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Author Topic: Finally got hold of a Model M keyboard (German layout though)  (Read 1285 times)

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Offline harishankar

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Finally got hold of a Model M keyboard (German layout though)
« on: Wed, 07 May 2014, 23:34:55 »
Finally I got hold of a model M keyboard! My brother, who is based in Germany ordered a used Model M for me, but only German layout was available. I did not mind this, so I asked him to order it some months ago. Now I am typing on the Model M. It's a great feel, though a bi stiff and I love the low clack sound as compared to the high pitched click of my TVSE keyboard (cherry MX blue).

Feels solid as a rock and is a wonderful acquisition. Getting used to the left shift and the enter key is a bit of an issue since the German layout keyboard has different shaped keys than the traditional US or international layout
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Offline rowdy

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Re: Finally got hold of a Model M keyboard (German layout though)
« Reply #1 on: Thu, 08 May 2014, 00:16:18 »
Congratulations!

I have 2 Model M - the stiffer one has less (if any) missing rivets, whereas the looser feeling one has lots of missing rivets.

So that might be a good thing!
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"Because keyboards are accessories to PC makers, they focus on minimizing the manufacturing costs. But that’s incorrect. It’s in HHKB’s slogan, but when America’s cowboys were in the middle of a trip and their horse died, they would leave the horse there. But even if they were in the middle of a desert, they would take their saddle with them. The horse was a consumable good, but the saddle was an interface that their bodies had gotten used to. In the same vein, PCs are consumable goods, while keyboards are important interfaces." - Eiiti Wada

NEC APC-H4100E | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED red | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED green | Link 900243-08 | CM QFR MX black | KeyCool 87 white MX reds | HHKB 2 Pro | Model M 02-Mar-1993 | Model M 29-Nov-1995 | CM Trigger (broken) | CM QFS MX green | Ducky DK9087 Shine 3 TKL Yellow Edition MX black | Lexmark SSK 21-Apr-1994 | IBM SSK 13-Oct-1987 | CODE TKL MX clear | Model M 122 01-Jun-1988

Ị̸͚̯̲́ͤ̃͑̇̑ͯ̊̂͟ͅs̞͚̩͉̝̪̲͗͊ͪ̽̚̚ ̭̦͖͕̑́͌ͬͩ͟t̷̻͔̙̑͟h̹̠̼͋ͤ͋i̤̜̣̦̱̫͈͔̞ͭ͑ͥ̌̔s̬͔͎̍̈ͥͫ̐̾ͣ̔̇͘ͅ ̩̘̼͆̐̕e̞̰͓̲̺̎͐̏ͬ̓̅̾͠͝ͅv̶̰͕̱̞̥̍ͣ̄̕e͕͙͖̬̜͓͎̤̊ͭ͐͝ṇ̰͎̱̤̟̭ͫ͌̌͢͠ͅ ̳̥̦ͮ̐ͤ̎̊ͣ͡͡n̤̜̙̺̪̒͜e̶̻̦̿ͮ̂̀c̝̘̝͖̠̖͐ͨͪ̈̐͌ͩ̀e̷̥͇̋ͦs̢̡̤ͤͤͯ͜s͈̠̉̑͘a̱͕̗͖̳̥̺ͬͦͧ͆̌̑͡r̶̟̖̈͘ỷ̮̦̩͙͔ͫ̾ͬ̔ͬͮ̌?̵̘͇͔͙ͥͪ͞ͅ

Offline harishankar

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Re: Finally got hold of a Model M keyboard (German layout though)
« Reply #2 on: Thu, 08 May 2014, 00:54:47 »
I am not sure whether it is stiffer than the average Model M since I've never owned one before. But the keys definitely require more force than the Cherry MX Blue ones which I am used to.

Another thing is that the left shift is slightly small and the enter key is differently shaped than the US or international layout. However, I am not having any trouble with the enter key so far. The symbols are also printed different, but since I remember the positions, I don't have any problem using this keyboard with the normal US/international layout.
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Offline rowdy

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Re: Finally got hold of a Model M keyboard (German layout though)
« Reply #3 on: Thu, 08 May 2014, 01:04:18 »
Model M switches are considerably heavier than MX blue :)

And louder.
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"Because keyboards are accessories to PC makers, they focus on minimizing the manufacturing costs. But that’s incorrect. It’s in HHKB’s slogan, but when America’s cowboys were in the middle of a trip and their horse died, they would leave the horse there. But even if they were in the middle of a desert, they would take their saddle with them. The horse was a consumable good, but the saddle was an interface that their bodies had gotten used to. In the same vein, PCs are consumable goods, while keyboards are important interfaces." - Eiiti Wada

NEC APC-H4100E | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED red | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED green | Link 900243-08 | CM QFR MX black | KeyCool 87 white MX reds | HHKB 2 Pro | Model M 02-Mar-1993 | Model M 29-Nov-1995 | CM Trigger (broken) | CM QFS MX green | Ducky DK9087 Shine 3 TKL Yellow Edition MX black | Lexmark SSK 21-Apr-1994 | IBM SSK 13-Oct-1987 | CODE TKL MX clear | Model M 122 01-Jun-1988

Ị̸͚̯̲́ͤ̃͑̇̑ͯ̊̂͟ͅs̞͚̩͉̝̪̲͗͊ͪ̽̚̚ ̭̦͖͕̑́͌ͬͩ͟t̷̻͔̙̑͟h̹̠̼͋ͤ͋i̤̜̣̦̱̫͈͔̞ͭ͑ͥ̌̔s̬͔͎̍̈ͥͫ̐̾ͣ̔̇͘ͅ ̩̘̼͆̐̕e̞̰͓̲̺̎͐̏ͬ̓̅̾͠͝ͅv̶̰͕̱̞̥̍ͣ̄̕e͕͙͖̬̜͓͎̤̊ͭ͐͝ṇ̰͎̱̤̟̭ͫ͌̌͢͠ͅ ̳̥̦ͮ̐ͤ̎̊ͣ͡͡n̤̜̙̺̪̒͜e̶̻̦̿ͮ̂̀c̝̘̝͖̠̖͐ͨͪ̈̐͌ͩ̀e̷̥͇̋ͦs̢̡̤ͤͤͯ͜s͈̠̉̑͘a̱͕̗͖̳̥̺ͬͦͧ͆̌̑͡r̶̟̖̈͘ỷ̮̦̩͙͔ͫ̾ͬ̔ͬͮ̌?̵̘͇͔͙ͥͪ͞ͅ

Offline dorkvader

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Re: Finally got hold of a Model M keyboard (German layout though)
« Reply #4 on: Thu, 08 May 2014, 01:21:50 »
Quote from: harishankar on Thu, 08 May 2014, 00:54:47
The symbols are also printed different, but since I remember the positions, I don't have any problem using this keyboard with the normal US/international layout.
You can straight-up swap the Z and Y keys: they are the same. The weird german keys on the right you'll just have to muddle through for now.

M's tend to be heavy switches. I'd recommend focusing on not bottoming out. What year is it?

If you do decide to bolt-mod it, you can swap the hammers around and convert it back to QWERTY layout with the horizontal ANSI enter and everything.
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Offline harishankar

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Re: Finally got hold of a Model M keyboard (German layout though)
« Reply #5 on: Thu, 08 May 2014, 01:27:55 »
Quote from: dorkvader on Thu, 08 May 2014, 01:21:50
Quote from: harishankar on Thu, 08 May 2014, 00:54:47
The symbols are also printed different, but since I remember the positions, I don't have any problem using this keyboard with the normal US/international layout.
You can straight-up swap the Z and Y keys: they are the same. The weird german keys on the right you'll just have to muddle through for now.

M's tend to be heavy switches. I'd recommend focusing on not bottoming out. What year is it?

If you do decide to bolt-mod it, you can swap the hammers around and convert it back to QWERTY layout with the horizontal ANSI enter and everything.

Thanks. I am not sure that I have the courage or the tools to bolt-mod the keyboard, but since I already have used a keyboard with an inverted L shaped enter key I don't find hitting the enter key a problem. Even the left shift is not that much of an issue.

I sure love the resonant clack of the keyboard which feels very different from the normal high-pitched click of the cherry mx blue. I am trying not to bottom out, though that is easier in Model M because it is heavier. I do tend to bottom out on the MX Blues when typing faster.
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Offline harishankar

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Re: Finally got hold of a Model M keyboard (German layout though)
« Reply #6 on: Thu, 08 May 2014, 01:35:43 »
Additional info: The model is 1391403 and the year of manufacture is 1996, made by IBM UK.
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