I've got too many nice keyboards

[wellington1869]

anyone else have this problem? So I spent like a year to figure out my likes and dislikes, and collect the (relatively small) range of boards that fit that.

So in a way i'm a victim of my own success in this process. I have all the keyboards that wanted, and they're all pretty damn good to type on.

Now what? Two problems.
1) A lovely hobby (obsessing about and modding keyboards) seems to be winding down. This means I'll have to come up with a new obsession. Ugh.

2) I look around my room and I dont know which keyboard to type on because they're all pretty good!  Its like being in an ice cream store and starving because you're unable to decide between chocolate fudge and belgian chocolate.

Ugh.

On another note, I got a lovely ibm m13 (speaking of great boards) from a geekhacker recently (actually made by maxiswitch). I'll put up a pictorial (playboy style) in the review section at some point, but some quick thoughts here:
-Is it me or are the springs on the maxiswitch a little lighter than the 1401? (I mean, i like it). These feel like unicomp springs. It was made in '96. Maybe there was a wholesale tho very subtle change to the spring design at some point in the 90s? I think the ripometer showed (in some post) that unicomps are 5g lighter than the 1401 right?  I bet this one is too.

-its a great typer, very satisfying, with a 'real' trackpoint on it. I ordered a small collection of different style trackpoint rubber caps to try out on it [I believe the blue Dell ones will fit; also even on the red ones, there are three distinct styles: the one with the circle around the edge; the one with grippy dots, and the stiff pokey one).]

-lovely black board and black keys. Looks fantastic.

Trackpoint works great, tho not able to find a trackpoint driver for the m13, maybe they didnt release one? I did have a driver for the trackpoint on the ultranav. Although the former is, I think, "trackpoint II" and the latter is "trackpoint IV".

[ch_123]

-Is it me or are the springs on the maxiswitch a little lighter than the 1401? (I mean, i like it). These feel like unicomp springs. It was made in '96. Maybe there was a wholesale tho very subtle change to the spring design at some point in the 90s? I think the ripometer showed (in some post) that unicomps are 5g lighter than the 1401 right?  I bet this one is too.

I'm pretty sure that ripster once swapped IBM and Unicomp springs and found no difference between the two. I think it's some weird side effect of build quality...

Remember, whenever in doubt, blame the plastic rivets...

[wellington1869]

rippy and ch123 - i must have missed that post about spring swapping. Interesting if its the plastic. So basically somehow a little less friction on the unicomp style boards then.  Either way I always feel that the unicomps go down easier (ho's!), I dont think its totally my imagination. Or maybe it just varies from board to board.

Either way I've begun wiping the plungers (on the boards i'm keeping) with silicon spray, again I feel I can notice the dfiference in terms of slight lightening of resistance on the downstroke.

I think when people describe "lighter" it is just newer or less used than other bs boards they own.

but i'd think that newer boards would be stiffer, and older ones would be lighter.

Anyone know of a m13 trackpoint driver?

[wellington1869]

Welly - the solution to your Post Title is simple.  Send me your excess keyboards!  I'll nominate you for next year's Nobel Peace Prize.

lol I already went thru one acquire-and-resell cycle, only to re-buy the same boards again when I eventually missed then  
This time around, I'm storing my unused boards, cuz i'm pretty sure i'll cycle back to them at some point
I'll think of them as my keyboard 'harem'.

[wellington1869]

Yeah - the springs are identical .

ok wait a minute, i just checked out that post, and even if they weigh the same, does that mean they cant have different resistances?

[rnak92a]

I'm with you, Welly.  I've two black M13s myself and a few other Model M keyboards that are just sitting around.  I'd love to sell a few of them to folks who'd love and appreciate them, but I'd just go on the search for other Model M keyboards once these are gone.  

So, I'm going to try this:

My name is rnak92a, and I'm a Model M addict.  :lol:

If anyone wants a mint M13 (or one that's in good shape but needs a few of the original keys), or other Ms, let me know.  

Cheers,
~rn

[rdh]

This means I'll have to come up with a new obsession.

Here you go: shoelaces.

[wellington1869]

Welcome, rnak92.  Admitting the problem is the first step to a cure. xD  
Maybe we need to wear little keys around our neck.

ya if I sold them i'd only go looking on ebay in a month  By keeping them under my bed at least I save on shipping!

Keep following the thread.  I do two swaps - one on a mini and another on my Boscom "TestOmatic" and no difference.

k.

[msiegel]

I'll think of them as my keyboard 'harem'.

omg, you were serious about that topre

[wellington1869]

Here you go: shoelaces.

hahahahahahaha! Dear god!  You know, in comparison, my keyboard obsession looks downright healthy ;-D

[wellington1869]

omg, you were serious about that topre

xD  you should see the pictures I didnt post xD

[wellington1869]

Beaker's seen them, look what happened to him!

[AndrewZorn]

Here you go: shoelaces.

wow... browsing it for a minute actually had me thinking about which way i should lace my shoes now...

but im sure he has the same arguments we do:
"but you use them every day!  how could it not be IMPORTANT?"

[hyperlinked]

Here you go: shoelaces.

Shoe lacing techniques are indeed cool! On a lot of shoes, you can modify how supportive your shoes are by changing the way you lace 'em up.

[AndrewZorn]

yeah, and where is the "keyboard news" section???



One passer-by - 'the shoelace guy' - offered help.

"There was a guy who stopped who wanted to know if he could help,' Pat Rullo said. 'I was looking for a string or something to tie off the [umbilical] cord. The next thing I knew, there was a shoelace in my lap, and I never saw him again."

and so again, i point out, when has there ever been a "keyboard hero"?

[msiegel]

yeah, and where is the "keyboard news" section???

that would be handy

also, this needs a re-caption


http://icanhascheezburger.com/2008/10/09/funny-pictures-removal-tool-v10-manual-version/

[wellington1869]

but im sure he has the same arguments we do:
"but you use them every day!  how could it not be IMPORTANT?"

damn, i look around my room and suddenly i have ideas for 20 forums ;-D

[Rajagra]

Here you go: shoelaces.

Believe it or not I found that site years ago searching for a way to straight-lace shoes with odd numbers of holes. He let me down, so I had to create a method of my own. I see he still hasn't been able to match my super-secret method. :lol:

This is important stuff.  This guy tripped on his shoelaces destroying these Qing Dynasty vases.

Nick Flynn tripped on his shoelaces and took out all three vases. Impressive.
Talk about In Like Flynn.

[wellington1869]

and so again, i point out, when has there ever been a "keyboard hero"?

you figure at least one would-be robber has been beaten to death with a 1391401.

[AndrewZorn]

⌨

well look at that...

[microsoft windows]

2) I look around my room and I dont know which keyboard to type on because they're all pretty good!  Its like being in an ice cream store and starving because you're unable to decide between chocolate fudge and belgian chocolate.

Ugh.

When I come across that situation, I just get all the kinds of ice cream I like. Why not hook up all those keyboards to your computer and use them?

[msiegel]

at once XD

i mean come on, i have 2 tenkeyless attached to 1 computer

if i had more working keyboards, i'd attach them too. mixing it up is good for the brain

[o2dazone]

Get one (or two) types of keyboards you love and sell everything else. Never look back

[o2dazone]

Drastic steps for drastic measures, my good man

[bigpook]

I don't think I could just pick two and sell the rest. Thats unpossible : )

[rnak92a]

Amateurs..

holy ****....  

:jaw:

[msiegel]

Amateurs..

look, we know you're building a robot army with that...

[rnak92a]

webwit:

how many M minis do you have?  I saw at least two of the boxes in those pictures...

Cheers,
~rn

[msiegel]

I bet his GF has more boxes of shoes than that.

maybe those *are* his GF's boxes of shoes XD

sorry webwit... your keyboard processing plant is too easy to make fun of

[o2dazone]

pics of kb boxes

oblig virgin joke here

[ch_123]

Webwit, is that a Logitech keyboard box I spot there?

[ch_123]

rippy and ch123 - i must have missed that post about spring swapping. Interesting if its the plastic. So basically somehow a little less friction on the unicomp style boards then.  Either way I always feel that the unicomps go down easier (ho's!), I dont think its totally my imagination. Or maybe it just varies from board to board.

Maybe the M13s have the lighter backplate, which makes it less noisy, and makes you think that there's a difference in feel?

Have any others noticed this supposed difference?

[ch_123]

That's all I need to hear. I was also skeptical given that Brian O' Neill's pics show the internals to be the same as the 1391401, not the 42H1292 ones used in the Unicomps.

I ordered one to replace my Endurapro, which died a rather unfortunate death at someone else's hands. Fortunately they're footing the bill!

[timw4mail]

Uh oh!   I wanna hear the story!

Coke or a 12 foot drop?

No, that was you, Ripster.

[ch_123]

Uh oh!   I wanna hear the story!

Coke or a 12 foot drop?

The Unicomp was in the care of a younger cousin of mine who wanted to buy it off me. One night he had a few mates around to play TF2 on his PC when he knocked over mug of coffee into the keyboard. He ripped off the keycaps in order to try and clean out the mess when, somehow, one of his mates managed to spill his drink (Sprite, apparently) while helping the cleanup. With the keycaps off, the sugary goodness when down into the membrane. I haven't tried it myself, but I've been reliably informed that it is "****ed".

What was important was that he paid up, so I was able to laugh.

[JBert]

Also, Unicomps are still replaceable. Some old IBMs or rare Cherries are a bit harder to come by...

[ch_123]

True that. Plus I will now be getting a board with a 'real deal' Trackpoint that doesn't require to jack up the sensitivity to the highest level.