Author Topic: What exactly is this? [Model M]  (Read 1480 times)

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Offline Aer Fixus

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What exactly is this? [Model M]
« on: Sun, 12 January 2014, 21:00:20 »
I just purchased a couple Model M. It came out to $40, shipped. At $20 a board, they are great boards for chopping up and modifying to my heart's content (they are new, so I won't have to worry about cracking barrel plates!), but that is not why I bought them.

I got them because of the one on the top. The numpad, home cluster and keys above that seem special. I don't know what they are for as I've never seen anything like it, but they certainly aren't standard issue.

So, what are they for? Are they rare? Valuable? (I really don't care about the value unless they are something particularly valuable)

http://www.ebay.com/itm/400642878827?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649

And if I keep the keycaps, I'll want some replacement caps for keys with black legends that I don't have (Num Del, Ctrl and Alt). I'm not getting them from Unicomp as I don't like how inconsistent they can be. I could get a perfect cap, or one that's off center with burrs and the wrong color subtext.
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Offline dorkvader

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Re: What exactly is this? [Model M]
« Reply #1 on: Sun, 12 January 2014, 23:13:42 »
And if I keep the keycaps, I'll want some replacement caps for keys with black legends that I don't have (Num Del, Ctrl and Alt). I'm not getting them from Unicomp as I don't like how inconsistent they can be. I could get a perfect cap, or one that's off center with burrs and the wrong color subtext.

I guess you could make them yourself, but I suspect your own results will be more inconstant than unicomp's. Who, other than Unicomp makes custom IBM keycaps?

I have a LOT of IBM keycap sets and they are already inconsistent. They changed their line width sometime, as well as some other things. In many ways, unicomp's keys are more consistent and clearer (less "fuzzy" than IBM's.
---
As far as valuable, I try to only pay $30 or less for "special" IBM keycap sets, and I have 3 or 4 now. Are they rare? certainly: Lexmark almost certainly did it as a custom order for a customer. Valuable? probably not any more so than other custom sets, but (as always) it depends on the buyer.

Offline Aer Fixus

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Re: What exactly is this? [Model M]
« Reply #2 on: Sun, 12 January 2014, 23:50:39 »
And if I keep the keycaps, I'll want some replacement caps for keys with black legends that I don't have (Num Del, Ctrl and Alt). I'm not getting them from Unicomp as I don't like how inconsistent they can be. I could get a perfect cap, or one that's off center with burrs and the wrong color subtext.

I guess you could make them yourself, but I suspect your own results will be more inconstant than unicomp's. Who, other than Unicomp makes custom IBM keycaps?

I have a LOT of IBM keycap sets and they are already inconsistent. They changed their line width sometime, as well as some other things. In many ways, unicomp's keys are more consistent and clearer (less "fuzzy" than IBM's.
---
As far as valuable, I try to only pay $30 or less for "special" IBM keycap sets, and I have 3 or 4 now. Are they rare? certainly: Lexmark almost certainly did it as a custom order for a customer. Valuable? probably not any more so than other custom sets, but (as always) it depends on the buyer.

I know that over time, IBM was very inconsistent, however, if I buy from the community, I can get pictures (and descriptions) and weed out the ones that are not what I want and pick and choose the ones that fit the need.

Even with the consistent keys from Unicomp, they would not be the same consistency as IBM had (blurry legends, different shades of ink). A whole keyboard of Unicomp caps is great, but even between Model F and Model M, I can't just swap the F and J keys around because they have different printing thickness, width, etc and a different texture all together. I'm too picky about it...

I'd also like to see photos of your custom caps. I always enjoy seeing unique things just for the sake of it.

On a side note, I looked at one of my Ms and it had the exact black legends I needed. I'll certainly be getting caps from Unicomp in the future (blanks, colors, side printed F keys), but not ones that need to be matched up with IBM keycaps.
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Offline rowdy

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Re: What exactly is this? [Model M]
« Reply #3 on: Mon, 13 January 2014, 02:58:02 »
And if I keep the keycaps, I'll want some replacement caps for keys with black legends that I don't have (Num Del, Ctrl and Alt). I'm not getting them from Unicomp as I don't like how inconsistent they can be. I could get a perfect cap, or one that's off center with burrs and the wrong color subtext.

Who, other than Unicomp makes custom IBM keycaps?

http://shop.hooleon.com/products/ibm-model-m-keyboard-keycaps

:)
"Because keyboards are accessories to PC makers, they focus on minimizing the manufacturing costs. But that’s incorrect. It’s in HHKB’s slogan, but when America’s cowboys were in the middle of a trip and their horse died, they would leave the horse there. But even if they were in the middle of a desert, they would take their saddle with them. The horse was a consumable good, but the saddle was an interface that their bodies had gotten used to. In the same vein, PCs are consumable goods, while keyboards are important interfaces." - Eiiti Wada

NEC APC-H4100E | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED red | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED green | Link 900243-08 | CM QFR MX black | KeyCool 87 white MX reds | HHKB 2 Pro | Model M 02-Mar-1993 | Model M 29-Nov-1995 | CM Trigger (broken) | CM QFS MX green | Ducky DK9087 Shine 3 TKL Yellow Edition MX black | Lexmark SSK 21-Apr-1994 | IBM SSK 13-Oct-1987 | CODE TKL MX clear | Model M 122 01-Jun-1988

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Offline dorkvader

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Re: What exactly is this? [Model M]
« Reply #4 on: Mon, 13 January 2014, 03:09:41 »
And if I keep the keycaps, I'll want some replacement caps for keys with black legends that I don't have (Num Del, Ctrl and Alt). I'm not getting them from Unicomp as I don't like how inconsistent they can be. I could get a perfect cap, or one that's off center with burrs and the wrong color subtext.

Who, other than Unicomp makes custom IBM keycaps?

http://shop.hooleon.com/products/ibm-model-m-keyboard-keycaps

:)

Fentek uses unicomp. I am not yet convinced this company is different.