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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: HPE1000 on Sat, 12 October 2013, 17:20:34

Title: Was there an IBM Model M from AUG/08/94?
Post by: HPE1000 on Sat, 12 October 2013, 17:20:34
Title says it all, does anyone know if there was an IBM model m that was produced on 8/8/94?
Title: Re: Was there an IBM Model M from AUG/08/94?
Post by: Thimplum on Sat, 12 October 2013, 17:36:40
That's well into the lexmark period of Model M's. So there isn't an authentic IBM one.
Title: Re: Was there an IBM Model M from AUG/08/94?
Post by: Daniel Beardsmore on Sat, 12 October 2013, 18:07:14
My Greenock blue label IBM Model M is from 1996.
Title: Re: Was there an IBM Model M from AUG/08/94?
Post by: Thimplum on Sat, 12 October 2013, 18:08:18
Really?!
Title: Re: Was there an IBM Model M from AUG/08/94?
Post by: Daniel Beardsmore on Sat, 12 October 2013, 18:15:31
[attachimg=1]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_Model_M
Title: Re: Was there an IBM Model M from AUG/08/94?
Post by: ch_123 on Sat, 12 October 2013, 18:16:12
IBM produced them at their plant in Mexico up until 1994 or so before Lexmark also seemed to have taken over that plant too. IBM produced them at Greenock up until they discontinued the Model M, but at least some of the parts were made by Lexmark (including the electronics and possibly the cases)
Title: Re: Was there an IBM Model M from AUG/08/94?
Post by: Daniel Beardsmore on Sat, 12 October 2013, 18:17:29
Cheaters :-)
Title: Re: Was there an IBM Model M from AUG/08/94?
Post by: ch_123 on Sat, 12 October 2013, 19:25:58
Cheaters :-)

I recall reading that in the decade or so before the Greenock plant was shut down, IBM couldn't afford to do full assembly of machines at the site, but they didn't want to lose the various government incentives and subsidies that they received for keeping people in jobs. This led to the situation where they would do 90% of the assembly of (for example) a laptop in Hungary, then ship it over to Scotland, where they'd screw in the keyboard and install Windows, and this would be sufficient to allow them to claim that the laptop was made in the UK and thus keep up their end of the bargain with the government...