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geekhack Marketplace => Great Finds => Topic started by: EverythingIBM on Sat, 10 April 2010, 13:38:14

Title: Model M 1390120
Post by: EverythingIBM on Sat, 10 April 2010, 13:38:14
http://cgi.ebay.ca/Vintage-IBM-1390120-Model-M-Clicky-Keyboard-BLACK-LABEL_W0QQitemZ250610568280QQcmdZViewItemQQptZPCA_Mice_Trackballs?hash=item3a598dcc58 (http://cgi.ebay.ca/Vintage-IBM-1390120-Model-M-Clicky-Keyboard-BLACK-LABEL_W0QQitemZ250610568280QQcmdZViewItemQQptZPCA_Mice_Trackballs?hash=item3a598dcc58)

1986 model M like mine: but no LED panel lol. And... the back sticker has some funny permanent marker on it. I like the LED panels... the older model Ms had bigger LED lights: that's *one* thing I like about the older ones: those that had them anyways.

$40 seems kind of expensive... I wouldn't buy that, but there's the fanatics who say the older ones are better, so.
Title: Model M 1390120
Post by: ch_123 on Sat, 10 April 2010, 13:59:39
Quote from: EverythingIBM;171203
I like the LED panels... the older model Ms had bigger LED lights:


They did?
Title: Model M 1390120
Post by: kishy on Sat, 10 April 2010, 14:03:17
Actually...that might be true. Didn't some of the later ones have rectangular LEDs (I mean the actual things soldered to that little board), as opposed to the rather large round ones on the older ones?

Maybe I'm thinking of M2s.

I dislike the inaccuracy in the listing...it's an XT keyboard, if we're being very technical. 0120s are autosensing and were intended for XTs.
Title: Model M 1390120
Post by: ch_123 on Sat, 10 April 2010, 14:07:47
Well, it's a keyboard for the later revision of the XT, but not the XT-286 which used the '0131 afaik.

Well, you could be talking about the 42H1292 which may have had different sized LEDs due to the different electronics, but hey, that's one model not all later Model Ms, and what difference does it make?
Title: Model M 1390120
Post by: brkz on Sat, 10 April 2010, 17:17:33
10 january 86, that's about as old as the M gets isn't it?
Title: Model M 1390120
Post by: prd on Sat, 10 April 2010, 17:47:20
I asked this guy about the condition of the plastic rivets. He said he doesn't know about any rivets, and that he thought "it was all screws".

Given the description - he "checked the main board for signs of burning or bad components" and "replaced any keyswitch springs that were bad" - I asked for some more details on the rivets/screws thing and on his spring replacement technique. I got no reply.
Title: Model M 1390120
Post by: ch_123 on Sat, 10 April 2010, 18:04:30
Quote from: brkz;171257
10 january 86, that's about as old as the M gets isn't it?


Oldest I've ever seen is SEP 85, so yeah, pretty much.
Title: Model M 1390120
Post by: kishy on Sat, 10 April 2010, 18:06:26
'Rivets'

(http://www.aeroassemblies.com/images/pop/rivets.jpg)

are not the first thing that come to mind when you see those melted plastic caps. Consequently it's very understandable for him not to know what you meant.
Title: Model M 1390120
Post by: ch_123 on Sat, 10 April 2010, 18:30:24
Quote from: kishy;171269
'Rivets'

Show Image
(http://www.aeroassemblies.com/images/pop/rivets.jpg)


are not the first thing that come to mind when you see those melted plastic caps. Consequently it's very understandable for him not to know what you meant.


The Sun Type 5 had a Model M-esque construction, but used screws instead of plastic rivets. I really wonder how much it would have killed IBM to use them...
Title: Model M 1390120
Post by: kishy on Sat, 10 April 2010, 18:54:06
Quote from: ch_123;171277
The Sun Type 5 had a Model M-esque construction, but used screws instead of plastic rivets. I really wonder how much it would have killed IBM to use them...

It might actually be one of the few cases of IBM design at the time where they said "seems good enough, don't bother making it tougher".

Even if that is the weak point of the keyboards, on the overall they're still incredibly resilient devices.
Title: Model M 1390120
Post by: nowsharing on Sat, 10 April 2010, 19:03:17
The keyboard in this auction may be very old, but I would argue that at about $58.00 shipped, it's overpriced. Having owned a cheaply obtained 1390120, I was disappointed in how ugly the blank area where the LEDs should go is, and how much better for that reason the 1390131 is in comparison.

If someone is considering buying this, I would point them towards waiting out a 1390131, which you could surely get for $60 or less (using patience) and is actually a lot closer to being worth as much.
Title: Model M 1390120
Post by: prd on Sat, 10 April 2010, 19:11:02
Quote from: kishy;171269
'Rivets'
are not the first thing that come to mind when you see those melted plastic caps. Consequently it's very understandable for him not to know what you meant.


Except the fact that rivets cannot be screws, I agree on that.
Misleading would have been improbable though. I referred to those pieces by: name, material, location and role. Maybe he was distracted. Or maybe the dog ate his homework.
Title: Model M 1390120
Post by: EverythingIBM on Sat, 10 April 2010, 20:35:39
Quote from: ch_123;171213
They did?


Yes they did... I take it you don't have an older model M.
Old style LEDs:
(http://www.clickykeyboard.com/2009/oct10/014.jpg)
Title: Model M 1390120
Post by: nowsharing on Sat, 10 April 2010, 20:42:45
A 1390120 just showed up at $40 w/free US shipping: http://cgi.ebay.com/IBM-vintage-KEYBOARD-1987-1390120_W0QQitemZ360251620110

13th Jan 1987, and has what looks to be a hard-wired ps/2 adapter.
Title: Model M 1390120
Post by: skcheng on Sat, 10 April 2010, 20:42:59
Quote from: EverythingIBM;171304
Yes they did... I take it you don't have an older model M.
Old style LEDs:
Show Image
(http://www.clickykeyboard.com/2009/oct10/014.jpg)


That's cool!!  So that's from '86?   How do you tell if it's an older Model M?  

skc
Title: Model M 1390120
Post by: EverythingIBM on Sat, 10 April 2010, 21:38:51
Quote from: skcheng;171307
That's cool!!  So that's from '86?   How do you tell if it's an older Model M?  

skc


They had them up until 89 I believe. Then they changed to the tiny square ones.