Medical Purpose Unicomp ?

[LineReaderUltimate]

I was looking for Model Ms on Ebay and came across this odd little keyboard. From what I can find, this keyboard is one of many variants of the model M known as the M4-1. It's interesting in the fact that it looks like it was used for medical purposes and the fact that it's made by Unicomp. This raises the question about how Unicomp made these boards; since the only ones that I can see were made by IBM/Lexmark. Also, why aren't they selling these today if they have already made them previously? Here is the link https://www.ebay.com/itm/Unicomp-IBM-M4-1-98U0150-Compact-Keyboard-and-Trackpoint-Defective-AS-IS/264846917380?_trkparms=ispr%3D1&hash=item3daa1b3f04:g:-wgAAOSwh19fSZIs&enc=AQAFAAACYBaobrjLl8XobRIiIML1V4Imu%2Fn%2BzU5L90Z278x5ickkXKoKcbeZcOrOku%2BoOBl%2BS2dMV4pXARzhRWFcyU8CDvpC5HkDOSnrT8VLNA8k0np5FHA5DYKQmFrUSnTcQrpVbYRKY6PMHsH3nOjjGhwZZmeAk5OBZl7UaLPDgtQ%2BVbipdOFZW1G%2FgAoG9CAePelgixpxZx7MnXPcrDwyT1%2BjxM1%2Fd4q%2FZp0cX%2B89S6FA6m1DbNSnw3RSgNpMkb%2FtkyBeMiTjiYVW1rS%2F2hsdXR03nVL9lIGfi6q6%2BJcG8qvuupkXCOXq2vjR7esbqm6Vu%2BjY0VRFXmgKcx54t9NOkmxY73vo4zJ9iRCvj1J%2BfoevhiPOGAXWOd4%2FDa16CR%2BFE8KavanZyQsPwFDE0a441Q%2FdIdOUHP9X0ZJiTpA%2Beo5ngKb9zYJVI6FFSePamAM7HqIiPoL%2BcWrk4J60fmd53h8dcyymq14LIx16L0DFgVYcLH4l9eEZJMQXXQfOwO2AyVS29%2BKbHN6RPYpyi7rk7zIfmuDP%2B9JfIeIcXCseV0Cwb%2B4Z4XDKX64Hwue1iHpEsFcsa0hFLGiUhOX5tcycQNTkAH5mZw%2FA7MrKHLgX%2Bdhaf7nE%2BHmDTqEqurFI9U8vo9uhC3Wqk9xZ9apbiI%2FSQoJBTjkqNUJyyaaxQh68ONkQmRsdjE34Q3WERZLPnBvvgQk8bEKfrgns%2FO6%2FgQUEia9SOXP2Uq7QkCVTKkj%2BOhnwXhlvsYxij04zXoMDbw8J2d%2Foretnh5TU43FcJ7DKx%2BgS74xpVISajvaEIRX0J8H5MHlu&checksum=2648469173802ae39b3941774f148206b89929d79e22

Does anybody know what this went with and how it was used? I am curious to find out. -Thanks

[LineReaderUltimate]

Here are some photos just in case this thing gets bought (highly doubt it but just to be safe).

[yui]

from what i understand of the history of Unicomp they bought the molds from Lexmark and used them until they could not produce anything good anymore, then they made new molds for the M and M122 and created the ultra classic M, i guess those were not in high enough demand to make new molds, or maybe they still have the molds lying around. if you want one new you could send them a mail and ask, they seem very ready to answer and even seem to make low number special batches sometimes so could be worth a shot.

reading there it seems to be rubber dome: https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=9964.0
and the mechanism seems to wear out with time so it may be why there was not much demand for them, especially that unicomp's rubber domes are quite different from IBM rubber domes

and someone made sort of a "wiki" entry for it https://imgur.com/a/jZ7dU

[LineReaderUltimate]

Interesting, very odd why they decided to make this keyboard in the first place and it now makes sense why it's no longer sold (an unpopular rubber dome keyboard). But the question of where this thing came from is still uncertain, since it had to have been from some type of purpose-built device judging by the labels. I hope someone could shine some light on what this was used for

[kirpeknots]

Well. I bought it. Without knowing this topic. And I am now looking for a USB SKL cable that also supports the trackpoint.

It's definitely not like my model M. It's a dome keyboard and not mechanical.

So there is less feedback. But more feedback than I get from my Lenovo island-style keyboard. There is more travel also. Also more than on a laptop which is really nice. So they did not simply put a laptop keyboard in a case but created something with more travel. It makes of course less noise compared to the model M. But it is also more noise damped than the Lenovo keyboard. The wedge is quite prominent (angle). Even without extending the feet it is way more than my normal keyboard. I really like that.

The funny thing is that I have probably owned a new one when I had my IBM PS2/E in 1995/1996. And probably sold it dirt cheap. I do not know about the history of the Keyboard. I am now taking all the stickers off and looking for a SKL-USB cable.

[yui]

my guess would be that the easier way to convert it to usb is an original cable and a usb to ps/2 adapter (the active kind but not soarer's) the 2nd easiest way would be to search the pinouts and wire the converter inside.

[kirpeknots]

It is an option indeed. But then i will lose the trackpoint functionality I guess.

[yui]

depend on the converter you use some do both and i have had good luck with cheap blue with 2 black ps/2 connectors on ebay, once you desolder the connectors from one it is rather small and can fit in a case very easily and then you can match the pin-outs and solder the wires from the cut cord to it, so if you find a mint cord one day you would be able to get it back to its original shape, and i forgot in my previous answer but if you contact unicomp they can be very helpful and may even be able to sell you the cable or give you more information on the board at least. and if the trackpoint is serial then you will need a serial to usb adapter with the ps/2 adapter but from ibm's user manual seems to indicate it would be ps/2 (https://deskthority.net/viewtopic.php?t=15227)

[sharktastica]

Maybe I can shed some light - my subreddit (r/ModelM) ran a QnA with Unicomp and one of the questions I asked is why their M4/M4-1s were retired. Their response is that the Mighty Mouse (their marketing name for it) was a recreation of the original Lexmark design for a client that backed out at the last minute, thus they had to sell their stock.

QnA source: https://www.reddit.com/r/modelm/wiki/unicomp_qa

IBM also seemingly ordered from some of that stock since I have a 1999 IBM by Unicomp M4-1. One of the main markets for M4-1s seemed to be ThinkPads, as many hardware maintenance manuals from the mid-'90s mentioned them. This continued beyond 1996, something you can test by looking at the ThinkPad 380Z HMM from August 1998. So it seems Unicomp were also actively making new ones for the IBM (M4/M4-1s were never made at Greenock, AFAIK) and it's probably where my one came from. Considering a few early ThinkPads also used a similar sleeves mechanism, I imagine they were geared towards being an option if you're connecting a ThinkPad to a docking station or some other desktop setting.

unicomp's rubber domes are quite different from IBM rubber domes

The numeric keypad attachment I have for it is an original M4-1 (1995 IBM by Lexmark) and I can confirm it's buckling rubber sleeves (not simple domes) feel exactly the same between them. The rubber cylinder is just a tactile element and not involved in the contact mechanism - the keycaps themselves 'stabs' the membrane directly with no mush feeling at all. It seems Unicomp faithfully recreated the design, and I'm glad, since it's one of my favourite tactile-only switches.



If you're curious, I have more details on the keypad and the sleeves on my article about it: https://sharktastica.co.uk/articles/keypad_m41.php.

So they did not simply put a laptop keyboard in a case but created something with more travel.

Technically, it actually is, but from a different era of laptops. The original M4 (non-TrackPoint variant) was just a desktop adaptation of the Model M3 keyboard found on the IBM PS/2 L40SX machine and its sidecar numeric keypad.


(Photo credits: Wikipedia)

The layout is a dead giveaway (excuse the ANSI/ISO different of course). 

[kirpeknots]

So now I can type on it. I ordered 2 sets of cables from Unicomp new. (Also a spare one). I was able to get all the stickers fof and the keyboard looks like new again. I connected it to a generic dual-ps/2 - USB converter.

Mine is a Unicomp 98U0150 from 20 September 1998. I really like it. The only thing lacking is the IBM badge which is smaller than a regular one (SSK) size. Any Idea where I can get one?

[hwood34]

I always loved the look of those M4 keypads with the attached lid, too bad they didn't have good low-profile switches to put in them.