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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: dante on Sat, 08 August 2015, 20:40:39

Title: Unicomp ... wtf happened?
Post by: dante on Sat, 08 August 2015, 20:40:39
Check out this wayback machine link from March 3, 2000.

https://web.archive.org/web/20000303094140/http://www.pckeyboard.com/

Take a look how nice and personal the website used to be.
Title: Re: Unicomp ... wtf happened?
Post by: demik on Sat, 08 August 2015, 20:44:39
Well at least their look hasn't changed?

****ing angelfire looking site
Title: Re: Unicomp ... wtf happened?
Post by: nubbinator on Sat, 08 August 2015, 20:50:10
Well at least their look hasn't changed?

****ing angelfire looking site

Still better than the Keyboard Co. (http://www.keyboardco.com/) and Fentek (http://www.fentek-ind.com/) websites.
Title: Re: Unicomp ... wtf happened?
Post by: demik on Sat, 08 August 2015, 20:55:15
Well keyboard co is euro and they still have kings and **** so I'm not surprised they're stuck in the past.

Fentek sells keyboards and keyboard accessories. Makes sense it would have a bunch of text. They use their products. That's a company I'd trust.
Title: Re: Unicomp ... wtf happened?
Post by: Findecanor on Sat, 08 August 2015, 21:04:05
Keyboard Co's web site Just Works.

No need to make it  more complicated than it already is. The compact text-oriented format is a blessing. Easy to navigate. No product is hidden. If you need to search, just press Ctrl-F.
Title: Re: Unicomp ... wtf happened?
Post by: dante on Sat, 08 August 2015, 21:14:22
Keyboard Co's web site Just Works.

No need to make it  more complicated than it already is. The compact text-oriented format is a blessing. Easy to navigate. No product is hidden. If you need to search, just press Ctrl-F.

The site needs more Benny Hill.

Title: Re: Unicomp ... wtf happened?
Post by: katushkin on Sat, 08 August 2015, 21:18:17
Well keyboard co is euro and they still have kings and **** so I'm not surprised they're stuck in the past.

Fentek sells keyboards and keyboard accessories. Makes sense it would have a bunch of text. They use their products. That's a company I'd trust.

At least our leaders aren't shouting about menstruation.
Title: Re: Unicomp ... wtf happened?
Post by: demik on Sat, 08 August 2015, 21:23:57
Well keyboard co is euro and they still have kings and **** so I'm not surprised they're stuck in the past.

Fentek sells keyboards and keyboard accessories. Makes sense it would have a bunch of text. They use their products. That's a company I'd trust.

At least our leaders aren't shouting about menstruation.

They're too busy having sex with kids to worry about oppressing women and complaining how their body works.
Title: Re: Unicomp ... wtf happened?
Post by: ctm on Tue, 11 August 2015, 09:05:31
On this page https://web.archive.org/web/20000303193450/http://www.pckeyboard.com/ep104.htm it says
Quote
Customers who require or prefer a quiet keyboard will select the new Whisper Spring TM model of the EP/104. The new Whisper Spring TM technology delivers the same clicky feel as the buckling spring, yet is extremely quiet.
Why isn't Unicomp making this anymore?!
Title: Re: Unicomp ... wtf happened?
Post by: mougrim on Thu, 13 August 2015, 15:06:08
On this page https://web.archive.org/web/20000303193450/http://www.pckeyboard.com/ep104.htm it says
Quote
Customers who require or prefer a quiet keyboard will select the new Whisper Spring TM model of the EP/104. The new Whisper Spring TM technology delivers the same clicky feel as the buckling spring, yet is extremely quiet.
Why isn't Unicomp making this anymore?!

It's just greased springs. You can do it yourself :)
Title: Re: Unicomp ... wtf happened?
Post by: fohat.digs on Thu, 13 August 2015, 16:56:33
It's just greased springs. You can do it yourself

The cheapest Model M from ebay that I ever bought was a botched grease job that hopelessly ruined the board.

I took it apart, threw the spring/pivot-plate assemblies into the garbage, scrubbed the whole thing with hot soapy water, and rebuilt it.
Title: Re: Unicomp ... wtf happened?
Post by: ctm on Thu, 13 August 2015, 17:03:09
On this page https://web.archive.org/web/20000303193450/http://www.pckeyboard.com/ep104.htm it says
Quote
Customers who require or prefer a quiet keyboard will select the new Whisper Spring TM model of the EP/104. The new Whisper Spring TM technology delivers the same clicky feel as the buckling spring, yet is extremely quiet.
Why isn't Unicomp making this anymore?!

It's just greased springs. You can do it yourself :)
What kind of grease? Also, how quiet will it be after applying grease? I can't find any video or sound clip of greased buckling spring.
Title: Re: Unicomp ... wtf happened?
Post by: 0100010 on Fri, 14 August 2015, 10:20:30
Probably be better off with a floss mod than grease.
Title: Re: Unicomp ... wtf happened?
Post by: dante on Fri, 14 August 2015, 10:38:14
I should be receiving my UltraClassic 103 on Saturday.

I know the board will be a little rough around the edges - but I'm curious to see if they have fixed two flaws:

1. I've read that the USB adapter they are using is very flaky.  This made me kick myself for not getting PS/2 and use a high quality adapter.
2. Also the keyboards have no cable strain relief so I will be very careful with this as well.
Title: Re: Unicomp ... wtf happened?
Post by: dante on Fri, 14 August 2015, 18:00:46
Just received my board a day early!

Compared to the Kentucky Wildcats I had a couple years back the quality is about the same; the casing feels a bit stiffer likely due to having less case but the front seam looks like if I dropped the keyboard it would come apart in the front.

All the clacky goodness is there although going off memory either my hands have gotten stronger or the spring action has gotten lighter - or both.  Doesn't feel as stiff as my previous Unicomp but again this is only after 5 min of using it.

All in all 8/10, would buy again.  If MassDrop does another beige on black Unicomp w/ an option for 103 setup (which looks infinitely better than the new 104) I'll probably pick it up.
Title: Re: Unicomp ... wtf happened?
Post by: Snowdog993 on Fri, 14 August 2015, 18:04:39
Just received my board a day early!

All in all 8/10, would buy again.  If MassDrop does another beige on black Unicomp w/ an option for 103 setup (which looks infinitely better than the new 104) I'll probably pick it up.

How are the legends on the keys themselves?  Are they crisp and clear, or foggy and blurry?
I wonder.

Here's a picture of my 103 from 01-Dec-2014:

(http://i.imgur.com/YEIA2Ul.jpg)
Title: Re: Unicomp ... wtf happened?
Post by: dante on Fri, 14 August 2015, 18:18:55
How are the legends on the keys themselves?  Are they crisp and clear, or foggy and blurry?

I'm not a connoisseur of legends - they look crisp to me - no complaints.  My number pad numbers however are riding very high with the 0/ins (worst offender) almost at the top edge of the key. :)  Eh, it is what it is.

I know it's probably new keyboard euphoria talking but for $89 on a keyboard made in America with nice feeling PBT caps - they did a very good job.
Title: Re: Unicomp ... wtf happened?
Post by: fohat.digs on Fri, 14 August 2015, 19:17:20
My number pad numbers however are riding very high with the 0/ins (worst offender) almost at the top edge of the key.

IBM did this even back in the 1980s. I got one early 1391401 with the legends literally crammed into the upper left corners.