Author Topic: IBM M-15 split keyboard on eBay  (Read 3915 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Meg

  • Thread Starter
  • Posts: 4
IBM M-15 split keyboard on eBay
« on: Sun, 12 September 2010, 16:07:25 »
There is an IBM M-15 adjustable split keyboard on eBay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110585205007&ssPageName=ADME:B:WR:US:1123

No numeric keypad.

Offline didjamatic

  • Posts: 1352
IBM M-15 split keyboard on eBay
« Reply #1 on: Sun, 12 September 2010, 16:14:23 »
Man these things are coming out of the woodwork.
IBM F :: IBM M :: Northgate :: Cherry G80 :: Realforce :: DAS 4

Offline TheSoundofTyping

  • Posts: 24
IBM M-15 split keyboard on eBay
« Reply #2 on: Mon, 13 September 2010, 00:46:54 »
$550?  How much have they sold for in the past?
"To my loyal butler, You There, for his decades of service, I leave a pittance, to be paid in twenty equal installments of one-twentieth of a pittance each."

Offline TexasFlood

  • Posts: 1084
IBM M-15 split keyboard on eBay
« Reply #3 on: Mon, 13 September 2010, 00:51:59 »
Quote from: didjamatic;222508
Man these things are coming out of the woodwork.

At $550, it might stay in the woodwork, :wink:.  At least it's too rich for my blood.

Offline ch_123

  • * Exalted Elder
  • Posts: 5860
IBM M-15 split keyboard on eBay
« Reply #4 on: Mon, 13 September 2010, 05:29:29 »
Quote from: TheSoundofTyping;222621
$550?  How much have they sold for in the past?


Around this much. A year ago you might have got one for about $300 though.

Offline Rusty Rat

  • Posts: 76
IBM M-15 split keyboard on eBay
« Reply #5 on: Mon, 13 September 2010, 06:28:42 »
Quote from: TheSoundofTyping;222621
$550?  How much have they sold for in the past?

There was a really really really bad one on EBay Australia a few months ago that went for over $350. Mostly only see them on EBay USA. BUT they were officially distributed in Australia unlike the Spacesaver I. Dealers were discounting the M15 to $60 ten years ago to clear stock.

Offline ch_123

  • * Exalted Elder
  • Posts: 5860
IBM M-15 split keyboard on eBay
« Reply #6 on: Mon, 13 September 2010, 06:37:45 »
When you say the "Spacesaver I", do you mean the SSK?

I don't think the SSK was ever sold as a retail item, it was only an option with certain systems.

Offline Meg

  • Thread Starter
  • Posts: 4
IBM M-15 split keyboard on eBay
« Reply #7 on: Mon, 13 September 2010, 10:09:55 »
The last one I know of that sold on eBay went for $560. A couple of years ago one that was in the box, never opened, and had the separate number pad sold for $950. Apparently the number pad is quite rare.

Offline Rusty Rat

  • Posts: 76
IBM M-15 split keyboard on eBay
« Reply #8 on: Mon, 13 September 2010, 10:26:27 »
Quote from: ch_123;222653
When you say the "Spacesaver I", do you mean the SSK?

I don't think the SSK was ever sold as a retail item, it was only an option with certain systems.

I think SSK was just the slang abbreviation. I have always heard them called Spacesaver I because there was a Spacesaver 2 (with a track point) A few people here call them 'Minis'. Australia never offered it as an option but 'in theory' it was available as a spare part for use in Server rooms but was never brought in 'officially' by IBM.

Offline ch_123

  • * Exalted Elder
  • Posts: 5860
IBM M-15 split keyboard on eBay
« Reply #9 on: Mon, 13 September 2010, 10:29:00 »
No, the 84-key Model M was the "IBM Space Saving Keyboard" - you can see this both on the boxes of said keyboards, and archived copies of old IBM sites. The IBM Spacesaver was the Model M4-1 (desktop version of the original trackpoint keyboard), and the Spacesaver II was the 'sawn-off' Chicony rubber dome keyboard with a trackpoint.

Offline ch_123

  • * Exalted Elder
  • Posts: 5860
IBM M-15 split keyboard on eBay
« Reply #10 on: Mon, 13 September 2010, 10:49:16 »
SSK = Space Saving Keyboard. Spelling out "Space Saving Keyboard" everytime I want to talk about Space Saving Keyboards gets somewhat cumbersome.

The Spacesaver term could theoretially refer to as many as four different keyboards - the M4-1, the SSK, the Unicomp "Endurapro without pointing stick" and the IBM Spacesaver II rubber dome board.

Offline DesktopJinx

  • Posts: 98
IBM M-15 split keyboard on eBay
« Reply #11 on: Thu, 16 September 2010, 10:37:44 »
Yeah, I was wondering about the shiny spots on the keys too. And if it's been in storage since 1999, that means it got at most five years of use. Mine don't seem that shiny, except the space bars. I wonder if it's exceptionally bad/good lighting.

I notice one of the back rubber feet is missing, but at least all the adjustable ones are present.

One $550 bid suggests someone doesn't want to be outbid. I ain't touching it.
M15 for life

Offline kriminal

  • Posts: 424
IBM M-15 split keyboard on eBay
« Reply #12 on: Thu, 16 September 2010, 13:17:25 »
guess minis will go about this price next year? :)
Geekhacked Filco FKBN87M/EB modified with Brown, black and blue cherries, doubleshot keycaps
Deck KBA-BL82 with Black cherries
Cherry G84-4100LCMDK-0 Cherry ML switches
Cherry G80-8200hpdus-2 Brown cherries
IBM Lexmark 51G8572 Model M Keyboard
Geekhacked Siig Minitouch KB1948
IBM Model M Mini 1397681

Offline netwebber

  • Posts: 50
IBM M-15 split keyboard on eBay
« Reply #13 on: Thu, 16 September 2010, 13:58:25 »
Quote from: DesktopJinx;223909
Yeah, I was wondering about the shiny spots on the keys too. And if it's been in storage since 1999, that means it got at most five years of use. Mine don't seem that shiny, except the space bars. I wonder if it's exceptionally bad/good lighting.

I notice one of the back rubber feet is missing, but at least all the adjustable ones are present.

One $550 bid suggests someone doesn't want to be outbid. I ain't touching it.

I'm pretty sure the "shine" is the product of a little normal finger residue, an unlucky reflection angle, and some bad JPEG compression. If you look at the picture with the shine, you'll see that the Ins/Del/Home/End/PgUp/PgDn keys have the same effect. Unless this guy played Freespace 2 for all of 1999, I doubt the keys are actually worn down.
Keyboards: IBM M15 adjustable ergonomic | Northgate Omnikey Evolution w/ Touchpad | IBM Model M 1391401 | TG3 BLT 5RBUVS tenkeyless | MS Natural Keyboard Pro | MS Natural Keyboard Original (Black) | IBM UltraNav Travel Slim Keyboard | Chicony ThinkPad T60 keyboard in Lenovo ThinkPad T400 | IBM ThinkPad T42p | MS Arc Wireless | Logitech K350 Wireless
Pointing Devices: Logitech G500 | Logitech Anywhere Mouse MX | IBM ScrollPoint Optical | Razer Boomslang | On laptops: Trackpoint for pointing, touchpad for scrolling--The True Way
Other: Belkin/Razer Speedpad n52te | Adesso Mechanical Numpad (Cherry Blues) | Wacom Intuos2
Game Controllers: MS Sidewinder Force Feedback Pro | Gravis Exterminator

Offline Meg

  • Thread Starter
  • Posts: 4
IBM M-15 split keyboard on eBay
« Reply #14 on: Sun, 19 September 2010, 16:38:05 »
It went for $681 this morning.

Offline Meg

  • Thread Starter
  • Posts: 4
IBM M-15 split keyboard on eBay
« Reply #15 on: Sun, 19 September 2010, 22:39:23 »
Looking at the back of mine, I don't see rivets. I do see two recessed screws on each side.

Offline phoenix

  • Posts: 92
IBM M-15 split keyboard on eBay
« Reply #16 on: Sun, 19 September 2010, 23:02:53 »
Doesn't the M15 have the same construction as the M2, which requires no rivets because it's flat?

Quote from: ripster;224798
I meant on the inside.  Like the Model M.

Offline Meg

  • Thread Starter
  • Posts: 4
IBM M-15 split keyboard on eBay
« Reply #17 on: Mon, 20 September 2010, 10:40:46 »
Well, I don't plan to take mine apart, but the folks at clickykeyboard.com should know the answer to the question about rivets. Also Unicomp - they have repaired hundreds of M15s.