Author Topic: Some interesting things about Maxiswitch  (Read 2497 times)

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Offline ch_123

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Some interesting things about Maxiswitch
« on: Wed, 05 May 2010, 17:00:58 »
Just when you thought you were safe to use Model Ms, turns out Maxiswitch are a pretty evil lot.

Another interesting thing - the source here mentions that Maxiswtich opened up shop in Mexico in 1994, which is around the same time that the M13s and M15s it's noted for came on the market. But there are Mexican IBM keyboards which predate this. Take a look at this for example. Note that it has no Maxiswitch markings, but is rather described as being made by "IBM Mexico". Did IBM have their own keyboard factory in Mexico? Was it sold to Maxiswitch, or was the Maxiswitch plant a completely different one?

EDIT: Turns out that IBM had a big manufacturing plant in Mexico, but it was located elsewhere in Mexico, so it wasn't as if it was the same place.

Main point here is that not all Mexican Model Ms are Maxiswitch made ones.
« Last Edit: Wed, 05 May 2010, 17:05:40 by ch_123 »

Offline ch_123

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Some interesting things about Maxiswitch
« Reply #1 on: Wed, 05 May 2010, 17:12:42 »
Of course, in this instance what's relevant is where they made their keyboards. The US, Japan, Mexico, Scotland and Canada were the happening places it seems.

Offline ch_123

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Some interesting things about Maxiswitch
« Reply #2 on: Wed, 05 May 2010, 17:18:46 »
Yeah, I subsequently found that Maxiswitch and IBM's Mexican plants were in different parts of the country.

I wonder how late IBM Mexico made keyboards... Probably up till the Lexmark divestiture I guess.

Offline ch_123

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Some interesting things about Maxiswitch
« Reply #3 on: Wed, 05 May 2010, 17:24:13 »
Well, they needed somewhere to churn out those pesky 'rest-of-the-world' keyboards, and having one in Europe made sense. Having a plant in Mexico is pointless because it has the same catchment area as one in the southern United States.

Offline Mental Hobbit

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Some interesting things about Maxiswitch
« Reply #4 on: Wed, 05 May 2010, 17:30:39 »
Well, why would an Arizona based company run manufacturing plants south of the border if not for the opportunity to be yet more evil than US law allows... which is damn ****ing evil by western standards anyway?
Typing on blues.

Offline ch_123

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Some interesting things about Maxiswitch
« Reply #5 on: Wed, 05 May 2010, 17:32:13 »
Given the quality of the M13's keycaps, I reckon that they either whipped the serfs too hard, or didn't whip them hard enough...

Offline ch_123

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Some interesting things about Maxiswitch
« Reply #6 on: Sat, 11 September 2010, 13:03:50 »
Turns out they didn't make the M13s in that place.

Source

Offline ch_123

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Some interesting things about Maxiswitch
« Reply #7 on: Sat, 11 September 2010, 13:18:59 »
Bear in mind that the black M13s were originally made by Lexmark, beginning 1994. Most 13H6705s that are encountered on eBay are Maxiswitch ones though.

Offline ch_123

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Some interesting things about Maxiswitch
« Reply #8 on: Thu, 13 January 2011, 08:58:43 »
Well, this is interesting.



Looks like Lexmark must have taken over the Mexico plant too at some point.