« previous next »
Pages:  [1]     Go Down

Author Topic: Is it worth to buy not working properly IBM Model M  (Read 1895 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Voldus

  • Thread Starter
  • Posts: 4
Is it worth to buy not working properly IBM Model M
« on: Sat, 13 April 2019, 07:02:57 »
Hi everyone. I'm new here.
I've been thinking of buying an IBM Model M keyboard for a long time, but they were extremely expensive (and considering I live in Russia that would be REALLY expensive since delivery is expensive too).
But yesterday I met a guy who is selling IBM Model M for 25$ or so. Unfortunately, the keyboard does not work properly. The previous owner spillt juice over the keyboard and some keys don't work.
It seems that some conductive path corroded, but I'm not quite sure. If so, I could try to fix them them some electroconductive paint.

Is it worth to buy such a keyboard? Did anyone repair Model M with such problems? Is it hard to fix it?
P.S. Attaching a photo with not working keys. It's not the keyboard, but show the keys that still work.
Logged

Offline Sup

  • * Exquisite Elder
  • Posts: 1354
  • Doing university was a mistake
Re: Is it worth to buy not working properly IBM Model M
« Reply #1 on: Sat, 13 April 2019, 07:56:49 »
If you want to take the risk and put time and effort into it yes if not no.
Logged
current
Filco Zero -  NOS Yellow Alps | Canoe R1 Gateron Red | AEK II JP Cream dampend |Filco Majestouch 2 Tex case Gateron Yellow | HHKB Pro 1 2003 Rev AO Serial 000171 | HHKB Pro 1 2003 Rev A1s|DZ60 OG Panda's with Fei spring and stem. | Sentraq S65_Plus OG Invyr Panda's | A17 Gateron Black TX 65G 3204 | Lubrigrante Wildcard Cherry MX silent blacks 3204 58.5G Springs | Rukia Everglide Tourmaline Blue 58.5G Springs | MGA Standard Greetech brown |
Coming soon
Rest in peace Billy Herrington(William Glen Harold Herrington) 1969-2018
Rest in peace Byron Daniel 1989-2020

Offline rowdy

  • HHKB Hapster
  • * Erudite Elder
  • Posts: 21175
  • Location: melbourne.vic.au
  • Missed another sale.
Re: Is it worth to buy not working properly IBM Model M
« Reply #2 on: Sun, 14 April 2019, 21:56:48 »
Welcome to Geekhack!

You might be able to repair the keyboard, or not.  If it is a corroded trace, there is quite a lot of effort to disassemble the keyboard, and will require a bolt mod to put it back together again.  Which will probably require to to buy a few more parts.

On the other hand, if $25 is not too much money, then you will have a whole keyboard of spare parts.  If you find another Model M that works but is missing keycaps, say, you can transfer the missing keycaps from the broken keyboard to the working one.  Or the controller.  Or case.
Logged
"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 fohat.digs

  • * Elevated Elder
  • Posts: 6533
  • Location: 35°55'N, 83°53'W
  • weird funny old guy
Re: Is it worth to buy not working properly IBM Model M
« Reply #3 on: Mon, 15 April 2019, 07:20:19 »
Quote from: rowdy on Sun, 14 April 2019, 21:56:48

On the other hand, if $25 is not too much money, then you will have a whole keyboard of spare parts. 


A full set of keycaps costs $30 + shipping in the US, so that one is worth it even as a parts donor.
Logged
"However, even though I was born in the Mesozoic, I do know what anyone who wants to reach out to young people should say: Billionaires took your money. They took your chance to buy a home. They took your chance at a good education. They stole your opportunities. Billionaires took the things you want in life. If you really want those things, you have to take them back.
That's the message. That's the whole message. Say that every day, not just to reach America's frustrated young white men, but people of every age, race, and gender.
Late-stage capitalism is a wealth-concentration engine, focused on vacuuming up every dollar and putting it in as few hands as possible. Republicans are helping that vacuum suck.
How does a tiny fraction of the population get away with this? They do it by dividing the other 99% of Americans against themselves."
- Marc Sumner 2025-05-30
Pages:  [1]     Go Up
« previous next »