Why do my model Ms feel so different?

[DuckMyDucky]

Hey guys, I'm lucky enough to keep finding model Ms in the trash. Today I picked up a specimen from 1987 with unknown product number. It feels very different from my 1989 model m. The 1987 keys feel softer, less crisp and it's a lot quieter than the 1989. Not sure which one I prefer, but they feel very different. Could it be because of different wear? Or did production change from 1987 to 1989? They look identical apart from stabilizers. This 1987 model has additional wire stabilizers for numpad enter/+ and for large iso enter, while the 1989 model only has it for space bar iirc.

[E TwentyNine]

If anything the 87 should feel a little more solid.  But it's possible you have some popped (or about to pop) rivets.  You'd have to open them up to compare.

[SpaceGhost]

Apart from the rivet situation, differences in keystroke properties among Model M's can be attributed to many factors such as varying plastic compositions for the barrel frame, differences in initial spring stiffness, and how much stress has been placed on the springs due to heavy usage or improper storage (something pressing down the keys for a long period of time).

[Snowdog993]

Hey guys, I'm lucky enough to keep finding model Ms in the trash. Today I picked up a specimen from 1987 with unknown product number. It feels very different from my 1989 model m. The 1987 keys feel softer, less crisp and it's a lot quieter than the 1989.

You may have lost a lot of rivets on the 1987 model.  It will most likely need to be bolt modded.  Even so, that's a great thing to stumble on!  Those keyboards have thicker metal back plates than the newer ones.  They also have a nice patina that the newer ones don't.  Stumble across some more and send them my way, will ya?  *WEG*  Nice find!

[DuckMyDucky]

Thanks guys, I looked into bolt mods, and it looks like that might be just the thing. The 1989 looked pretty much brand new when I found it, while the 1987 one was much dirtier, indicating it has been used a lot more. It looks very nice and tidy after a quick clean of case and keycaps though! Do the rivets fall off from lots of use? Or is its plastic degrading somehow?

Looks like I might have trouble finding the right size nut driver locally though...

[DuckMyDucky]

Btw, would loose rivets typically affect only a few keys or all over the board? The keys seem fairly consistent all over, so there's no immediate call for bolt mod I think.

Like you said about thicker metal plate, snowdog, the 1987 definitely feels heavier, even though I have no weight to verify this. Maybe this explains the different sound characters? The difference in sound really is very noticeable, there seems to be more resonance in the 1989. The 1987 has a more muffled and quiet sound to it, I much prefer this sound. Has anyone else noticed something similar?

And yes, if I come across another batch of these in the trash I might have to start handing them out!

[fohat.digs]

There were "generations" of Model Ms where significant changes were made to the construction.

Somewhere around 1988 (changes may vary by plant) the plate got lighter and wire stabilizers were given up in favor or barrel inserts.

Somewhere around 1992 they scaled back again, and by the mid-1990s another time, including a fixed cable.

Every Model M feels different, for many reasons.

[pr0ximity]

There were "generations" of Model Ms where significant changes were made to the construction.

Somewhere around 1988 (changes may vary by plant) the plate got lighter and wire stabilizers were given up in favor or barrel inserts.

Somewhere around 1992 they scaled back again, and by the mid-1990s another time, including a fixed cable.

Every Model M feels different, for many reasons.

Are there really Model M's with wire stabilizers? This changes everything.

[Melvang]

There were "generations" of Model Ms where significant changes were made to the construction.

Somewhere around 1988 (changes may vary by plant) the plate got lighter and wire stabilizers were given up in favor or barrel inserts.

Somewhere around 1992 they scaled back again, and by the mid-1990s another time, including a fixed cable.

Every Model M feels different, for many reasons.

Are there really Model M's with wire stabilizers? This changes everything.

The space bar.  Other than that I can't place any other wire stabs on M's.

[Snowdog993]

There were "generations" of Model Ms where significant changes were made to the construction.

Somewhere around 1988 (changes may vary by plant) the plate got lighter and wire stabilizers were given up in favor or barrel inserts.

Somewhere around 1992 they scaled back again, and by the mid-1990s another time, including a fixed cable.

Every Model M feels different, for many reasons.

Are there really Model M's with wire stabilizers? This changes everything.

The space bar.  Other than that I can't place any other wire stabs on M's.

The early Model M keyboards like the 1390120 and 1390131 models I believe!  There is a thread on them!

https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=5964.0

[pr0ximity]

The early Model M keyboards like the 1390120 and 1390131 models I believe!  There is a thread on them!

https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=5964.0

Ah, on the num pad, yup. Unfortunately those often get removed in bolt mods because the hooks for them sit nearly on top of rivets Was really hoping there were M's with stabilized shift/return/backspace as it's the one thing that I'd change. They feel so much better than the inserts, it's unfair.

[fohat.digs]

Was really hoping there were M's with stabilized shift/return/backspace as it's the one thing that I'd change. They feel so much better than the inserts, it's unfair.

I am pretty sure that my statement was correct, and that the wire stabilizers were still around well into the early 1391401 period. It seems that every plant transitioned to the newer configurations at differing times.

But maybe my memory is failing and I have been looking at my jar full of stabilized keys for so long that I have forgotten that they mostly came from Model Fs.

Personally, I think the the barrel inserts work well, and are much less finicky.

[Jotokun]

My M is a 1986 silver label, and it uses the inserts for shift and backspace. The enter key on the numberpad is still wire stabilized.

I can't compare model numbers though, as mine is a terminal variant (1390636).

As far as inserts vs stabilizers, I prefer the inserts as they're less finicky when putting the caps on. The only problem I've had with them was on my Model F, when I ANSI-modded it I got the inserts and a new key set from Unicomp. Using the Unicomp caps with the Unicomp inserts resulted in a gritty feel on the shift keys, so I ended up putting the Unicomp set on my M and putting the M's keys on the F.