Got an IBM Model M

[Viett]

I just won this off of ebay. It's a '91 1391401. I've wanted one for a while, but I was waiting for a modest price.



It's a bit cleaner than I expected it to be. Works great. I was surprised to see how easily the keycaps came off, but it wasn't a big issue.

It's my first time using BS switches. I think overall, I'm not too impressed. I definitely prefer them over black alps, but in my opinion they're not as good as Blue Cherries. They're definitely a lot firmer, so I'd probably avoid BS for gaming. I'd try gaming on it, but the cheap PS/2 to USB adapter I got off of dealextreme fails while holding two keys at once, which is really bad for FPS.

Of course there are no Windows/Menu keys, which is definitely a downside, but there's always remapping.

I also tried typing with one hand on my M and the other on my FILCO. That was weird.

[itlnstln]

Congrats.  At first, I thought you had a black, Space Saver Model M with blank caps, but it was just that the pic was slow to load for some reason.

[Viett]

It's not your typical key blocking.

Pretty much if I hit a key and let go, the adapter will "let go" of any other keys I still have held down.

Say I'm holding w and d to go at an upright diagonal in an FPS. If I let go of d, the adapter will "let go" of w, even though I still have w pressed. I'll then stop moving altogether.

If you can recommend any good cheap PS/2 to USB adapters, I might grab one.

[ch_123]

Yeah, I have a Bytecc adaptor that does the same thing. It's alright for typing but not for gaming. Aside from this mythical "Blue Cube", Belkin USB adaptors are pretty good.

[ironcoder]

Of course there are no Windows/Menu keys, which is definitely a downside

What did he just say?

I paid extra to get rid of the Winbloze keys on my Filcos.

I'm SO GLAD the Model Ms don't have any, what a freakin abomination that would be!

[ehird]

They're useful as extra modifier keys, and OS X users need them (ctrl/option/command).

[quadibloc]

I'm SO GLAD the Model Ms don't have any,

The Windows keys are occasionally useful, and Windows doesn't provide a full substitute for them.

However, they are in the way on the keyboard; on normal 104-key PC keyboards, they simply tend to get hit by accident too often. I favor a compromise: they should be present, but they should also be out of the way.

[ironcoder]

I am Windows free, except for one VM, so I don't use them.

When did Winbloze first come out? I can't remember that horrible year.

[Rajagra]

When did Winbloze first come out? I can't remember that horrible year.

November 1985.

I didn't know this:

This agreement soon however fell apart, and the Microsoft/IBM relationship was terminated. IBM continued to develop OS/2, while Microsoft changed the name of its (as yet unreleased) OS/2 3.0 to Windows NT

So, we're all basically using a descendant of OS/2 now!!!

[ironcoder]

Thanks for the date, which "will live on in infamy..."

Yeah, the OS/2 participation deal is well-known.

So, we're all basically using a descendant of OS/2 now!!!

Like HELL we are!  :fencing:

[Shawn Stanford]

So, we're all basically using a descendant of OS/2 now!!!

Not really a descendent, more of a successor. The WinNT kernel is completely different from OS/2's.

[itlnstln]

I find it amusing when people use a Model M on OSX.  It's pretty ironic if you're an old-schooler.

[timw4mail]

I find it amusing when people use a Model M on OSX.  It's pretty ironic if you're an old-schooler.

It also takes some ingenuity. You have to map command somewhere.

[texteur]

I find it amusing when people use a Model M on OSX.  It's pretty ironic if you're an old-schooler.

As a Mac (and PC) user, I use Model Ms with my old Titanium Powerbook. The most recent good keyboard Apple produced are those legendary Apple Extended Keyboard II (I dream to get one with Swiss French layout -- a rarity). Nowadays, Apple "Chicklet" keyboards represent the best way to destroy one's phalanges. Sacrifice of comfort for design...

They're useful as extra modifier keys, and OS X users need them (ctrl/option/command).

That's true: the ugly Windows keys on new keyboards are pretty useful, once remapped, to take place of the Apple Option key (after ALT has become Command/Apple key). On my Filcos, I replaced keys caps with blank ones, to be sure the Windows logo wouldn't disturb me while coding...

[texteur]

They aren't that hard to get in EuroLand.  5.48 lbs (or whatever you Brits call that).  Ebay UK link here.  

Thank you Ripster. I hadn't seen those blue cubes on eBay. I bought mine through ClickyKeyboards, which is for me (in CH) quite expensive (= 10 times the shipping price from UK).

So, I ordered two of them... for less than the price of shipping from USA. Great!

[Viett]

What did he just say?

I paid extra to get rid of the Winbloze keys on my Filcos.

I'm SO GLAD the Model Ms don't have any, what a freakin abomination that would be!

That's surprising. The keys definitely have their uses, and it's a bit awkward to have a hole where you usually find them.

[AndrewZorn]

exactly.  they are extra keys.  the blank spot cannot be used for ANYTHING, whereas the windows keys can be used for windows keys, or whatever else you decide.

[Rajagra]

the blank spot cannot be used for  ANYTHING

Well, it's used to make sure you don't hit Ctrl when you aim for Alt, and vice-versa.

It's like white space for keyboards. Youwouldn'tsaywhitespaceintextiscompletelyuseless, wouldyou?

I have a love/hate relationship with Windows keys. If they aren't there I have ScrollLock mapped as one so I don't mind. But when they are present I can't bring myself to remap them. I know I'd forget and keep stabbing Windows shortcuts endlessly.

[rdh]

I find it amusing when people use a Model M on OSX.

I resemble that comment.

It also takes some ingenuity. You have to map command somewhere.

Not much.  I'd already swapped Opt with Command ("Alt" with "Windows", according to the printing on the keys) in System Preferences, so by the time the M arrived, I didn't need to do anything else.   I rarely need the Opt key.

That's surprising. The keys definitely have their uses, and it's a bit awkward to have a hole where you usually find them.

Dunno.  I use Windows at work, and if someone stole the Windows keys from that machine, I might never notice.  I just don't use 'em.

[ironcoder]

That's surprising. The keys definitely have their uses, and it's a bit awkward to have a hole where you usually find them.

There isn't a hole, there are purple WASD keys on my boards to replace them with.

And besides, what do you mean "usually find them?" I work with IBM equipment so it's unnatural to have keys for something that doesn't even run on the hardware. The Model Ms don't have them either.

UNIX doesn't use them, Linux doesn't use them, they're just an insult to good taste and should be banned much the same as Winbloze itself should be banned.

Keyboards didn't start with Winbloze! They started becoming popular in the late 1970s as I recall.

[ironcoder]

exactly.  they are extra keys.  the blank spot cannot be used for ANYTHING, whereas the windows keys can be used for windows keys, or whatever else you decide.

Not necessarily. Not all apps map these keys. For example, I have a terminal emulator program which has a view of what it thinks a "standard" keyboard is whatever that means, and it won't recognize or map those keys. Bloze grabs those keypresses anyway. Not sure if there's a way around that, but I don't really care, since on the OS I use I can use those keys for something else.

5 bucks for a set of 4 WASD keys was money well spent to remove the disgrace of Winbloze from two Filco keyboards :jaw:

[texteur]

Buying TWO sets of Filco Blanks ($60) seems even more silly to me than orange WASD keys.

I bought mine mainly because I didn't want to be disturbed by false key prints. Where it's printed ";" I've got my beloved "é", where you've backslash, I've got "$"...

All the Filcos, HHKB and other sympathetic KB use the ANSI layout, which would be confusing if I watched the keys. I prefer a blank keyboard, definitely:



N.B. Sorry for the big pic file: I thought it would be PHP-resized.

[ironcoder]

Yeah I figured it was a cheap alternative, for 2.50 a keyboard you can't go wrong. Plus, I actually set them up so they make sense- I use the backwards and forwards arrows to switch terminal sessions. Up and down, same thing.

I'm still waiting for Brian to cough up the Vi HJKL in blue with the correct arrows, that would totally rock.

[texteur]

I'm surprised people don't complain more about the HHKB2 not using that "extra space" in the corners.  I have an easier time hitting that reliably instead of the Windows key.

Yes, and to replace CAPS LOCK with CONTROL is a strange idea. I use CAPS LOCK a lot for SQL queries and to comment my code. Without CAPS LOCK, life is more difficult ;-)

[AndrewZorn]

okay, so you guys are pretty much against the LOGO, not an extra key.

i don't buy the "white space" argument.  why don't i have some space between Q and W, just to make sure i don't hit one by accident?

not applicable with all software does not mean it is useless, the windows keys can be mapped in linux.  in tetris, J does nothing.  that doesn't mean it is useless.

i DO mind the blank corners on the HHKB, i feel like there could be something there.

[itlnstln]

Yes, and to replace CAPS LOCK with CONTROL is a strange idea. I use CAPS LOCK a lot for SQL queries and to comment my code. Without CAPS LOCK, life is more difficult ;-)

My man!  I am a Jedi SQL Master myself, and I, too, have this same opinion, especially when it comes to Caps Lock existing at all.

[ironcoder]

Yes, and to replace CAPS LOCK with CONTROL is a strange idea. I use CAPS LOCK a lot for SQL queries and to comment my code. Without CAPS LOCK, life is more difficult ;-)

Yeah if the left Ctrl key is not in the right spot, you can pretty much forget about using Emacs. That's simply not done.

I don't use caps lock, but it's interesting. In IBM land you pretty much had to code most (all) source languages in complete upper case until waaay later when they (against our wishes) added a C compiler. They even had an editor setting until this very day that allows you to type in whatever case you want and when you press the enter key voila everything gets translated to upper case and makes you look like a pro.

If you code assembler, Ada, ALGOL, COBOL, FORTRAN, or PL/I in mixed case you must have come from a bad family!