Author Topic: Vintage IBM Keyboard — what feel?  (Read 1545 times)

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Offline y11971alex

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Vintage IBM Keyboard — what feel?
« on: Tue, 17 November 2015, 17:35:26 »
http://www.ebay.com/itm/RARE-VINTAGE-IBM-26-INTERPRETING-CARD-PUNCH-/161725243156?hash=item25a7935f14:g:U9UAAOxy69JTE9dg#viTabs_0

Looks like an early keyboard from IBM; judging by the connection, the keyboard might be mechanically operated (not digital). 

As a purely hypothetical exercise, can this be connected to a PC?
Keyboards owned: IBM Selectric | 3278 | 3101 | 5251 | Model F XT | AT | 122 (6110344) | Model M 1390120 | 1390131 | 1391472 | 1392464 (DisplayWriter SSK) | 1395100 (SSK) | Honeywell RD IBM 09F4230 | Leading Edge DC-2014 (Blue Alps) | Chicony 5891 (Monterey Blue) | E&E-101 (KPT Blue) | BTC 5100 | 5100C | 5369 | DEC VT100 (Hi-tek Linear) | Burroughs TP109 (Hall) | Realforce 87 (55g)

Keyboards wanted: IBM Model F 104 (Unsaver) | Model M 1391401

Offline fohat.digs

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Re: Vintage IBM Keyboard — what feel?
« Reply #1 on: Tue, 17 November 2015, 17:53:25 »
Awesome.

But it belongs in a museum on public display somewhere.

No rational civilian could/would actually use that dinosaur.
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Offline E TwentyNine

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Re: Vintage IBM Keyboard — what feel?
« Reply #2 on: Tue, 17 November 2015, 18:12:37 »
That might be one of if not the first keyboard with an embedded numberpad.

Google "IBM 026" you'll find plenty of info. 

Hypothetically anything can be hooked up to a modern PC given enough wiring skill.
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Offline jdcarpe

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Re: Vintage IBM Keyboard — what feel?
« Reply #3 on: Tue, 17 November 2015, 19:03:51 »
Didn't someone here have one of those card punch keyboards at one time? I swear I remember seeing something about it a few years ago.
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Offline MeltingTeeth

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Re: Vintage IBM Keyboard — what feel?
« Reply #4 on: Tue, 17 November 2015, 19:24:17 »
It is not an electronic keyboard.  These machines punch cards which are read into a computer.

http://www.columbia.edu/cu/computinghistory/026.html

Offline y11971alex

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Re: Vintage IBM Keyboard — what feel?
« Reply #5 on: Wed, 18 November 2015, 14:20:36 »
It is not an electronic keyboard.  These machines punch cards which are read into a computer.

http://www.columbia.edu/cu/computinghistory/026.html
I know that.  I'm just asking what would the feel be like, and if it is possible to connect it to a PC.
Keyboards owned: IBM Selectric | 3278 | 3101 | 5251 | Model F XT | AT | 122 (6110344) | Model M 1390120 | 1390131 | 1391472 | 1392464 (DisplayWriter SSK) | 1395100 (SSK) | Honeywell RD IBM 09F4230 | Leading Edge DC-2014 (Blue Alps) | Chicony 5891 (Monterey Blue) | E&E-101 (KPT Blue) | BTC 5100 | 5100C | 5369 | DEC VT100 (Hi-tek Linear) | Burroughs TP109 (Hall) | Realforce 87 (55g)

Keyboards wanted: IBM Model F 104 (Unsaver) | Model M 1391401

Offline mszy52

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Re: Vintage IBM Keyboard — what feel?
« Reply #6 on: Wed, 18 November 2015, 18:48:38 »
Imagine setting this beast up to your computer

Offline SamirD

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Re: Vintage IBM Keyboard — what feel?
« Reply #7 on: Thu, 19 November 2015, 23:04:09 »
Wow, I actually used the later version of this at my dad's office back in the 1980s.  Whatever I would type would be put on the top of punch cards and the punch cards would get punched.  I kept typing basic program lines on them.  What memories. 

I do remember the keyboard feel although the keyboard was much more modern than the one in the listing.  I believe the keys were doubleshot, but a shallow spherical with sharp edges to prevent anything falling in between the keys--probably to keep the underlying mechanism from being damaged/dirtied.