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geekhack Community => New Members => Topic started by: sandywind on Wed, 05 November 2014, 06:40:36
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Hello! I'm the proud user of a few Model M keyboards which survived the retirement of the IBM PC.
After a dark period of low end keyboards and mice, I'm interested again in serious input hardware. Owner of a Corsair K65, I'd like to further experiment lots of variations of the mechanical keyboard theme.
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Welcome to GeekHack! :cool:
'just curious but what Model Ms do you still have?
Anyway, you've come to the right place to expand your mechanical keyboard experience! :thumb:
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Externally they all look identical, however the hardness of the switches differs. My preferred one is PN 1391401 dated 1987-03-04. Another one is PN 1396790 dated 1992-06-29. A third one lost its tag, it is similar in feel to the second one. They are all US layout. The softest one is the first one. I do not know whether it had been used a lot, or the spring specs changed from 1987 to 1992.
I wonder, should I customize them, can I expect modern keycaps manufactured by Unicomp to be compatible?
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Externally they all look identical, however the hardness of the switches differs. My preferred one is PN 1391401 dated 1987-03-04. Another one is PN 1396790 dated 1992-06-29. A third one lost its tag, it is similar in feel to the second one. They are all US layout. The softest one is the first one. I do not know whether it had been used a lot, or the spring specs changed from 1987 to 1992.
I wonder, should I customize them, can I expect modern keycaps manufactured by Unicomp to be compatible?
I'm still trying to find a Model M locally...I always assumed it would be easy considering how much e-waste there is around here...I need to try harder! :p
About the keycaps; yes they will fit. Confirmed by CPTBadAss in the Simple Questions, Simple Answers (http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=40501.msg1310931#msg1310931) thread.
Are unicomp keycaps compatible with original ibm model M keyboard?
Yup, I have Unicomp keycaps on my SSK.
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I'm still trying to find a Model M locally...I always assumed it would be easy considering how much e-waste there is around here...I need to try harder! :p
I got them from my colleagues upgrading to newer machines maybe more than fifteen years ago. I never tried to find one on the market. As it may happen sometimes with old stuff, at the time I was uncultured and totally unaware of their technical value, but after trying one I immediately had the feeling it was superior to all the keyboards I had. Maybe because I had been a piano student I felt all those mushy rubber dome keyboards very uncomfortable.
About the keycaps; yes they will fit. Confirmed by CPTBadAss in the Simple Questions, Simple Answers (http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=40501.msg1310931#msg1310931) thread.
I should have looked there in the first place :-[
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Welcome to Geekhack!
There is much love for Model M around here - I have two! :))
But variety is the spice of life, so don't let us stop you from spending your money on lots of different keyboards :p
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But variety is the spice of life, so don't let us stop you from spending your money on lots of different keyboards :p
Don't even try---you could not possibly stop me. :))
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Welcome and enjoy your stay!