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Author Topic: Can't find any details about these IBMs  (Read 4861 times)

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Offline dicho

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Can't find any details about these IBMs
« on: Tue, 19 March 2013, 13:37:33 »
Hey folks, I found two IBM keyboards from the 1990's on an auction site. I asked for the seller to provide me with model/part number for each keyboard. They are 1399040 and 73G4616 (the latter is labeled "IBM by Lexmark").
Searching for these part numbers on Google/GH/Deskthority was no help whatsoever.

Can you guys give me some light on whether these keyboards are Model M/M2 or just low-end rubber domes?

Thank you all in advance,

Best regards!

P.S.: Photo from said advertisement attached. There are other keyboards in it, just ignore them.
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Offline frowni

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Re: Can't find any details about these IBMs
« Reply #1 on: Tue, 19 March 2013, 13:56:30 »
Lol i used to own the one in lower right in 1992... :P It was clicky...
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Offline daerid

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Re: Can't find any details about these IBMs
« Reply #2 on: Tue, 19 March 2013, 15:06:10 »
They all look like standard RD over membrane boards.
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Offline rootwyrm

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Re: Can't find any details about these IBMs
« Reply #3 on: Tue, 19 March 2013, 15:38:36 »
Quote from: daerid on Tue, 19 March 2013, 15:06:10
They all look like standard RD over membrane boards.

Bzzt, thanks for playing.

Two IBM M2's - that would be both of the IBMs. Yes, buckling spring. The TC-2000 may be Alps or Cherry or something interesting possibly. Thought the other one on the right was a Leading Edge, but it's not. Looks like an OEM design I can't recall though, so may be Alps. (The one with the cuts for additional 1x1 keys above the arrows.)
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"I remain convinced I am the only person alive who has successfully worn out an IBM Model M mechanically."
Daily Drivers: Adesso 625 (NPKC PBT / Kailh Blue), Rosewill RK9000V2 (KC PBT / MX Brown), 1994 Model M13, Sun Type4, and the rare IBM 1394540.

Offline daerid

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Re: Can't find any details about these IBMs
« Reply #4 on: Tue, 19 March 2013, 15:39:31 »
Shows you how much I know about vintage boards :)
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Offline rootwyrm

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Re: Can't find any details about these IBMs
« Reply #5 on: Tue, 19 March 2013, 15:42:32 »
Quote from: daerid on Tue, 19 March 2013, 15:39:31
Shows you how much I know about vintage boards :)

... because I can correctly identify an M2 ISO vs. ANSI by the placement of \ and unique right-cut shift-key? I guess.
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"I remain convinced I am the only person alive who has successfully worn out an IBM Model M mechanically."
Daily Drivers: Adesso 625 (NPKC PBT / Kailh Blue), Rosewill RK9000V2 (KC PBT / MX Brown), 1994 Model M13, Sun Type4, and the rare IBM 1394540.

Offline dicho

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Re: Can't find any details about these IBMs
« Reply #6 on: Tue, 19 March 2013, 16:18:42 »
Thanks, guys!

Yay, possible buckling springs for $5... gonna try 'em. Promise to come back and report how it went.

Best regards!!!
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Offline Tarzan

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Re: Can't find any details about these IBMs
« Reply #7 on: Tue, 19 March 2013, 16:21:21 »
Quote from: dicho on Tue, 19 March 2013, 16:18:42
Thanks, guys!

Yay, possible buckling springs for $5... gonna try 'em. Promise to come back and report how it went.

Best regards!!!

Good luck!

If you end up with extra Alps boards, I'd be glad to take those off your hands.  Looking for more Alps keycaps.
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Offline bazemk1979

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Re: Can't find any details about these IBMs
« Reply #8 on: Tue, 19 March 2013, 19:39:18 »
only 2 of them are Model M2 with buckling springs, but the M2's are known to have issues. The M2 ones are on the right row, second and fourth starting from above.The rest look like rubber domes.
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Quote from: IvanIvanovich on Wed, 08 January 2014, 18:02:50

When you bottom out dong cap... is it going balls deep?

Offline rootwyrm

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Re: Can't find any details about these IBMs
« Reply #9 on: Wed, 20 March 2013, 01:32:27 »
Quote from: Greystoke on Tue, 19 March 2013, 16:21:21
Quote from: dicho on Tue, 19 March 2013, 16:18:42
Thanks, guys!

Yay, possible buckling springs for $5... gonna try 'em. Promise to come back and report how it went.

Best regards!!!

Good luck!

If you end up with extra Alps boards, I'd be glad to take those off your hands.  Looking for more Alps keycaps.

I'd rate the TD-2000 and Triangle-Windows-Logo-Thingy as most likely to contain Alps (or knockoffs) based on age/design. The rest are definitely dime-a-dozen rubber dome though, especially the rounded spacebars.
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"I remain convinced I am the only person alive who has successfully worn out an IBM Model M mechanically."
Daily Drivers: Adesso 625 (NPKC PBT / Kailh Blue), Rosewill RK9000V2 (KC PBT / MX Brown), 1994 Model M13, Sun Type4, and the rare IBM 1394540.

Offline daerid

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Re: Can't find any details about these IBMs
« Reply #10 on: Wed, 20 March 2013, 09:59:07 »
Quote from: rootwyrm on Tue, 19 March 2013, 15:42:32
... because I can correctly identify an M2 ISO vs. ANSI by the placement of \ and unique right-cut shift-key? I guess.

Oh I picked up the ISO layout no problem, but they just all looked like RD boards. I didn't even know there was such a thing as an "M2". Hence, my comment about my ignorance regarding vintage boards (since I assume none of those boards are in production still.. derp).
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Offline fohat.digs

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Re: Can't find any details about these IBMs
« Reply #11 on: Wed, 20 March 2013, 10:14:50 »
Too bad about the M2 - it could have been a superstar.

I have bought 2 of them, and both were junk. Worse, the keys and stabilizers don't interchange with normal Model M gear.

Building them together into one decent specimen (and fixing a controller, presumably the problem) is yet another of my projects.
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Offline mich

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Re: Can't find any details about these IBMs
« Reply #12 on: Wed, 20 March 2013, 13:04:44 »
Obligatory reading before buying M2s :)

http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=5065.0
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Offline rootwyrm

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Re: Can't find any details about these IBMs
« Reply #13 on: Wed, 20 March 2013, 14:23:40 »
Quote from: daerid on Wed, 20 March 2013, 09:59:07
Quote from: rootwyrm on Tue, 19 March 2013, 15:42:32
... because I can correctly identify an M2 ISO vs. ANSI by the placement of \ and unique right-cut shift-key? I guess.

Oh I picked up the ISO layout no problem, but they just all looked like RD boards. I didn't even know there was such a thing as an "M2". Hence, my comment about my ignorance regarding vintage boards (since I assume none of those boards are in production still.. derp).

Ah. And no, not in production. The ISO M2's a bit of an odd beast, because of that right cut shift key. Yes, it's a CapsLock key that's got Shift printed on it instead. I'm not rightfully sure why they did that, other than possibly as a cost savings measure.

Also, mich's post has the wrong layout for the ISO board. So don't use that for a reference photo. Also, should use metal can capacitors (same as stock) for replacements. I haven't had time to dig into the other possible faults on the M2's, but I do know the ST uC has a direct replacement available.
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"I remain convinced I am the only person alive who has successfully worn out an IBM Model M mechanically."
Daily Drivers: Adesso 625 (NPKC PBT / Kailh Blue), Rosewill RK9000V2 (KC PBT / MX Brown), 1994 Model M13, Sun Type4, and the rare IBM 1394540.

Offline mich

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Re: Can't find any details about these IBMs
« Reply #14 on: Wed, 20 March 2013, 17:23:53 »
ISO layout is the one found in the thread I've linked - with triple-width right shift. And I own another "proper ISO" M2 so there are at least two M2s with this layout. OP's find is some mutant pretending to be ISO :)

I wonder if right shift shape is correlated with date or origin. Mine is from Greenock, 1991.

As for electronics, the capacitors (probably the smaller one, actually) are pretty much the only parts which should ever cause trouble.
« Last Edit: Wed, 20 March 2013, 17:28:01 by mich »
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Offline rootwyrm

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Re: Can't find any details about these IBMs
« Reply #15 on: Thu, 21 March 2013, 02:44:42 »
Quote from: mich on Wed, 20 March 2013, 17:23:53
ISO layout is the one found in the thread I've linked - with triple-width right shift. And I own another "proper ISO" M2 so there are at least two M2s with this layout. OP's find is some mutant pretending to be ISO :)

I wonder if right shift shape is correlated with date or origin. Mine is from Greenock, 1991.

As for electronics, the capacitors (probably the smaller one, actually) are pretty much the only parts which should ever cause trouble.

Nope, it's ISO layout. The thing to remember is that ISO is a variable definition. What he's got is ISO Portugese I believe. It has the C with the curly-cue to the right of L - see here. It matches up mostly from what I can see, hard to say if it's 100% from the photo.
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"I remain convinced I am the only person alive who has successfully worn out an IBM Model M mechanically."
Daily Drivers: Adesso 625 (NPKC PBT / Kailh Blue), Rosewill RK9000V2 (KC PBT / MX Brown), 1994 Model M13, Sun Type4, and the rare IBM 1394540.

Offline dicho

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Re: Can't find any details about these IBMs
« Reply #16 on: Thu, 21 March 2013, 14:32:44 »
Just to clarify: I am from Brazil, and thus these keyboards are Brazilian Portuguese layout (Br ABNT2). These one used to be sold with IBM Aptivas here in Brazil. Nonetheless, M/M2 are very scarce here (most of ibm boards are RD in Brazil). So I wanted to have some word from the experts. I hope to have these boards on my hands asap, and then I can give you proper feeeback.

Cheers!
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Offline rootwyrm

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Re: Can't find any details about these IBMs
« Reply #17 on: Thu, 21 March 2013, 15:07:56 »
Quote from: dicho on Thu, 21 March 2013, 14:32:44
Just to clarify: I am from Brazil, and thus these keyboards are Brazilian Portuguese layout (Br ABNT2). These one used to be sold with IBM Aptivas here in Brazil. Nonetheless, M/M2 are very scarce here (most of ibm boards are RD in Brazil). So I wanted to have some word from the experts. I hope to have these boards on my hands asap, and then I can give you proper feeeback.

Cheers!

Ahha! That would explain it indeed! I suspect very much that they're true M2's, because of the right shift key. That's the only place I've seen the right cut is on the M2 - never on rubber dome. It's possible I've just never encountered a rubber dome with it, but it would surprise me.

Looking forward to hearing what you find out when they get there. :)
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"I remain convinced I am the only person alive who has successfully worn out an IBM Model M mechanically."
Daily Drivers: Adesso 625 (NPKC PBT / Kailh Blue), Rosewill RK9000V2 (KC PBT / MX Brown), 1994 Model M13, Sun Type4, and the rare IBM 1394540.
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