Why are there no 60% buckling spring boards?

[alosec]

There seems to be a market for them, and no one else as far as I can tell has made any....

[daerid]

In the grand scheme of things, the market for a tenkeyless/60% buckling spring board is quite small compared to the overall mechanical keyboard market, which itself is fairly small compared to the keyboard market in general. And buckling spring boards require a fairly specialized set of tooling for manufacture. Also, as far as I know, the Unicomp is the company that actually holds the patents for the buckling spring keyswitch, which it purchased from IBM quite some time ago, and they aren't really all that on the ball when it comes to updating their manufacturing process.

[BlueBär]

Also, as far as I know, the Unicomp is the company that actually holds the patents for the buckling spring keyswitch, which it purchased from IBM quite some time ago, and they aren't really all that on the ball when it comes to updating their manufacturing process.

This. Because Unicomp has the patent third party manufacturers can't simply design a new keyboard with the buckling spring mechanism. Also the way it works you can't simply buy single switches and put them on a PCB like Cherry MX switches for example, you need a special plate and other "unusual" parts first. Unicomp themselves could probably do it though, they made some unclear statements about developing a TKL buckling spring keyboard in the past, but I don't think they made an official announcement.

However, there's always the DIY option: M-60: A 60% Buckling Spring Keyboard

[CPTBadAss]

There's currently three projects that are working on this.

http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=40111.msg791843#msg791843
http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=40006.msg790168#msg790168
http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=44875.msg933339#msg933339

And hasu already created a 60% M. It can be found here. I believe CC has one as well but I've never seen pictures.

Edit: And there is a production Model F that is in the 60% form-factor. But the Kishsaver is currently eluding me. It's a stock IBM board but I don't know the part number...yet. See more info here. It's currently unusable with modern computers.

[noisyturtle]

Something just seems wrong with small BS boards. They are meant to be overbearing, indestructible, desk-hogging, behemoths. It is their nature.

[rootwyrm]

Also, as far as I know, the Unicomp is the company that actually holds the patents for the buckling spring keyswitch, which it purchased from IBM quite some time ago, and they aren't really all that on the ball when it comes to updating their manufacturing process.

This. Because Unicomp has the patent third party manufacturers can't simply design a new keyboard with the buckling spring mechanism. Also the way it works you can't simply buy single switches and put them on a PCB like Cherry MX switches for example, you need a special plate and other "unusual" parts first. Unicomp themselves could probably do it though, they made some unclear statements about developing a TKL buckling spring keyboard in the past, but I don't think they made an official announcement.

However, there's always the DIY option: M-60: A 60% Buckling Spring Keyboard

ProTip: Before making claims like this GET YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT. You are absolutely and unequivocally WRONG and the lot of us would appreciate it if you did some basic homework before spreading false information. A quick Google for "Buckling Spring" would have taken you to the Wikipedia page which clearly states the patent is expired.

US Patent 4,118,611 - Buckling spring torsional snap actuator expired in 1994 as patents filed prior to 1995 are only valid for 17 years. No extension was filed.

The reason nobody else has made a buckling spring keyboard is because A) there isn't sufficient demand to cover costs B) the R&D and tooling is extremely expensive C) they'd have to compete with Unicomp who everyone knows has the original.

[BlueBär]

This. Because Unicomp has the patent third party manufacturers can't simply design a new keyboard with the buckling spring mechanism. Also the way it works you can't simply buy single switches and put them on a PCB like Cherry MX switches for example, you need a special plate and other "unusual" parts first. Unicomp themselves could probably do it though, they made some unclear statements about developing a TKL buckling spring keyboard in the past, but I don't think they made an official announcement.

However, there's always the DIY option: M-60: A 60% Buckling Spring Keyboard

ProTip: Before making claims like this GET YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT. You are absolutely and unequivocally WRONG and the lot of us would appreciate it if you did some basic homework before spreading false information. A quick Google for "Buckling Spring" would have taken you to the Wikipedia page which clearly states the patent is expired.

US Patent 4,118,611 - Buckling spring torsional snap actuator expired in 1994 as patents filed prior to 1995 are only valid for 17 years. No extension was filed.

The reason nobody else has made a buckling spring keyboard is because A) there isn't sufficient demand to cover costs B) the R&D and tooling is extremely expensive C) they'd have to compete with Unicomp who everyone knows has the original.

Whoa, whoa, calm down, there is no reason to be this aggressive? The rest of the post is correct, or am I wrong there, too? I misunderstood the following passage:

Unicomp, which now owns the rights to the design, continues to sell Model M keyboards.

The German Wikipedia has no entry on the mechanism itself but on the Model M, and there it states that Unicomp has a licence on the "buckling-spring keyboard technology".

[mich]

Apparently German Wikipedia lacks some update nazis to keep it rigorously up to date with events of the last decade.
Fortunately it's a free encyclopedia that anybody and his dog can edit, so we can change it and then Unicomp will no longer have exclusive rights to BS.

And to answer OP: because nobody cares about the 17 people who want one.