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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: zig_ziglar on Thu, 15 May 2014, 17:41:13
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Greetings, folks.
Plugged in my newly arrived '89 Model M into my work PC (Windows 7) and the Numlock light powers on (sometimes intermittently), but no keystrokes register.
Bios can see the keyboard, so I assume this is an insufficient power issue, more so than hardware failure. I understand modern PS2 ports are not what they once were.
Can anyone shed any further light on this issue? Is my only hope to use an active ps2->usb adaptor?
Cheers
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Does a different PS/2 keyboard work in the same port?
Are you sure plugged into the keyboard port and not the mouse port?
Are you able to try a USB adaptor (I have one that my Model M works perfectly on my Mac mini).
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G'day Rowdy - I have an adaptor on the way from the GH store.
Incidentally, I restarted the computer one last time (after having previously tried it a couple of times, including a full shut-down) and it is now working! I'm typing this message from it right now. The NumLock light still occasionally flickers, but as you can see, the keystrokes are all registering without issue.
I have had more modern PS2 keyboards plugged into this PC before and they weren't this ... temperamental, but either way, mission success!
Cheers
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This happens a lot with Model Ms, it depends on your motherboard whether or not you'll experience such problems. For me, Dell motherboards usually have this issue.
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Might be a power issue.
I kind of figured if I could get a Model M working on a Mac mini without any problems, anything else should be simple :p
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I'm loving the Model M, actually. The actuation force required is a bit tiring for my arthritic fingers, but it lends itself well to high accuracy.
To challenge myself I did a typing test in native Spanish, using Spanish keyboard layout and achieved 106wpm with zero errors, despite having to accent characters and use additional alphabet characters. The accuracy is the thing I'm happy with!
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I'm loving the Model M, actually. The actuation force required is a bit tiring for my arthritic fingers, but it lends itself well to high accuracy.
To challenge myself I did a typing test in native Spanish, using Spanish keyboard layout and achieved 106wpm with zero errors, despite having to accent characters and use additional alphabet characters. The accuracy is the thing I'm happy with!
That's fantastic!
There's something to be said for the Model M - still going strong after more than a quarter of a century!
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Absolutely. The actual input functions of a keyboard really haven't changed in 30 years (aside from the addition of windows and media keys, really), so it stands to reason that a really well engineered 30 year old keyboard would remain equally as well engineered by todays standards. In fact, if anything, it is superior to modern designs due to the fact that it cuts no corners in quality of parts and quality control in general.
The brand new Unicomp I have has more imperfections than this 25 year old M. That being said, I kind of like the subtle (mechanical) differences in the Unicomp too.
EDIT: Just wanted to add, aside from the structural and mechanical engineering being amazing; the way they have created a concave mounting plate and as such been able to maintain a uniform keycap shape just screams "genius" to me. Modern keyboards emulate this concave sculpturing by changing the height and angle of each keycap, creating a massive flaw in terms of interchangibility among rows. The 1x1 caps on the M can be pulled off and reassembled on any row (to support alternate layouts like Dvorak, Colemak etc). IBM really just nailed it with the M.
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IBM really just nailed it with the M.
IBM nailed it with the Model F.
The Model M is just an extreme cost-cutting downgrade.
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IBM really just nailed it with the M.
IBM nailed it with the Model F.
The Model M is just an extreme cost-cutting downgrade.
O'rly!? I shall have to research this. :)
Research indicates that my next vintage acquisition will have to be: PC 3270 keyboard, part number 6110344.
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IBM really just nailed it with the M.
IBM nailed it with the Model F.
The Model M is just an extreme cost-cutting downgrade.
One day I'll have to have you make my F AT awesome. Until then, no doubt I prefer either of my M's. Partly because of layout, but mostly because I don't like the feel or sound as it is on the F AT.
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IBM really just nailed it with the M.
IBM nailed it with the Model F.
The Model M is just an extreme cost-cutting downgrade.
One day I'll have to have you make my F AT awesome. Until then, no doubt I prefer either of my M's. Partly because of layout, but mostly because I don't like the feel or sound as it is on the F AT.
Mmm... maybe dental floss mod is in order?