling spring version - unfortunately, most of the buckling spring ones are dead due to a capacitor problem.
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In Googling for info, I found an earlier thread here on that very keyboard; apparently it is rubber dome. I know of one compact version of the Model M that came out in both a rubber dome version and a buckling spring version - unfortunately, most of the buckling spring ones are dead due to a capacitor problem.
Pretty much this, yes. IBM makes a lot of POS equipment (Point Of Sale, you leches.) The dome versions are world class domes, on par with any mechnical out there, because they're designed for POS lifecycle - heavy hitting abuse 24x7 with very poor maintenance at best. So they have to be built incredibly tough to handle spilled sodas, chicken tenders, and so on. End result is a monster of a rubber dome. They're taking individual keys being hit hundreds or thousands of times a day, over a 10 year period, without rest or maintenance or cleaning.
Could just be worn out springs too; they tend to feel more linear when they're really worn out. And that's not uncommon to find in POS systems that have been in use for years.
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Next time you are at work look on the bottom of the keyboard for a sticker with part number, manf number, date, fcc id number. If you get that info...we can tell you exactly what type of IBM keyboard it is. Alternatively, you could just take a quick cell phone pic of the front and back of the keyboard. That would help tremendously too.