Are they much heavier than MX browns? I really like the 'old' aspect of them :)
Are they much heavier than MX browns? I really like the 'old' aspect of them :)
Yes, they are quite a bit heavier than browns.
You might want to look at a Model M if you want an old "old" look.
Go for it! Heavier, sure. Louder, absolutely.
I use Brown MX when I can't get buckling spring, and I like both. At work I use a Model M or a Unicomp, and at home the Browns so people can sleep. If you like MX Browns, I predict you will like the Unicomp.
The Unicomp 101 is indistinguishable from my Model M in normal use. And you can get custom PBT Keycaps direct from Unicomp.
Go for it!
- Ron I samwisekoi
Are they much heavier than MX browns? I really like the 'old' aspect of them :)
Are they much heavier than MX browns? I really like the 'old' aspect of them :)
Yes, much, and I can't emphasize that enough.
So about twice as much.
Stop thinking and buy it. You can't be keyboard enthusiast without trying out Buckling Spring. If you're bored with MX Brown it's quite likely you will fall in love with BS, at least for a while ;)
You can't argue with science, but perception does not always follow reality.
The price has really gone up on those. Used to be 20-40 used and 130 tops for new. When did the prices go up?
Does anyone actually have an entire keyboard of dark greys? I think they're quite uncommon and hard to get in any significant quantity.
Does anyone actually have an entire keyboard of dark greys? I think they're quite uncommon and hard to get in any significant quantity.
I didn't even know there were dark greys!
Does anyone actually have an entire keyboard of dark greys? I think they're quite uncommon and hard to get in any significant quantity.
I didn't even know there were dark greys!
They're heavier blacks (I think? maybe they're heavier clears). I think some keyboards with MX blacks use a dark grey as the spacebar.
Are they much heavier than MX browns? I really like the 'old' aspect of them :)
Are they much heavier than MX browns? I really like the 'old' aspect of them :)
I have long experience using genuine IBM Model M keyboards, and they remain my favorite by a wide margin. Thinking I could get a "new" Model M, I tried a Unicomp. It was sad -- a pale imitation at best. The build quality was extremely poor. Unfortunately, as I understand it, the rights to the IBM buckling spring switch design were acquired by Unicomp when IBM (and later Lexmark under contract from IBM) stopped making them, but it seems that Unicomp never produced a keyboard anywhere near the quality of the original IBM. Therefore, if you can find a real Model M instead, go for it. Otherwise, although it would not be a buckling spring, I would recommend going with one of the better mechanical keyboards that are being produced today that use Topre (a hybrid individual rubber dome, conical spring, and capacitative switch) or Cherry mechanical switches. Another alternative would be Alps switches, which are used by Matias, but I am very familiar with these products. Cherry now has a Green switch, which has heavier springs than Blues or Browns, but even with a heavier spring, a keyboard with Cherry Green switches would not yield the same typing experience as afforded by a genuine IBM buckling spring keyboard.
Are they much heavier than MX browns? I really like the 'old' aspect of them :)
I have long experience using genuine IBM Model M keyboards, and they remain my favorite by a wide margin. Thinking I could get a "new" Model M, I tried a Unicomp. It was sad -- a pale imitation at best. The build quality was extremely poor. Unfortunately, as I understand it, the rights to the IBM buckling spring switch design were acquired by Unicomp when IBM (and later Lexmark under contract from IBM) stopped making them, but it seems that Unicomp never produced a keyboard anywhere near the quality of the original IBM. Therefore, if you can find a real Model M instead, go for it. Otherwise, although it would not be a buckling spring, I would recommend going with one of the better mechanical keyboards that are being produced today that use Topre (a hybrid individual rubber dome, conical spring, and capacitative switch) or Cherry mechanical switches. Another alternative would be Alps switches, which are used by Matias, but I am very familiar with these products. Cherry now has a Green switch, which has heavier springs than Blues or Browns, but even with a heavier spring, a keyboard with Cherry Green switches would not yield the same typing experience as afforded by a genuine IBM buckling spring keyboard.
The problem remains that the Model M is terribly expensive :(
The problem remains that the Model M is terribly expensive :(
Compared to what? It's common for a lot of keyboard enthusiasts to spend over $100+ on a mechanical keyboard.
The problem remains that the Model M is terribly expensive :(
Compared to what? It's common for a lot of keyboard enthusiasts to spend over $100+ on a mechanical keyboard.
It seems hard to find one in decent shape for a good price that can be sent to Brazil. But I definitely want one.
Does anyone actually have an entire keyboard of dark greys? I think they're quite uncommon and hard to get in any significant quantity.
I didn't even know there were dark greys!
They're heavier blacks (I think? maybe they're heavier clears). I think some keyboards with MX blacks use a dark grey as the spacebar.
Yes. It's $142 new. (http://mechanicalkeyboards.com/shop/index.php?l=product_detail&p=465)
I agree. Unicomp FTW. (Although for some strange reason I find myself wanting to get a Model F and mod it to work.) But my daily driver Unicomp is serving me very well.
I don't know what you folks are smoking.
Unicomp may have allowed quality control to slip from IBM standards of 2 decades ago, but it is still the same keyboard made in the same factory on the same equipment.
The differences between original IBM and contemporary Unicomp are small, and if you want a buckling spring keyboard the Unicomp is a bargain. Brand new, the price is near the bottom of the range of any other mechanical keyboard. Also, some people prefer the Unicomp because they consider it "lighter" in feel.
If you want a true top-shelf buckling spring experience, you must go to the Model F and endure considerable nuisance.
Otherwise, you can purchase a good-quality used IBM Model M for roughly the same price as a new Unicomp (true, last year it was half, and some people are annoyed) but you might have to clean it up.
OP, don't listen to this whining. Buy the Unicomp.
I don't know what you folks are smoking.
Unicomp may have allowed quality control to slip from IBM standards of 2 decades ago, but it is still the same keyboard made in the same factory on the same equipment.
The differences between original IBM and contemporary Unicomp are small, and if you want a buckling spring keyboard the Unicomp is a bargain. Brand new, the price is near the bottom of the range of any other mechanical keyboard. Also, some people prefer the Unicomp because they consider it "lighter" in feel.
If you want a true top-shelf buckling spring experience, you must go to the Model F and endure considerable nuisance.
Otherwise, you can purchase a good-quality used IBM Model M for roughly the same price as a new Unicomp (true, last year it was half, and some people are annoyed) but you might have to clean it up.
OP, don't listen to this whining. Buy the Unicomp.
At some point I wanted a model M, bought one off ebay for like 40 euros and a couple keys don't work, a key cap missing and it generally looks to be in quite bad shape. I don't use it.
A missing key cap does not matter, except that it irritates you when you look at it.
Alright, so the build of a Unicomp was poor compared to a Model M. You didn't say what the typing experience was like though. Another poster already said they are very similar.
What this silly thread is really like:
A new auto driver says: "I want to get a car, and I really like the Ford Mustang."
Friend: "You should talk to Mr Jones. He has been a Mustang expert for decades."
Mr Jones: "New Mustangs are crap. The real true Mustang was the one that Steve McQueen drove in Bullitt."
New driver: "I would have gotten a 2013 Mustang, but I heard that they were crap. What should I buy, now?"
What this silly thread is really like:
A new auto driver says: "I want to get a car, and I really like the Ford Mustang."
Friend: "You should talk to Mr Jones. He has been a Mustang expert for decades."
Mr Jones: "New Mustangs are crap. The real true Mustang was the one that Steve McQueen drove in Bullitt."
New driver: "I would have gotten a 2013 Mustang, but I heard that they were crap. What should I buy, now?"
Who called Unicomp's crap? Secondly, if there are real, qualitative differences between two products, why is it silly to point it out? When taken collectively, they're not negligible differences, in my opinion.
Using your analogy, if:
1: The chassis of the new Mustang rattles
2: The paint job was shoddy
3: Some of the plastic molding on interior panels had jagged edges
4: Ford incorporated a cheap aluminum body
Then labeling the build quality poor in comparison to early models is sufficiently justified.
The typing experience is inextricably mixed with the build quality.
Thank you all for your replies.
I now believe the biggest problem with the original Model M would be the lack of super key, which some Unicomp models have.
And as I have never used an original one, I won't notice all those differences!
For the rare occasions when I want to use the "Super" or "Windows" key, I have remapped the Caps Lock to serve this function. This works well for me, because I never use the Caps Lock for its original purpose. This way, I can use my Model M in Windows, Mac OS X, or Linux (Linux Mint 13 KDE) and have a "Windows", "Command" or "Super" key in each OS.
I found a Model M to buy here in Brazil. It's not the buckling springs version, but I will get it nevertheless!Nooo, don't do it! Rubber domes will sour you on the whole thing. A Unicomp will be much better than that. Everyone's arguing over the minutia of which version of a buckling spring board is better, but all will agree that EVER BS board is better than a rubber dome one.
Nooo, don't do it! Rubber domes will sour you on the whole thing. A Unicomp will be much better than that. Everyone's arguing over the minutia of which version of a buckling spring board is better, but all will agree that EVER BS board is better than a rubber dome one.
I don't know what you folks are smoking.
Unicomp may have allowed quality control to slip from IBM standards of 2 decades ago, but it is still the same keyboard made in the same factory on the same equipment.
The differences between original IBM and contemporary Unicomp are small, and if you want a buckling spring keyboard the Unicomp is a bargain. Brand new, the price is near the bottom of the range of any other mechanical keyboard. Also, some people prefer the Unicomp because they consider it "lighter" in feel.
OP, don't listen to this whining. Buy the Unicomp.
I drink to that. Do what he says. Don't listen to this whining.
I drink to that. Do what he says. Don't listen to this whining.
Pointing out real, qualitative differences isn't whining.
The Unicomp has to be better than these rubber dome pieces of crap I have been typing on for 3 years now.
The model M is now between about 15 and 25 years old--right? I you spend $79 on Ebay to buy one, it is still going to probably be 20 years old and used. I went through this nostalgia thing with stereo gear. I love the build quality of the Japanese stereo gear from the 1970's to mid 1980's. It was fabulous gear! I especially love the Sansui B-2201 amplifier and pre-amplifier. I could have bought one at Kadina Air Base in Okinawa in 1988, but I didn't for some reason. But, all gear wears over time--from age and use. Most of this gear now has to have a lot of rework to get anywhere near the original sound. As time goes on the gear gets older and more used. I've had some used Model M's that were really great boards that I bought back in 2003 or so. But now that they are so high in price, it just isn't worth it to me. I'd rather have the Unicomp because it is new and because I hate dealing with EBay sellers. I don't have to have the very best. The Unicomp has to be better than these rubber dome pieces of crap I have been typing on for 3 years now.
The model M is now between about 15 and 25 years old--right? I you spend $79 on Ebay to buy one, it is still going to probably be 20 years old and used. I went through this nostalgia thing with stereo gear. I love the build quality of the Japanese stereo gear from the 1970's to mid 1980's. It was fabulous gear! I especially love the Sansui B-2201 amplifier and pre-amplifier. I could have bought one at Kadina Air Base in Okinawa in 1988, but I didn't for some reason. But, all gear wears over time--from age and use. Most of this gear now has to have a lot of rework to get anywhere near the original sound. As time goes on the gear gets older and more used. I've had some used Model M's that were really great boards that I bought back in 2003 or so. But now that they are so high in price, it just isn't worth it to me. I'd rather have the Unicomp because it is new and because I hate dealing with EBay sellers. I don't have to have the very best. The Unicomp has to be better than these rubber dome pieces of crap I have been typing on for 3 years now.
Just out of curiosity, where are the Model M's (plural?) you purchased in 2003?