geekhack
geekhack Marketplace => Great Finds => Topic started by: ander on Mon, 08 October 2018, 01:38:36
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Dell Model M Clicky Mechanical Keyboard PS/2 IBM Lexmark 1369050 06/95 (https://www.ebay.com/itm/Dell-Model-M-Clicky-Mechanical-Keyboard-PS-2-IBM-Lexmark-1369050-06-95/192682063972?epid=1800385174)
(https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/SxoAAOSw61FbukkX/s-l1600.jpg)
(https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/62IAAOSwhh9bukkn/s-l1600.jpg)
(https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/yYwAAOSwJ2pbukkp/s-l1600.jpg)
Lexmark made buckling spring Model M's for Dell with both Dell's original and updated logo. This has the latter. A bit grimy, but they usually clean up beautifully. After all, they're Model M's.
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That mini-DIN plug looks odd - as if a pin were missing. Did they start making them like that?
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That mini-DIN plug looks odd - as if a pin were missing. Did they start making them like that?
Hey, sharp eye! Here's a closeup (rotated):
[attach=1]
It looks like it's missing two pins, actually. That's the specification (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PS/2_port), and it's what my Model M cables have... But maybe Lexmark was economizing by that time and ordered cables with only the pins they needed?
The seller does say it's "in working order". Wonder if they actually tested it? I think I'll ask them.
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This is curious. I'd check another Lexmark board of the same period, but I can't get to mine at the moment.
I've looked for info here and on Deskthority, but couldn't find anything specific. And there's no telling if this seller has any experience with keyboard connectors... Does anyone else know about this?
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I assumed it was a cost saving measure by Lexmark -- though it seems a pretty pointless one if so.
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I assumed it was a cost saving measure by Lexmark -- though it seems a pretty pointless one if so.
Hard to say. Assuming Lexmark made their SDL cables, there'd be no reason not to use only the pins and leads they needed, as long as they were confident they'd save more on them than the cost of tooling them up.
Anyway, if someone here bought it, maybe we'll find out.
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If I were Lexmark, I'd leave out the wires that aren't used, but I would include the unused pins just to give a bit more keying to the connector. Unless there were some workstations that had some of the holes missing in the PS/2 keyboard port, to stop people plugging in the mouse by mistake? Such a workstation would need a missing-pins connector on its keyboard -- but would then become incompatible with standard PS/2 keyboards.
I do dimly recall seeing something like this on Greenock-made Model Ms but I could be just imagining that.
(IBM's biggest design mistake in the PS/2 line, in my view, was to make the keyboard and mouse plugs identical but not interchangeable.)
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(IBM's biggest design mistake in the PS/2 line, in my view, was to make the keyboard and mouse plugs identical but not interchangeable.)
I always thought that was so the OS wouldn't have to tell which was which. PS/2's Plug and Play support was but a first brave attempt (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plug_and_play#Micro-Channel_Architecture) at auto-configuration.
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Yes, I spent many happy hours with the reference diskette configuring my latest SCSI card or weird-ass memory expansion daughterboard.
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Yes, I spent many happy hours with the reference diskette configuring my latest SCSI card or weird-ass memory expansion daughterboard.
Well, sometimes you have to take your entertainment wherever you can find it. :?)
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So late to the party, but I can say that the 'missing pins' is a bit normal. Several of my Ms have the same missing pins. :)
So I should have seen this earlier and bought it!
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Stop it stop it stop it....
Those two pins are unused. I am sure the keyboard works fine.
The two pins in question are for the RS/6000. I can repeat this 100 times and there will still be people saying or "knowing" that it isn't.
It is what it is!
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[attach=1]
Pins 2 and 6 are gone.
Made image proper for reference. (edit)
Thanks for confusing the hell out of me Ander.
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I even went and double checked to be sure I wasn't out of my mind!
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I even went and double checked to be sure I wasn't out of my mind!
Wow, I didn't know you could do that. I'm going to keep some PS/2 cables around to check whenever I feel like I'm losing it, too.