IBM Selectric II

[uhgreen]

I've always, and still do, say that the IBM Selectric II had the best keyboard ever. I like my Pok3r with MX Blues. They give me a tactile feel and a nice click, but it's not a Selectric II.

When I press a key on my SII there is almost a few centimeters where you don't need any force at all. Then you reach a wall. That's where the key registers. You press down on that and it bottoms out. You get much more than a click when the typeball hits the platen. You also had the feel of a 25lb. machine under the keys. Even the most durable keyboard can't beat that. The hum of the motor. The smell of the oil in a freshly serviced machine.

I don't think any switch can re-create typing on a SII.

[E TwentyNine]

I've always, and still do, say that the IBM Selectric II had the best keyboard ever. I like my Pok3r with MX Blues. They give me a tactile feel and a nice click, but it's not a Selectric II.

When I press a key on my SII there is almost a few centimeters where you don't need any force at all. Then you reach a wall. That's where the key registers. You press down on that and it bottoms out. You get much more than a click when the typeball hits the platen. You also had the feel of a 25lb. machine under the keys. Even the most durable keyboard can't beat that. The hum of the motor. The smell of the oil in a freshly serviced machine.

I don't think any switch can re-create typing on a SII.

I learned to type on selectrics.  A beam spring comes closest of anything.

Minus that constant hum of the motor and the whack of the ball putting down type, even a solenoid setup won't recreate that...

[uhgreen]

I've always, and still do, say that the IBM Selectric II had the best keyboard ever. I like my Pok3r with MX Blues. They give me a tactile feel and a nice click, but it's not a Selectric II.

When I press a key on my SII there is almost a few centimeters where you don't need any force at all. Then you reach a wall. That's where the key registers. You press down on that and it bottoms out. You get much more than a click when the typeball hits the platen. You also had the feel of a 25lb. machine under the keys. Even the most durable keyboard can't beat that. The hum of the motor. The smell of the oil in a freshly serviced machine.

I don't think any switch can re-create typing on a SII.

I learned to type on selectrics.  A beam spring comes closest of anything.

Minus that constant hum of the motor and the whack of the ball putting down type, even a solenoid setup won't recreate that...

A beam spring. Hmmmm... thanks, I'll look into it.

[Olumin]

I've always, and still do, say that the IBM Selectric II had the best keyboard ever. I like my Pok3r with MX Blues. They give me a tactile feel and a nice click, but it's not a Selectric II.

When I press a key on my SII there is almost a few centimeters where you don't need any force at all. Then you reach a wall. That's where the key registers. You press down on that and it bottoms out. You get much more than a click when the typeball hits the platen. You also had the feel of a 25lb. machine under the keys. Even the most durable keyboard can't beat that. The hum of the motor. The smell of the oil in a freshly serviced machine.

I don't think any switch can re-create typing on a SII.

I personally hate typing on a selectic keyboard, at least Selectric I and II. That's mainly because of the Keycaps. I don't like the Keycap profile, it hurts my fingers after a while. They also have no texture. The keyboard is also quite cheaply made. The ABS yellows fast and gets brittle very quickly. If you take a very close took to the dubbleshot legends, almost all of them will have a fine crack in them.

[crickclackman]

IBM Selectric is the best. My dad has one.

THWACK THWACK THWACK!

[uhgreen]

I've always, and still do, say that the IBM Selectric II had the best keyboard ever. I like my Pok3r with MX Blues. They give me a tactile feel and a nice click, but it's not a Selectric II.

When I press a key on my SII there is almost a few centimeters where you don't need any force at all. Then you reach a wall. That's where the key registers. You press down on that and it bottoms out. You get much more than a click when the typeball hits the platen. You also had the feel of a 25lb. machine under the keys. Even the most durable keyboard can't beat that. The hum of the motor. The smell of the oil in a freshly serviced machine.

I don't think any switch can re-create typing on a SII.

I personally hate typing on a selectic keyboard, at least Selectric I and II. That's mainly because of the Keycaps. I don't like the Keycap profile, it hurts my fingers after a while. They also have no texture. The keyboard is also quite cheaply made. The ABS yellows fast and gets brittle very quickly. If you take a very close took to the dubbleshot legends, almost all of them will have a fine crack in them.

Oh, I love the keycaps on the Selectric. I don't know about cheaply made. All of the Selectrics I've seen have their keycaps in really good condition and they're all about 40 years old

[falkentyne]

Nothing says MECHANICAL KEYBOARD like a 1) IBM SELECTRIC ii, 2) IBM Model F.

I learned how to type in high school typing class on a Selectric II.  That's where we learned touch typing.
I still miss that "keyboard."

The IBM model F was created to replicate the selectric feel as best as possible.

[E TwentyNine]

The beam spring was created to replicate the selectric feel, right down to the similar keycaps.