Hey all,
New Canadian member here, greetings. By way of introduction, I'm a long-time Unix guy with a modest collection; a Filco tenkeyless with browns, a Customizer 101, a Sun Type 5c, a Fujitsu FKB4725-501 (I know!), and an Apple white plastic bluetooth (binds so bad on long keys I can't stand to use it really).
Here's the thing, my `desktop' machine at home is a Mac (at least it has a proper terminal and BSD-like environs). I'd read much of others success in employing the exemplary customer service offered by Unicomp to obtain some custom Mac keycaps for their 104-key models, and decided to try and get some for my 101-key model.
I wrote a polite and concise email to support, and was promptly advised that they would be able to help me out. Yay! I was after a Caps Lock with Control on it, and Alt and Ctrl with Command and Option respectively. For the 101-key model.
More than a month later, I received a bag of random keys of an assortment I can only describe as bewildering. During this time, the folks at Unicomp were variably communicative, with all apologies for the times they were not. No biggie, I'm no *******. Times are tough.
The keys I did finally receive are interesting; they include what may be a standardized set of Mac keys for a 104-key model, and are completely useless to me. Thrown in for good measure are an extra Caps Lock key, with Caps Lock printed on it, albeit in a different font, and across two vertical lines, rather than the single line shown on the keycap that came with my Customizer. In fact, none of the keys have the same typeface, weight, or letter spacing as the stock keys. I also got a couple extra Control keys, and Alt keys, but it's the Command and Option keys that are troubling. As custom jobs, I might expect the typeface to not match, but at least the lettering could be straight, and solid. One of the Command keys its blotched out in the middle; faded, like the stamp didn't quite hit the center hard enough. And it's crooked. Even if these were correctly sized for my 101-key model, I doubt I'd use them; they look that bad.
So, what's my point? I've never read anything but glowing reviews about the service at Unicomp. I'm genuinely concerned, as I love the keyboard, and I think they're doing fine work actually making something in the USA of today. I wish them all the success in the world, but I'm hesitant to lay out for the SpaceSaver I've been meaning to buy from them. But mostly, I'm hoping to save somebody else in the onternets from getting their hopes up about wonderful Mac keys for their 101-key Customizer. That's all. Nothing malicious. Still love the keyboard anyway, and hopefully the folks at Unicomp can either refund my monies or make it right. I'm sure they will.
