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Offline microsoft windows

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When was your IBM Model M made?
« on: Mon, 09 September 2013, 19:45:59 »
I've got two IBM model M's running on my fleet of computers. One is a conventional-style Model M made in June 1986. The other one is an M5-2 with a trackball that was made in 1994. Both of them found their way out of garbage cans at one time or another.

When were your model M's made?
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Offline rowdy

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Re: When was your IBM Model M made?
« Reply #1 on: Mon, 09 September 2013, 20:20:54 »
I have two.

One is 02-Mar-1993 (51G8572).

The other is 29-Nov-1995 (52G9658).
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Offline CPTBadAss

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Re: When was your IBM Model M made?
« Reply #2 on: Mon, 09 September 2013, 20:22:19 »
My SSK was born on 09/26/1987. It's so cute :D
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Offline The_Beast

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Re: When was your IBM Model M made?
« Reply #3 on: Mon, 09 September 2013, 20:24:55 »
My SSK was brought into this world on 7/25/1991
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Offline Tarzan

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Re: When was your IBM Model M made?
« Reply #4 on: Mon, 09 September 2013, 20:25:53 »
08-22-90

122-key terminal model
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Offline PadawanGeek

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Re: When was your IBM Model M made?
« Reply #5 on: Mon, 09 September 2013, 20:28:45 »
Dunno if mine's counted as a Model M, it's a Lexmark Model M, and it graced our world on 6th October '93....
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Offline fohat.digs

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Re: When was your IBM Model M made?
« Reply #6 on: Mon, 09 September 2013, 20:30:02 »
I have about 5 dating from about mid-1986 to late-1991.

The earliest 2 are 1390131s and the later 3 are 1931401s.

I have had several others including more 1391401s, Lexmarks from the mid-late-1990s (42s, 52s, and 92s) and a couple of Unicomps from the early 2000s.
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Offline Gunni

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Re: When was your IBM Model M made?
« Reply #7 on: Tue, 10 September 2013, 07:47:14 »
I'm currently looking at a Model M on eBay that I want to purchase and "restore". It was made in 1988.
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Offline fohat.digs

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Re: When was your IBM Model M made?
« Reply #8 on: Tue, 10 September 2013, 08:16:10 »
Quote from: Gunni on Tue, 10 September 2013, 07:47:14
I'm currently looking at a Model M on eBay that I want to purchase and "restore". It was made in 1988.

That one will have wire stabilizers on the long keys and a heavy back plate. Presumably it is a 1391401 and would be a very good candidate for restoration and "collectors' value".
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"Starting in 2011, the deficits again started to shrink. During Obama’s term  the deficit was reduced by $900 Billion  before finally in 2015 the GOP managed to wrangle a “reconciliation” bill out of Obama where he again cut corporate taxes, as well as made permanent some of George W. Bush’s original tax cuts. This is the year everything reversed. Before this, under Clinton, Bush and Obama the deficit in almost every year was gradually decreasing. The balance we had of taxes and the economy was bringing the deficit down, the money coming in was slowly catching up with the money going out until 2015. Trump’s subsequent tax cut has continued the new trend even after the rest of Bush’s cuts have since expired. Obama had an average GDP of 2.3%, with 11.6 million jobs created and unemployment peaking at 10% in 2009, then falling to 4.3% in 2016. If we had continued on that downward deficit track, we would have again reached balance and another surplus in 2017-2018.
– Frank V Walton 2025-07-01

Offline PadawanGeek

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Re: When was your IBM Model M made?
« Reply #9 on: Tue, 10 September 2013, 08:19:59 »
Jeez, everyone else seems to have the IBM Model M, looks like I'm the only one with a Lexmark. :confused:
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Offline fohat.digs

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Re: When was your IBM Model M made?
« Reply #10 on: Tue, 10 September 2013, 08:33:16 »
Quote from: PadawanGeek on Tue, 10 September 2013, 08:19:59
Jeez, everyone else seems to have the IBM Model M, looks like I'm the only one with a Lexmark. :confused:

IBM churned them out for almost a decade. There must be millions of IBMs out there, "only" thousands of the others.

Elitists turn up noses at anything after the 1391401, but the later ones are perfectly good (but I will say that neither of my Greenock 42Hs worked).
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"Starting in 2011, the deficits again started to shrink. During Obama’s term  the deficit was reduced by $900 Billion  before finally in 2015 the GOP managed to wrangle a “reconciliation” bill out of Obama where he again cut corporate taxes, as well as made permanent some of George W. Bush’s original tax cuts. This is the year everything reversed. Before this, under Clinton, Bush and Obama the deficit in almost every year was gradually decreasing. The balance we had of taxes and the economy was bringing the deficit down, the money coming in was slowly catching up with the money going out until 2015. Trump’s subsequent tax cut has continued the new trend even after the rest of Bush’s cuts have since expired. Obama had an average GDP of 2.3%, with 11.6 million jobs created and unemployment peaking at 10% in 2009, then falling to 4.3% in 2016. If we had continued on that downward deficit track, we would have again reached balance and another surplus in 2017-2018.
– Frank V Walton 2025-07-01

Offline 0100010

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Re: When was your IBM Model M made?
« Reply #11 on: Tue, 10 September 2013, 10:02:50 »
<------ 03/24/99, a young Unicomp
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Offline Tarzan

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Re: When was your IBM Model M made?
« Reply #12 on: Tue, 10 September 2013, 10:06:24 »
Quote from: 0100010 on Tue, 10 September 2013, 10:02:50
<------ 03/24/99, a young Unicomp

Heh!  I forgot that I actually have a 101-key Unicomp Model M, created on 08/11/2006.  Practically a newborn.
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Offline snoopy

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Re: When was your IBM Model M made?
« Reply #13 on: Tue, 10 September 2013, 10:09:19 »
my daily-ssk: 02-19-93
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Offline jkercado

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Re: When was your IBM Model M made?
« Reply #14 on: Tue, 10 September 2013, 11:05:17 »
October 1989.
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Offline regack

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Re: When was your IBM Model M made?
« Reply #15 on: Tue, 10 September 2013, 11:52:49 »
I have 9 of them ranging 1986 to 1997.  I think the daily driver is 1989.  I cataloged them once, but now I forget where the catalog is...
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Offline Retrete

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Re: When was your IBM Model M made?
« Reply #16 on: Tue, 10 September 2013, 13:16:42 »
122 key old M ; 30-05-1986 (current one)
2x 122 key normal M; 26-10-1989
+20x blue label M from 1994
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Offline Daniel Beardsmore

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Re: When was your IBM Model M made?
« Reply #17 on: Tue, 10 September 2013, 15:49:33 »
17-09-96
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Offline ch_123

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Re: When was your IBM Model M made?
« Reply #18 on: Tue, 10 September 2013, 15:51:15 »
My trio were made in '85, '91 and '97. Don't remember the exact dates.
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Offline Gazeb0

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Re: When was your IBM Model M made?
« Reply #19 on: Tue, 10 September 2013, 17:37:16 »
08-29-90 (1391401)

Just got it last week, and love typing on it. But it's HUGE! Looking to get an SSK model to replace it.
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Offline snuci

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Re: When was your IBM Model M made?
« Reply #20 on: Tue, 10 September 2013, 18:07:17 »
1390120 - Jan 13, 1986
1390120 - Feb 19, 1986
1391401 - Feb 3, 1990
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Offline smknjoe

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Re: When was your IBM Model M made?
« Reply #21 on: Tue, 10 September 2013, 18:23:21 »
Quote from: fohat.digs on Tue, 10 September 2013, 08:33:16
Quote from: PadawanGeek on Tue, 10 September 2013, 08:19:59
Jeez, everyone else seems to have the IBM Model M, looks like I'm the only one with a Lexmark. :confused:

IBM churned them out for almost a decade. There must be millions of IBMs out there, "only" thousands of the others.

Elitists turn up noses at anything after the 1391401, but the later ones are perfectly good (but I will say that neither of my Greenock 42Hs worked).

Over at DT the Europeans seem to think that the Greenock plant was pumping out the majority of Model Ms for their entire production life-span. I would think that the majority of them were made here in the USA.

...anyway, I have 2 SSKs from 87 and one full size from 88. Great boards, great tactile and audible feedback. And, of course, there is the nostalgic factor as well.
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Offline dorkvader

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Re: When was your IBM Model M made?
« Reply #22 on: Tue, 10 September 2013, 20:18:18 »

03march86
D2297. sadly the other plant has lower serial numbers, but FL2 appears to be much less common in general. Was worth the $25 I spent.
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Offline Game Theory

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Re: When was your IBM Model M made?
« Reply #23 on: Tue, 10 September 2013, 20:34:18 »
PN 1391472
09-Nov-1987
2178673
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Offline Tony

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Re: When was your IBM Model M made?
« Reply #24 on: Wed, 11 September 2013, 01:08:37 »
09-07-96
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Offline czarek

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Re: When was your IBM Model M made?
« Reply #25 on: Wed, 11 September 2013, 02:22:26 »
The oldest I have is from October 1986, that's 1390120 model.
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Offline ch_123

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Re: When was your IBM Model M made?
« Reply #26 on: Wed, 11 September 2013, 04:11:52 »
Quote from: smknjoe on Tue, 10 September 2013, 18:23:21
Over at DT the Europeans seem to think that the Greenock plant was pumping out the majority of Model Ms for their entire production life-span. I would think that the majority of them were made here in the USA.

Really? Who is saying that?

(Of course, the Greenock plant made the majority of the European layout Model Ms, if that's what you mean)
« Last Edit: Wed, 11 September 2013, 04:13:42 by ch_123 »
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