Consider that while the Unicomp is made using the same tooling, the composition of the clamshell material was changed 16 years ago, thus the case has a lot more flex and creaks when flexed. A cursory glance at both, a white IBM manufactured Model M and one made by Unicomp, probably wouldn't reveal any notable differences, but the devil is in the details. There are some cosmetics imperfections on the surface of the Unicomp case that are absent in IBM manufactured Model M's, and a lot of the keycaps used by Unicomp also have flashing around the bottom edges. It's the little things that, when added up, really shine a negative light on Unicomp's quality control... That said, to anyone who's sole interest is in the typing experience, I'd say Unicomp's are similar enough that any differences are negligible.
This has been discussed many times of course (
for example).
I've always gotten around all this by considering Unicomps a different breed of keyboard than IBM's. No, they're not perfectly finished like IBMs were—but Unicomp isn't selling them for $200 (in '80s/'90s money!) like IBM did, nor in anything close to IBM's volume. Detail = time = money; that's just reality.
I think the fact that Unicomp is making BS KBs at
all is remarkable enough that the small cosmetic differences don't bother me. And while I can't speak for everyone, I actually
like the differences between IBM/Unicomp boards in materials, weight, touch and sound. It's like having two types of BS KBs, like a Matias board is different from an Alps board. Considering most of us want to have one of everything anyway, it seems like a win/win to me.
Tbh I think I'd sympathise more with Unicomp if the lock light sticker wasn't so eye-wateringly fugly xD .
An oft-voiced complaint. :?) But again, IBM was making enough on their hardware to keep visual designers on their staffs. The people who bought Lexmark and created Unicomp were engineers and executives who—primarily out of love for BS boards, I suspect—took on a daunting challenge even
without designers on the payroll. So graphically, I see a Unicomp board as a left-brain engineer's vision of a Model M. I sort of like that.
Vintage is overpriced junk... This is worth so much more:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Unicomp-085-00978-0000-Model-M-PS-2-Clicky-Keyboard-/152018303833
A steal at even $200.
You guys are being funny of course. I spotted that oddly yellowed Unicomp too:
Wonder why the heck it did that, unlike any other Unicomp I (and probably you) have ever seen? Well, it was an OEM board:
...so my best guess is, the client insisted that Unicomp add flame-retardant to their mix. That's usually what causes such radical, Apple-board-type yellowing.