So it's official... I'm not allowed near forums, I'm just way too obsessive for my own good. This year I've spent 3 months on straight razors, 3 months on antenna designs / HTPC builds and a month over a kitchen knife. Now its keyboards. I type for a living so at least I have a better excuse for this one. Ask me and I'll tell you I had excellent excuses for all of them.
Since I posted last I've already purchased 2 keyboards and switched to Colemak. I found a Dell AT101W at a thrift store for $3.99 and bought a 1391401 (Jan '93) Model M off Ebay for $15.00+ shipping.
So far here are my impressions.
Model M:
Every bit as good as I remember them being. Wonderfully crisp and predictable keyboard. It only took a day maybe two to be able to type without bottoming out the keys. I could almost stop purchasing keyboards for this one board... almost. The force required to activate the keys is too high to be ideal. The stiff springs are no problem for the index and middle fingers, but the ring and pinky fingers are overworked. After typing for long periods of time, I don't get any joint pain but I do experience some muscle fatigue. Tell that to a construction worker... typing is so hard, I'm really exhausted at the end of the day.
AT101W:
Better key activation force than the Model M, but that may be all that I like better about it. I'm not sure how to explain this keyboard. I'd like to say it feels sluggish, it's just not as crisp to type on as the IBM. Hit a key a little off-center and it binds a little. Also, the keys don't seem to bounce back as well after being depressed. I'm not sure how tactile the key switches are but I never really learned to type on the board without bottoming out the keys. The key switches seem to be really unforgiving in this scenario. An hour or so of typing and I can feel it in my knuckles. I could probably be burned at the stake for this one, but I'd say the Dell is only marginally better than a rubber dome.
I've dabbled enough to know that I haven't purchased my last keyboard. It's more of a question as to what is next. I'm leaning towards FILCO/G80-3000 with blue cherries followed by a Topre board and maybe something with Brown Cherries if the previous two don't stop the urge. Of course I'm willing to give up the quest at a moments notice for the perfect board, but judging by the attendance on the forum, I should probably find a comfy seat.