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Author Topic: Brand new Model Ms in a brick and mortar store!  (Read 5807 times)

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Offline bhtooefr

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Brand new Model Ms in a brick and mortar store!
« on: Sun, 23 November 2008, 14:30:05 »
OK, so they're actually Unicomp SpaceSavers in black/grey, and they want $99 for the things, but...



UB40P4A is USB, FWIW.

At the Micro Center on Bethel Rd. in Columbus, OH, today.

(Interestingly, they no longer had the Das, nor did they have a place for it. Which is half the reason I went there, to try it out. (The other reason was to get cheap flash drives, and they definitely still had those. ;)))
« Last Edit: Thu, 17 August 2017, 18:55:11 by bhtooefr »
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Offline wellington1869

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Brand new Model Ms in a brick and mortar store!
« Reply #1 on: Sun, 23 November 2008, 14:42:42 »
wow, very strange to see one on a store shelf! I'd love to see more of that. At best buy and staples for instance.
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"Blah blah blah grade school blah blah blah IBM PS/2s blah blah blah I like Model Ms." -- Kishy

using: ms 7000/Das 3

Offline bhtooefr

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Brand new Model Ms in a brick and mortar store!
« Reply #2 on: Sun, 23 November 2008, 14:51:29 »
They had 10 or 15 of the things sitting on the shelf, too, in the plain brown Unicomp boxes that are completely not ready for marketing. ;)

I think this might be some sort of pilot program that Unicomp is doing, and it makes sense that they'd choose the Columbus store for it - the two closest Micro Center locations to Lexington, KY are the Cincinnati and Columbus locations.

These things aren't listed on the Micro Center website, and note that it's marked as a "Front End Test."
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Offline wellington1869

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Brand new Model Ms in a brick and mortar store!
« Reply #3 on: Sun, 23 November 2008, 14:58:14 »
Quote from: bhtooefr;12189
They had 10 or 15 of the things sitting on the shelf, too, in the plain brown Unicomp boxes that are completely not ready for marketing. ;)

I think this might be some sort of pilot program that Unicomp is doing, and it makes sense that they'd choose the Columbus store for it - the two closest Micro Center locations to Lexington, KY are the Cincinnati and Columbus locations.

These things aren't listed on the Micro Center website, and note that it's marked as a "Front End Test."



interesting. I definitely hope they expand the test program.

Looked up microcenter locations, the closest one to me is way too far (on freaking long island).
However, they have a location in chicagoland, I'll likely be there during xmas holidays to visit sister and family. I might check it out in the store there. Will be nice to put my paws on a unicomp again and remind myself what that was all about ;)
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"Blah blah blah grade school blah blah blah IBM PS/2s blah blah blah I like Model Ms." -- Kishy

using: ms 7000/Das 3

Offline bhtooefr

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Brand new Model Ms in a brick and mortar store!
« Reply #4 on: Sun, 23 November 2008, 18:49:20 »
At least, with Unicomp trying to push into retail, that's a good sign. That means they're trying to compete against the big brands - it was the only mechanical keyboard there, next to a few no-name keyboards, and a couple feet down was where the Logitech and Microsoft crap resided.

Maybe they'll make a website now. :p
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Offline D-EJ915

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Brand new Model Ms in a brick and mortar store!
« Reply #5 on: Sun, 23 November 2008, 21:29:43 »
At least with it sitting out there people can check it out, in a lot of places they don't have them out to try.
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Offline lexicon

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Brand new Model Ms in a brick and mortar store!
« Reply #6 on: Sun, 23 November 2008, 21:51:24 »
I hate to say this, but Unicomp is gonna have to hire some designers before they succeed in the retail market.  I have a black Customizer 101 from 2005, and the caps lock, num lock, etc. light panel is almost identical to that on the IBM Model M: it blends in, looks nice and classy.

Now all their boards seem to have that bizarre blue/red bar thing -- incredibly cheap-looking, like some Chinese knockoff of a Fisher-Price toy.  Huh?  Why?  Seriously, I don't think I could ever buy one of those boards.

Sure this is superficial, but every review of the Das, even the ones that find it lacking, mention its physical appearance.  It matters.
I'd hate to see an iPod designed by Unicomp at this point.
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IBM Model M 52G9658 (1993) x2
Unicomp Customizer 101 (black)
Solidtek ASK-6600U
Dell AT101W (way too many)
Dell AT101W (black)
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Offline bhtooefr

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Brand new Model Ms in a brick and mortar store!
« Reply #7 on: Fri, 12 December 2008, 20:08:21 »
I was at Micro Center today (to look at the Das III,) and they still had the Unicomp board on display, although it was now $49.99, and they had one left.

But, I noticed, hiding on a shelf, this ad:



(Sorry about the poor quality...)
« Last Edit: Thu, 17 August 2017, 18:55:57 by bhtooefr »
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Offline bigpook

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Brand new Model Ms in a brick and mortar store!
« Reply #8 on: Fri, 12 December 2008, 20:41:25 »
50 dollars is pretty good. That 99.99 price may have been a bit high. You mentioned in a previous post they had 10 or 15 on the shelf, they drop the price and one is left on the shelf.
Thats pretty good. I am thinking that they still made something even at 50 dollars a piece.

That Unicomp spacesaver is a nice keyboard too.
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Offline bhtooefr

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Brand new Model Ms in a brick and mortar store!
« Reply #9 on: Fri, 12 December 2008, 20:43:23 »
You think Unicomp's got over $20 in profit in those things?

After all, that exact board normally sells for $69 from Unicomp's store.
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Offline bigpook

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Brand new Model Ms in a brick and mortar store!
« Reply #10 on: Fri, 12 December 2008, 21:06:37 »
Well that depends on what the markup is. I don't know what kind of volume they move but how much do you really think it costs them for each keyboard made?
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Offline bhtooefr

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Brand new Model Ms in a brick and mortar store!
« Reply #11 on: Fri, 12 December 2008, 21:12:00 »
I'm gonna guess something on the order of $30-40.
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Offline bigpook

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Brand new Model Ms in a brick and mortar store!
« Reply #12 on: Fri, 12 December 2008, 21:33:36 »
I would think it would be less, maybe around 20 dollars.
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Offline wellington1869

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Brand new Model Ms in a brick and mortar store!
« Reply #13 on: Fri, 12 December 2008, 21:53:36 »
$50 is a good price for the endurapro. I guess they hope they'll make up the slack in volume.
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"Blah blah blah grade school blah blah blah IBM PS/2s blah blah blah I like Model Ms." -- Kishy

using: ms 7000/Das 3

Offline bigpook

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Brand new Model Ms in a brick and mortar store!
« Reply #14 on: Fri, 12 December 2008, 21:55:04 »
Quote from: wellington1869;14515
$50 is a good price for the endurapro. I guess they hope they'll make up the slack in volume.


Either that or they weren't moving at $99.99.
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Offline bhtooefr

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Brand new Model Ms in a brick and mortar store!
« Reply #15 on: Fri, 12 December 2008, 22:07:05 »
That's no EnduraPro.

That's a SpaceSaver. Same chassis as the EP, no pointing stick.

Which is why I was wondering why Micro Center was selling them for $99.99, when Unicomp asks $69 for them. I almost wonder if Unicomp charged Micro Center retail price for them or something.
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Offline bigpook

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Brand new Model Ms in a brick and mortar store!
« Reply #16 on: Fri, 12 December 2008, 22:14:06 »
I am thinking Micro Center was overcharging. After all, its a superior keyboard, right?
If Unicomp charged Micro Center retail price, then good for them. But I doubt it.
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