Buckling springs through time article

[Phaedrus2129]

I'm thinking of doing an article for HardwareAware on the different buckling spring boards that IBM/Lexmark/Unicomp have made over the years. I'd like to do an overview and dissection of various important or interesting buckling spring (or related switch) keyboards. However I currently only have two IBM keyboards, a standard 1391401 from 1988 and a '94 M13. If I want to do this right I'll need to borrow keyboards from elsewhere.

So if anyone has an IBM keyboard that they can let me borrow for a week (not this week... next week and on maybe) let me know. Here's the wishlist.


Core - I'll want at least two or three of these aside from the ones I own in order to do the article
IBM Model M 1391401 - Own
IBM Model M13 - Own
IBM Model M15 ergonomic
IBM Model M Mini
IBM Model F PC AT
IBM Model F XT
Unicomp Customizer/Space Saver/Endurapro


Frills - Be neat to include, not essential
IBM Model M 122-key (terminal or terminal emulation)
Any IBM beam spring switch board
"Brother" switch keyboard
ATT or other "branded" board
IBM Alps switch Japanese board





These would be borrowed for a week, snap some pictures, add to the write-up, sent back. I'd appreciate help with shipping, I can't afford *too* much.

What do you get out of it? Recognition in the article, maybe a chance to try a board from my meager collection, maybe something else. I'm flexible.



I think this would be really neat to do, and would serve as a more user-friendly, yet comprehensive look at the buckling spring world than the Geekhack wiki article.

[ch_123]

I am the Prince of Nigera. I will share my family's fortune with you in exchance for an M15 and beam spring keyboard.

[Phaedrus2129]

lol

I'm an honest guy, I'm not going to rip someone off. Hell, I've turned down offers of cash money for the sake of journalistic integrity, I'm not going to try to steal a keyboard that I won't use and couldn't sell without being tracked.

[quadibloc]

I think you can be trusted with the keyboards, but I suspect that many of the people who could help you don't live close enough to you. I own some of the ones you're looking for, but I can't afford the shipping right now - and I don't live in the U.S., so there would be real hassles with customs.

I suspect, though, there would be many people here who have disassembled their model Ms and could do so again and take pictures for you, and send you the pictures.

[Daniel Beaver]

I've got 122 key terminal emulator Model Ms to spare, as well as Model Ms from nearly every generation (though in various states of disrepair). I also have a non-model M AT&T board with buckling springs.

[Daniel Beaver]

Whoa, terminal EMULATORS as well as the real deal? You're relatively likely to have success selling those here (until, of course, the USB converters go mainstream...they will render the value of the emulator boards practically nill because the converted real terminal boards offer more flexibility).

What's the difference between them? I haven't looked too closely at them.

[Phaedrus2129]

I think you can be trusted with the keyboards, but I suspect that many of the people who could help you don't live close enough to you. I own some of the ones you're looking for, but I can't afford the shipping right now - and I don't live in the U.S., so there would be real hassles with customs.

I suspect, though, there would be many people here who have disassembled their model Ms and could do so again and take pictures for you, and send you the pictures.

I'd just ask people to pay shipping to 70131, and I'd pay shipping back. So not too much cost to one person.

I could have other people take pictures/etc, but then the article would feel like a mishmash. Plus I'd like to get hands-on with the boards and judge feel and build quality in person.

I've got 122 key terminal emulator Model Ms to spare, as well as Model Ms from nearly every generation (though in various states of disrepair). I also have a non-model M AT&T board with buckling springs.

If this pans out that would be perfect.

[Daniel Beaver]

The emulator boards are PS/2, the real terminal keyboards have one of a couple different possible plugs specific to the terminals they were used with (common being the wide-spaced, AT-incompatible 5-pin DIN, and RJ-45 like used for twisted pair Ethernet cabling).

The emulator boards, being intended for use on PS/2, don't have quite the same quirks that the real terminal keyboards have when adapted for use on PS/2. They bring forth some other complications though, depending on what type of emulator board it is (I think there are two common flavours).

Ah, I see. I just have regular terminal board, with the 5-pin DIN connections.

Phaedrus2129: Not sure I want to pay for shipping, but I might just let you have them for free if you ask nicely. Were you just going to open them up and take pictures? If that is the case, then I could send you some of my borked boards for free.

[Phaedrus2129]

Borked how? If it's electrically then that's fine I guess, don't want too many missing keycaps or physical deformities though.