Huh.. I got an F instead of an M partly because of the NKRO, partly because lore had it that they were better built. It does weigh nearly twice what an M weighs, according to UPS--when i bought that board, i got an M sent to me by mistake the first time, so i got to hold both of them as well as see numbers.
So please don't keep us in suspense too long! I'm curious about this little battle of the keyboard sexes. (They are F and M respectively, after all)
I'm in agreement with Kish about one of his complaints - the upper case was improved in the M's. the plastic on the F is brittle, thinner and din't feel right so the F is actually _painted_ by IBM with a long-wear beige. It will still get chips if heavily battered over many years, though.
The lower case is steel, and has gaps for drainage - is better than an M that way. Also, the traces and pads(capacitative pads) on the circuit boards internally are hard-lacquered so much less vulnerable to coke, etc... This is a win for the F.
The keys and keycaps are interchangeable between F and M. Some of the F keys have a wide base and small top - which is pretty, but not as keen for a wildly fumbling typist. The springs are different on an F - but compatible with an M should you choose - the key-channel, and distances are the same. They don't feel or sound the same - but I have to go on a massive experiment to decide what the mix of F hammers and M springs or vice versa might be like.
The F can be fully opened, serviced and reclosed non-destructively, though it is effort. M requires a bolt-mod to service the membrane.
F has big flat 'feet' on the hammers which makes a distinct sound. M has a different distinct sound.
Terminal F's have the longer F-hammer springs, while the M's have shorter ones to their impact hammer. This and the two large internal springs for the variable height feet cause a resonance on the terminal F's also. only a few terminal M's have such feet, so singing M's are rare. I expect almost all Terminal F's sing.
My decision was that for the cases which are pristine, then I win, but for the scraggy ones - I get to do case-mods on an F! I also win.
So - in advance of Kishy's essay on the topic, here's mine. I am only dislike the top-case on the F, the rest of it I love. There are a couple've M's that have the same size top-case and if found they _could_ in theory be used to construct a solid replacement, however - those M's are also uncommon, and I consider them precious, so you won't be seeing me do that. At some point I will attempt molding a fresh case from poly or fibreglass if I can get it to bloody finish off-gassing in a sane amount of time.
kk - done rant, apologies to kish who is likely going to post his opinion on several of these positions shortly.
dfj
