Author Topic: Sexy Unicomp (Read 5258 times)

ander · « **on:** Fri, 17 April 2015, 00:36:41 »

Hey guys,

Why do keyboards look so sexy sometimes? I saw this tonight on eBay:

Nice, isn't it? (Despite Unicomp's logo, LOL.) In addition to the natural light (always a good idea when selling stuff), the contrast of high tech against the ancient-looking weaving is elegant.

The actual auction page is here. It's in the UK and wouldn't be a good deal for any of us in N. America—a new one would be cheaper—so I couldn't very well post this in Great Finds. Sexy, though, isn't it? Mrow.

Snowdog993 · « **Reply #1 on:** Fri, 17 April 2015, 00:52:06 »

What is interesting about that keyboard is that it could be made easily into a 104-key ISO with the regular long spacebar. Or just order one from Unicomp with a long spacebar for $3 more. I do prefer the Classic over the Ultra Classic myself.
http://www.pckeyboard.com/page/category/Classic
http://www.pckeyboard.com/page/category/UltraClassic

You can also get the 101 in Classic, but not UltraClassic.
The picture is nice. Looks like something in a Pier 1 Imports catalog.

ander · « **Reply #2 on:** Fri, 17 April 2015, 01:17:26 »

Quote from: Snowdog993 on Fri, 17 April 2015, 00:52:06

What is interesting about that keyboard is that it could be made easily into a 104-key ISO with the regular long spacebar. Or just order one from Unicomp with a long spacebar for $3 more.

So they leave out the Win keys and put in a longer spacebar that fills the, er, space? That'd be pretty long, though, wouldn't it?

And JOOC, what would be the advantage? When you type (if you type like I do), your thumbs hover around the centre of the spacebar and are seldom more than 1" apart. Does the longer bar just look cooler? I could appreciate that.

Quote from: Snowdog993 on Fri, 17 April 2015, 00:52:06

I do prefer the Classic over the Ultra Classic myself... You can also get the 101 in Classic, but not UltraClassic.

Ironic, isn't it? It's a style that saves space on your desktop, but not in the KB itself.

The obvious solution is for all of us to have one of everything. That way our rotations would keep us so preoccupied and happy we wouldn't have time to complain about anything.

Quote from: Snowdog993 on Fri, 17 April 2015, 00:52:06

The picture is nice. Looks like something in a Pier 1 Imports catalog.

Indeed. I remember Pier I from the days before everything was made overseas. Sometimes I feel like walking in there with an incredulous look on my face and saying, "No kidding, everything here is made in a foreign country?"

Snowdog993 · « **Reply #3 on:** Fri, 17 April 2015, 09:32:15 »

Quote from: ander on Fri, 17 April 2015, 01:17:26

So they leave out the Win keys and put in a longer spacebar that fills the, er, space? That'd be pretty long, though, wouldn't it?
And JOOC, what would be the advantage? When you type (if you type like I do), your thumbs hover around the centre of the spacebar and are seldom more than 1" apart. Does the longer bar just look cooler? I could appreciate that.
Ironic, isn't it? It's a style that saves space on your desktop, but not in the KB itself.
The obvious solution is for all of us to have one of everything. That way our rotations would keep us so preoccupied and happy we wouldn't have time to complain about anything.
Indeed. I remember Pier I from the days before everything was made overseas. Sometimes I feel like walking in there with an incredulous look on my face and saying, "No kidding, everything here is made in a foreign country?"

I prefer the longer spacebar. It looks nicer. And that is just a regular spacebar length. It would fit on your IBM keyboard just fine.

CaplockJack · « **Reply #4 on:** Fri, 17 April 2015, 10:07:44 »

I want to try one of those someday!

smellz · « **Reply #5 on:** Fri, 17 April 2015, 18:24:30 »

Decided to take a picture of my own sexy unicomp.
Unfortunately, I'm not much of a photographer.
Recently got a black led cover, "proper" sized space bar, and red panic key. Definitely increased the sex appeal

Snarfangel · « **Reply #6 on:** Fri, 17 April 2015, 18:34:49 »

Quote from: smellz on Fri, 17 April 2015, 18:24:30

Decided to take a picture of my own sexy unicomp.
Unfortunately, I'm not much of a photographer.
Recently got a black led cover, "proper" sized space bar, and red panic key. Definitely increased the sex appeal

Your Unicomp. Give it to me.

Snowdog993 · « **Reply #7 on:** Fri, 17 April 2015, 18:45:52 »

Quote from: smellz on Fri, 17 April 2015, 18:24:30

Decided to take a picture of my own sexy unicomp.
Unfortunately, I'm not much of a photographer.
Recently got a black led cover, "proper" sized space bar, and red panic key. Definitely increased the sex appeal

Yep! It looks the way it should. I really like the Classic 103 design!

chyros · « **Reply #8 on:** Fri, 17 April 2015, 19:29:44 »

Quote from: smellz on Fri, 17 April 2015, 18:24:30

Decided to take a picture of my own sexy unicomp.
Unfortunately, I'm not much of a photographer.
Recently got a black led cover, "proper" sized space bar, and red panic key. Definitely increased the sex appeal

The black LED cover especially suits it well. I find the standard blue Unicomp one to be almost offensively ugly xD .

0100010 · « **Reply #9 on:** Fri, 17 April 2015, 19:39:43 »

I like the black blank LED cover myself.

fohat.digs · « **Reply #10 on:** Fri, 17 April 2015, 19:48:33 »

Here is a perfect example of why tilde and backslash need to be the modifier color rather than the base color.

Awesome-looking specimen anyway, of course!

Snowdog993 · « **Reply #11 on:** Fri, 17 April 2015, 19:57:51 »

Quote from: chyros on Fri, 17 April 2015, 19:29:44

The black LED cover especially suits it well. I find the standard blue Unicomp one to be almost offensively ugly xD .

I agree. I do like the replacement overlay I put on the 103. It looks a lot better!

hwood34 · « **Reply #12 on:** Fri, 17 April 2015, 23:14:04 »

That's off an ebay listing? Surprised to see someone actually putting some effort into photos for once

ander · « **Reply #13 on:** Sat, 18 April 2015, 04:59:18 »

Thanks for sharing all the pictures, guys—fun!

Quote from: Snowdog993

I prefer the longer spacebar. It looks nicer. And that is just a regular spacebar length. It would fit on your IBM keyboard just fine.

I'm just having trouble visualizing what you mean... How can you put a longer spacebar in the same space? (BTW, the double use of the word "space" is meant to be confusing. Here in the suburbs we must often create our own entertainment.)

Quote from: hwood34 on Fri, 17 April 2015, 23:14:04

That's off an ebay listing? Surprised to see someone actually putting some effort into photos for once

No kidding! However, you can make items you're selling look incredibly better by avoiding the flash—which usually makes shots look like police crime photos—and using natural light instead.

Depending on the circumstances, you may need a tripod so you can use a longer shutter setting without blurring the picture. But tripods are relatively cheap, and easy to use. It amazes me that more people don't realize such a relatively simple thing makes such a difference.

chyros · « **Reply #14 on:** Sat, 18 April 2015, 07:07:25 »

Quote from: ander on Sat, 18 April 2015, 04:59:18

Thanks for sharing all the pictures, guys—fun!

Quote from: Snowdog993
I prefer the longer spacebar. It looks nicer. And that is just a regular spacebar length. It would fit on your IBM keyboard just fine.

I'm just having trouble visualizing what you mean... How can you put a longer spacebar in the same space?

It's not

.

Snowdog993 · « **Reply #15 on:** Sat, 18 April 2015, 10:10:12 »

Quote from: ander on Sat, 18 April 2015, 04:59:18

Quote from: Snowdog993
I prefer the longer spacebar. It looks nicer. And that is just a regular spacebar length. It would fit on your IBM keyboard just fine.

I'm just having trouble visualizing what you mean... How can you put a longer spacebar in the same space? (BTW, the double use of the word "space" is meant to be confusing. Here in the suburbs we must often create our own entertainment.)

No, silly. You remove the short spacebar and the right Windows key. Then install the longer spacebar. There is another thread on here that tells what I did to change a 104 to a 103.
Here it is:
https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=67076.0

berserkfan · « **Reply #16 on:** Sat, 18 April 2015, 10:25:33 »

even a standard keyboard is considered sexy... I just don't understand.

go ask Dorkvader to take a photo of his buckling spring board with the fluorescent keycaps I sent him. Now that's sexy.

ander · « **Reply #17 on:** Tue, 21 April 2015, 04:09:46 »

Quote from: Snowdog993

No, silly. You remove the short spacebar and the right Windows key...

Ah! [25w lightbulb going off in rather dark head]

Quote from: berserkfan

even a standard keyboard is considered sexy... I just don't understand.

Agreed!

Quote from: berserkfan

go ask Dorkvader to take a photo of his buckling spring board with the fluorescent keycaps I sent him. Now that's sexy.

Of course, having said all this—technically, we’re not supposed to look at our hands when we type. :?)

Venatorious · « **Reply #18 on:** Wed, 22 April 2015, 21:30:29 »

Yea the Unicomp logo looks terrible compared to the mighty IBM logo. Some people get a thinkpad sticker off ebay and replace the Unicomp one with that.

ander · « **Reply #19 on:** Thu, 23 April 2015, 00:33:38 »

What I don't get is why they felt compelled to include a TrackPoint in the logo. Could it have been a wry comment on Starbucks's decision to hide the mermaid's belly button in their logo, which happened around the same time?

Venatorious · « **Reply #20 on:** Thu, 23 April 2015, 00:54:08 »

I think Unicomp would have done better if they had Paul Rand around

ander · « **Reply #21 on:** Fri, 24 April 2015, 03:52:23 »

Nah, it's just as well.

ander · « **Reply #22 on:** Fri, 24 April 2015, 06:36:50 »

(crap, I clicked the wrong link, sorry—serves me right for the logo thing)

theinsolentfish · « **Reply #23 on:** Sat, 16 May 2015, 02:19:58 »

ive got this exact color and style keyboard, though ive owned it for over a year it seems i type a bit too much as most of my rivets have fallen off. im now waiting patiently for packs of screws and bolts so i can reassemble it and get back to using a real keyboard this micosoft ergonomic wireless nonesense my wife loaned me is not comfertable at all.....

maddingo · « **Reply #24 on:** Sat, 16 May 2015, 03:39:11 »

what is up with the weird rectangular thing on the front bezels of these unicomps?

i considered getting on of these but that whatever it is on the bezel just kills it for me.

Snowdog993 · « **Reply #25 on:** Sat, 16 May 2015, 05:38:12 »

Quote from: maddingo on Sat, 16 May 2015, 03:39:11

what is up with the weird rectangular thing on the front bezels of these unicomps?

i considered getting on of these but that whatever it is on the bezel just kills it for me.

Welcome to geekhack! Exactly which weird rectangular thing were you talking about? The one below the spacebar or in the upper left side? Or are you talking about the blue rectangular thing by the status LED's?

maddingo · « **Reply #26 on:** Sat, 16 May 2015, 12:28:17 »

Quote from: Snowdog993 on Sat, 16 May 2015, 05:38:12

Welcome to geekhack! Exactly which weird rectangular thing were you talking about? The one below the spacebar or in the upper left side? Or are you talking about the blue rectangular thing by the status LED's?

hello... thank you for the welcome. and that totally explains what that is now, lol I didn't think of that previously but that makes sense now.

Snowdog993 · « **Reply #27 on:** Sat, 16 May 2015, 13:46:47 »

Quote from: maddingo on Sat, 16 May 2015, 12:28:17

Quote from: Snowdog993 on Sat, 16 May 2015, 05:38:12

Welcome to geekhack! Exactly which weird rectangular thing were you talking about? The one below the spacebar or in the upper left side? Or are you talking about the blue rectangular thing by the status LED's?

hello... thank you for the welcome. and that totally explains what that is now, lol I didn't think of that previously but that makes sense now.

I suppose you saw the pictures before the edit. Well, now you know. Enjoy!

ChromiumCola · « **Reply #28 on:** Thu, 17 September 2015, 15:01:49 »

The blue-black one.... where did the modifiers come from??

0100010 · « **Reply #29 on:** Sat, 19 September 2015, 07:40:05 »

Quote from: ChromiumCola on Thu, 17 September 2015, 15:01:49

The blue-black one.... where did the modifiers come from??

From Unicomp

News:

Author Topic: Sexy Unicomp (Read 5258 times)