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geekhack Marketplace => Great Finds => Topic started by: Shawn Stanford on Mon, 07 September 2009, 12:00:15

Title: Was it worth the $12..?
Post by: Shawn Stanford on Mon, 07 September 2009, 12:00:15
Listed as RS 6000 keyboard. Nice purple enter key.

http://cgi.ebay.com/New-IBM-RS6000-PS2-Computer-Keyboard-in-White_W0QQitemZ350242397800QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item518c12de68&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14
Title: Was it worth the $12..?
Post by: timw4mail on Mon, 07 September 2009, 12:20:30
As rubber dome keyboards go, that's one of the nicer ones, I think.
Title: Was it worth the $12..?
Post by: D-EJ915 on Mon, 07 September 2009, 12:52:39
there are better rubbers out there...
Title: Was it worth the $12..?
Post by: InSanCen on Mon, 07 September 2009, 13:47:34
Quote from: D-EJ915;115518
there are better rubbers out there...


*snigger*

You made a naughty
*snigger*
Title: Was it worth the $12..?
Post by: wellington1869 on Mon, 07 September 2009, 13:54:37
Quote from: Shawn Stanford;115508
Listed as RS 6000 keyboard. Nice purple enter key.

http://cgi.ebay.com/New-IBM-RS6000-PS2-Computer-Keyboard-in-White_W0QQitemZ350242397800QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item518c12de68&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14


I had one of these once, it sucked. as someone said above there are much better rubber dome or scissor boards out there. This one is mushy as heck, pretty intolerable actually if you ask me.
Title: Was it worth the $12..?
Post by: D-EJ915 on Mon, 07 September 2009, 14:04:12
they do last forever though, you could probably have used one at chernobyl and it would still work now
Title: Was it worth the $12..?
Post by: wellington1869 on Mon, 07 September 2009, 17:37:58
do you want to hear something funny? It kind of shows how far I've come in the last year as far as keyboards go.  When I began my search for a new keyboard last summer, I started remembering my old Model M fondly, and went to ebay to see if I could find one.  I saw the keyboard above (ibm, rubber dome, crappy and mushy) and got all excited cuz I assumed all ibm keyboards were buckling springs, lol. Ordered it and was so surprised when it wasnt bs.  and not even useable, lol.  Thats what launched my quest to find out exactly what i needed to know in order to successfully find the old M I had remembered (it turned out, as I learned eventually, the keyboard i remembered was actually the F! lol). But an M is close enough for now and more compatible with my setup (in terms of both connectors and key layout that I need).  

But I do technically agree with the F fans here that the F's are a touch better than the M's ;) Even though I wouldnt go back to F's for 'practical' reasons anymore.  But anyway thats how far i've come in the last year. I actually thought last summer that all ibm boards were the same. :)
Title: Was it worth the $12..?
Post by: erricrice on Mon, 07 September 2009, 21:06:31
Quote from: wellington1869;115600
do you want to hear something funny? It kind of shows how far I've come in the last year as far as keyboards go.  When I began my search for a new keyboard last summer, I started remembering my old Model M fondly, and went to ebay to see if I could find one.  I saw the keyboard above (ibm, rubber dome, crappy and mushy) and got all excited cuz I assumed all ibm keyboards were buckling springs, lol. Ordered it and was so surprised when it wasnt bs.  and not even useable, lol.  Thats what launched my quest to find out exactly what i needed to know in order to successfully find the old M I had remembered (it turned out, as I learned eventually, the keyboard i remembered was actually the F! lol). But an M is close enough for now and more compatible with my setup (in terms of both connectors and key layout that I need).  

But I do technically agree with the F fans here that the F's are a touch better than the M's ;) Even though I wouldnt go back to F's for 'practical' reasons anymore.  But anyway thats how far i've come in the last year. I actually thought last summer that all ibm boards were the same. :)


Hey man, 6 months ago I bought every single keyboard the computer store I worked at carried just to find a decent one.  Of course to no avail(we only sold crap, gah).

I think we all know the feeling.
No one was born knowing that they should get a mech. board...'cept rip maybe
Title: Was it worth the $12..?
Post by: wellington1869 on Mon, 07 September 2009, 22:10:35
we should have a 'how did you first come to geekhack' thread.
Title: Was it worth the $12..?
Post by: wellington1869 on Mon, 07 September 2009, 22:12:14
Quote from: ripster;115649


Show Image
(http://www-03.ibm.com/ibm/history/exhibits/vintage/images/4506VV4002.jpg)


 
I remember being about 5 years old and going with my dad to ibm where he worked and they stuck me in a punch card room in front of one of those punch card typewriters to play with so i wouldnt get in the way and i remember distinctly that it was a *lot* of fun punching holes in those punch cards :)

I kind of like having been an ibm baby. :)  So to speak.  Our town in upstate ny was an ibm town.
Title: Was it worth the $12..?
Post by: ironcoder on Tue, 08 September 2009, 03:52:15
Quote from: ripster;115649
Not me.  I thought punch cards were the ultimate.

Actually what's so funny is that as these vintage boards appear (Apple, IBM Model M 80, Compaq "Portable") I remember the computers distinctly but not the keyboard.



I remember the key feel on those, it was like a Selectric, not surprisingy. Those 029s had a Smith and Wesson sort of breaking point on a key, you pressed it down and all of a sudden you could feel it break and release suddenly. Very positive key action, and even maybe a little better than the 3278s that came later.

You could really honk on one of those machines but then again you didn't get a second chance....any mistake and the card was toast.
Title: Was it worth the $12..?
Post by: Shawn Stanford on Tue, 08 September 2009, 06:47:36
Quote from: ironcoder;115673
I remember the key feel on those, it was like a Selectric, not surprisingy. Those 029s had a Smith and Wesson sort of breaking point on a key, you pressed it down and all of a sudden you could feel it break and release suddenly. Very positive key action, and even maybe a little better than the 3278s that came later.

You could really honk on one of those machines but then again you didn't get a second chance....any mistake and the card was toast.

The thing I remember about these (and about the Selectric typewriters) was the powerful hum when you turned them on. You just knew it was ready and waiting to do some friggin' serious damage to an unlucky piece of paper or Hollerith card!

Then, of course, the *WHAM* when you actually snapped through the breakpoint on the key and the machine did its thing. That was kind of scary, actually...
Title: Was it worth the $12..?
Post by: kode on Wed, 09 September 2009, 05:34:04
Hah, yeah, mom lost a lot of her hearing to punching cards back when she worked at a bank.
Title: Was it worth the $12..?
Post by: ironcoder on Wed, 09 September 2009, 08:29:19
You want to lose your hearing, try running a 1401 with the hood up. It beats a room full of 029s or even a check sorting machine.
Title: Was it worth the $12..?
Post by: Shawn Stanford on Wed, 09 September 2009, 08:58:53
I worked in operations for a few months. The floor was nice and quiet, the printer room was a hell hole. Especially when the covers were up on those chain printers.
Title: Was it worth the $12..?
Post by: ironcoder on Wed, 09 September 2009, 09:00:01
Exactly. Those are real ear-drum rippers. I cringe just thinking of it.

No wonder we needed clicky keyboards in those days just to hear over the roar of the machines!