As soon as you have taken a Model M and a Model F apart, you will understand completely.
It is obsolete and expensive technology.
It is obsole(scent) and insanely expensive steampunk technology.
can you elaborate a bit?
can you elaborate a bit?It is obsole(scent) and insanely expensive steampunk technology.
No.
It is obsolete and expensive technology.
In what way is it obsolete? Other types of mechanical keyboard switches have been around for decades now yet aren't considered obsolete.
It is obsolete and expensive technology.
In what way is it obsolete? Other types of mechanical keyboard switches have been around for decades now yet aren't considered obsolete.
Indeed. The only reason IBM could afford to make these at the time is because they came with a computer you'd shell out $4000-$10000 for. Suppose you bought a computer for that money, I think you'd demand a good keyboard to go with it, thoug :p .It is obsolete and expensive technology.
In what way is it obsolete? Other types of mechanical keyboard switches have been around for decades now yet aren't considered obsolete.
Obsolete wouldn't really be the word that I would use to describe it, I would go more with cost prohibitive.
Suppose you bought a computer for that money, I think you'd demand a good keyboard to go with it, though.
What? You bought a keyboard as a $300 accessory, like a monitor.
Indeed. The only reason IBM could afford to make these at the time is because they came with a computer you'd shell out $4000-$10000 for. Suppose you bought a computer for that money, I think you'd demand a good keyboard to go with it, thoug :p .It is obsolete and expensive technology.
In what way is it obsolete? Other types of mechanical keyboard switches have been around for decades now yet aren't considered obsolete.
Obsolete wouldn't really be the word that I would use to describe it, I would go more with cost prohibitive.
Obsolete means the tooling and manufacturing processes are outdated, with no maintenance and therefore there is no way to produce these keyboards in an efficient way. [...] Obsolescence is an actual condition of the manufacturing system or the design, not an adjective. It is not related with the merits of the original design.Are you telling us what you personally mean by these words, or are you trying to define them generically? As usually understood in regular conversational English, “obsolescence” is a noun, the process by which something becomes obsolete, and “obsolescent” is an adjective, describing something which is in the middle of that process, i.e. which is becoming obsolete, but not obsolete yet.
Obsolete means the tooling and manufacturing processes are outdated, with no maintenance and therefore there is no way to produce these keyboards in an efficient way. [...] Obsolescence is an actual condition of the manufacturing system or the design, not an adjective. It is not related with the merits of the original design.Are you telling us what you personally mean by these words, or are you trying to define them generically? As usually understood in regular conversational English, “obsolescence” is a noun, the process by which something becomes obsolete, and “obsolescent” is an adjective, describing something which is in the middle of that process, i.e. which is becoming obsolete, but not obsolete yet.
From someone who is working on restoring an old Model F to its potential glory:
These things are insanely complicated and overengineered (which I love)- and would be very expensive to produce. The final assembly involves over 200 parts (without counting keycaps), and the assembly process is unforgiving and takes quite a long time-
My current best record is 90 minutes to re-assemble my AT Model F. Compare that to something like 15 minutes to field-strip AND reassemble my Topre board. That's a lot of labor costs for a company like Unicomp that manufacturers in the US. I suppose they could automate the assembly, but that'd be expensive, too. Who is willing to buy a $400 keyboard in this day and age? Not many. Not enough to make it commercially worth it.
I love that IBM made a product that is still good 30 years after it was made- I really wish more things were made to last, but the days of that being a common thing (and $6000 computers in 2015 money) are over. There are both good and bad things about the progression towards cheaper and more affordable computers and peripherals.
| keyboard | 1984 price | 2014 $ |
| Key Tronic 5150 | $209 | $476 |
| Key Tronic 5151 | $255 | $581 |
| Cherry Wireless | $275 | $627 |
| Cherry OEM | $199 | $453 |
| Colby Key 2 | $260 | $592 |
| IBM PC (XT) | $243 | $554 |
| IBM PCjr | $97 | $221 |
| Display Telecommunications | $150 | $342 |
| IBM Selectric typewriter | $998 | $2,274 |
I just found some prices from a 1984 PC Mag:(Selectric price is for the full typewriter)
keyboard 1984 price 2014 $ Key Tronic 5150 $209 $476 Key Tronic 5151 $255 $581 Cherry Wireless $275 $627 Cherry OEM $199 $453 Colby Key 2 $260 $592 IBM PC (XT) $243 $554 IBM PCjr $97 $221 Display Telecommunications $150 $342 IBM Selectric typewriter $998 $2,274
People used to really pay for keyboard quality. I can’t imagine someone spending $550 today for an XT keyboard. :-)
But computer system prices are also lower now,That’s an understatement!
Guys don't worry, once Unicomp finish their 60% buckling spring in 2035 then they'll have time to move onto model F which will debut in 2089.
:thumb:
You won't have to wait that long.
I hereby pledge, upon winning the $500 million Powerball, that I will invest a portion of that money to bring back a modern version of the Type F keyboard. Yes, I'll be first to get one, then put them on sale for a reasonable price for others. Depending on the cost, it may be a limited run, but we'll see.
That said, would it be more feasible to have strict quality control and possible manufacture this in China or Taiwan, or try to keep it here in the U.S where it may be more expensive?
You won't have to wait that long.
I hereby pledge, upon winning the $500 million Powerball, that I will invest a portion of that money to bring back a modern version of the Type F keyboard. Yes, I'll be first to get one, then put them on sale for a reasonable price for others. Depending on the cost, it may be a limited run, but we'll see.
That said, would it be more feasible to have strict quality control and possible manufacture this in China or Taiwan, or try to keep it here in the U.S where it may be more expensive?
I hereby pledge, upon winning the $500 million Powerball, that I will invest a portion of that money to bring back a modern version of the Type F keyboard. Yes, I'll be first to get one, then put them on sale for a reasonable price for others. Depending on the cost, it may be a limited run, but we'll see.
Guys don't worry, once Unicomp finish their 60% buckling spring in 2035 then they'll have time to move onto model F which will debut in 2089.
:thumb:
but they haven't even finished their TKL... and that won't be ready until 2024