Author Topic: where to buy model M  (Read 1661 times)

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Offline es1208

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where to buy model M
« on: Sun, 14 September 2014, 22:16:35 »
Hey all,
I am desperately trying to get my hands on an IBM model M with a specific date. Other than ebay, anyone got any ideas where I could find an 05May 86?

Cheers!

Offline GL1TCH3D

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Re: where to buy model M
« Reply #1 on: Sun, 14 September 2014, 22:56:12 »
I'd think your best bet is to keep posting ads on sites that will let you hoping someone will eventually hit you up on that one


Offline PointyFox

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Re: where to buy model M
« Reply #2 on: Sun, 14 September 2014, 22:56:22 »
Probably a dumpster. One of the places I worked at used to recycle them by the pallet. 

Offline rowdy

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Re: where to buy model M
« Reply #3 on: Mon, 15 September 2014, 00:46:09 »
Welcome to Geekhack!

You could try: http://www.clickykeyboards.com/index.cfm
"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 es1208

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Re: where to buy model M
« Reply #4 on: Tue, 16 September 2014, 02:46:34 »
Thanks guys, I like the dumpster idea.
I've tried clickykeyboards and they are great. I'm sad they have actually sold one of that exact date in the past :(.

Anyways, Cheers for the input :)

Offline rowdy

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Re: where to buy model M
« Reply #5 on: Tue, 16 September 2014, 05:18:06 »
Also: http://phosphorglow.net/

Very, very nicely refurbished keyboards!
"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 Tiramisuu

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Re: where to buy model M
« Reply #6 on: Tue, 16 September 2014, 17:29:18 »
or you could just buy  a nice unicomp.
Keyboard error F1 to continue.

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Offline Puddsy

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Re: where to buy model M
« Reply #7 on: Tue, 16 September 2014, 17:36:20 »
a unicomp isn't quite as good as a real model m
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Offline Hypersphere

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Re: where to buy model M
« Reply #8 on: Tue, 16 September 2014, 17:44:52 »
It is difficult to get an M with a specific S/N or date, but in general, I have been very pleased getting IBM Model M and some IBM Model F keyboards from clickykeyboards.com. More recently, I have found some good IBM Model M SSK and IBM Model F AT, F XT, F122, and IBM beam spring keyboards on eBay, but on eBay, quality and prices vary substantially and erratically. Phosphorglow is an excellent source for high-quality refurbished IBM keyboards.

Offline fohat.digs

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Re: where to buy model M
« Reply #9 on: Tue, 16 September 2014, 18:10:36 »
You are also seeking a very early date. That will make it much harder to find. Even my earliest 1390131 is almost 2 months newer than that.

On the other hand, if you do get one eventually, there may be a good chance that it will have the luscious old Model F stye label!
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Offline dorkvader

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Re: where to buy model M
« Reply #10 on: Tue, 16 September 2014, 21:33:09 »
You are also seeking a very early date. That will make it much harder to find. Even my earliest 1390131 is almost 2 months newer than that.

On the other hand, if you do get one eventually, there may be a good chance that it will have the luscious old Model F stye label!


Yes, my 1390120 is from 03 march 1986. There were likely only a few thousand made on that day, but it really depends on the plant. It will probably take a year or two of searching to find one. Check in with clickykeybaords and eBay frequently.

I believe this is pre-1391401, so you only have a few model numbers to search, and the most common may be a 122-key (maybe even a model F) or a terminal board. Look for barcode labels, as most of the plants switches over to the newer labels a few months later in 1986.

You can get a sense of scope of how many were made on that day by browsing the model M serial number archive project.

Based on the serial numbers, plant J1 was making about 450 daily 1390131's in may of '86
Plant FL2 was making about 450 daily 1390131's in April of 1986 (not enough data for that plant in May)

for 1390120 Plant J1 was making about 450 daily in March (though it might be as high as 2000 daily)
It's ahrder to tell plant FL2 numbers since the letter at the beginning changes so much, but it seems they might have been making as few as 450 a day or as many as 2000 a day.

In the entire archive, there is only a single KB from your date.
1390120   G0591   5/5/1986   FL2

There were other terminal keyboards and industrial ones that were produced through 1986, but your part number range is quite small. Any 1391401 beige label or blue label is too new. This will help narrow the search.

it will almost certainly have the barcode label the fohat.digs is talking about.

Here's the picture of mine:
« Last Edit: Tue, 16 September 2014, 21:54:36 by dorkvader »

Offline es1208

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Re: where to buy model M
« Reply #11 on: Tue, 16 September 2014, 21:52:56 »
Again, Thanks for all the input. I realise it is an early model. I already have a lovely old-labelled March 86 from clickykeyboards. Love it. This is for a birthday gift for a friend... guess the date ;). Have been in touch with a few ebay sellers and will just keep at it I guess. Thanks for this,

You are also seeking a very early date. That will make it much harder to find. Even my earliest 1390131 is almost 2 months newer than that.

On the other hand, if you do get one eventually, there may be a good chance that it will have the luscious old Model F stye label!


I'll keep an eye out for model F s also.

Thanks for the update dorkvader... hopefully one of those 450 will come my way eventually!

Cheers all.
« Last Edit: Tue, 16 September 2014, 21:57:23 by es1208 »

Offline dorkvader

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Re: where to buy model M
« Reply #12 on: Tue, 16 September 2014, 22:55:10 »
Relevant part numbers:
1386303
1386304
^the above are both terminal and won't work on PC without an adapter. They are the first M ever made, so many are from 1985 ! Uncommon

1388032
^industrial model M: can go for $800 sometimes for early dates. uncommon.

1390120
^probably the most common, normal model M. No LEDs

1390131
Probably the second most common, same as 1390120 but with leds for capslock, etc.

All examples I know of have the "barcode" label and square badge.
---
After that, there are some model Fs that were produced around that time. Here are some common-ish ones you should look out for:
"xt layout" model F keyboard for IBM 5291
4176191
1397950

122-key model F for 3179:
6110344
6110345
6110346 (less common)
These last three were mostly phased out by 1986, as far as I know, but there may be some.

Offline qihqi

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Re: where to buy model M
« Reply #13 on: Wed, 17 September 2014, 11:25:12 »
There are lots on ebay. I personally have gotten 2 from ebay. Unicomp makes new board based on model M.

Offline mreverything

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Re: where to buy model M
« Reply #14 on: Wed, 17 September 2014, 11:53:22 »
I don't need a specific date, but I've been thinking about getting a Model M and I'm loving these recommendations.  :thumb: