deskthority

I use trackballs. Since they don't move on the table, I use them wired. I'd rather plug them into the my keyboard than snake another cable across the table.

I also use a Yubikey. It's very convenient to have that plugged into my keyboard where I can get to it easily.
Me too--I just wire it into ...

I would love to see another Model M that has a USB hub in it. so I can plug in things like my trackball and my Yubikey. A New Model M with detachable cable would be nice also. If those had detachable cables, you could make a custom snap-on USB hub of some kind that would sit flush with the case in ...

The AT is pretty cool, even with its “unashamedly plastic” case. And obviously we love the FSSK around here. A true remake, made in America and running QMK, would be fantastic!

I wonder if Unicomp has the potential (and the hardware) to be the community’s own hobbyist project manufacturer that I ...

I’d love to see Unicomp expand their product line. Their focus has always been value and I’m not sure how the Model F would fit into that, but a Model F version of their products with a small price hike would be awesome. I bet there would also be demand for HHKB and 60% versions of their products ...

it helps when you already have the facilities, like Unicomp.



This is the crucial element. These days almost everything is done with borrowed money and debts to be serviced, but Unicomp has a factory and equipment built by IBM decades ago - and even Unicomp has had the site for 25 years, so ...

You do realize that edge card connectors will corrode over time too, right?

Welcome to entropy. ;)

I'd much rather have that connector than a cheap and nasty "ribbon cable" that looks and feels like cellophane. But you're quite right that at the end of the universe, all such matters are ...

Considering how much a Model M cost originally, and how much it cost when Lexmark made them, it amazes me that Unicomp is able to get new molds made and create a keyboard with dye sublimated PBT keycaps and only charge $125 for it. I've seen Cherry MX style PBT keycaps selling for more than a ...

Impressive!

Those flimsy ribbon cables sticking out the back still don't exactly scream pride in quality or craftsmanship, though. Beamspring got this right with its card slot:

https://deskthority.net/download/file.php?id=71305
You do realize that edge card connectors will corrode over time ...

Considering how much a Model M cost originally, and how much it cost when Lexmark made them, it amazes me that Unicomp is able to get new molds made and create a keyboard with dye sublimated PBT keycaps and only charge $125 for it. I've seen Cherry MX style PBT keycaps selling for more than a New ...

Well, I doubt IBM ever expect people to be using 40 year old Model M keyboards in 2023. If you have a Unicomp keyboard from the 2000s and 2010s, you probably won't have any snapped rivets. But when you go back to the IBM built boards, then you run into the problems.
Unicmp actually uses the same ...

Ahem…


If used properly, none of the rivets should break. People go dumpster diving and expect to find something pristine.


Pristine enough for you?

http://deskthority.net/resources/image/18283

New in box, untouched, protected by inches of intact polystyrene. Yet still has many ...

clickykeyboards wrote: 12 Oct 2023, 15:07 56 M2x6mm metal screws > 56 melted plastic rivets

Beautifully done on a beautiful board. I know if I ever have an issue with any of my Ms where the rivets are an issue, I'll be sending it to you. Been admiring your work for better part of a decade now.

Muirium wrote: 12 Oct 2023, 11:50 To be fair, the thread title is "New Model M vs Old IBM Model M", not "Best Keyboard Ever", which very clearly neither of them is!

True, except they are for some of us. All this talk about the new M has me itching to try one somehow...

[…] the original M is still by far the best quality […]

Ahem…
You know the funny thing? Our very first M that came with our 30-286 had these rivets straight out of the box. We always wondered what was sliding around in the case since we never dropped paperclips in it or anything like that ...

I think the New Model M is a step from the Unicomp Clasic. The build quality is better, and it has new molds.

One plus for me of a Unicomp board over old IBM/Lexmark Model M is that the Unicomp boards have Windows/Super/Command keys. They are also USB out of the box.

And if you buy a New Model M ...

I’ve wondered if the reason the older Ms feel nicer is due to years of use, loosening up the tension in the springs. Samir, was your 1-2% difference for just new keyboards or all types?
I don't think there is any 'loosening up on the tension in the springs' unless it is because of rivet failure ...

This post was started on a Model M white badge, continued on a cherry blue board, continued on a LG Gram keyboard, and finished on a Unicomp 101. :lol:

On purpose?
Kind of. I have different workstations I'm at when working depending on where I am. And not all of them have Ms (well, all of ...

Very late to the party--but since I have more than dozen Ms and a few Unicomps and nearly 30 years typing on them hopefully what I have to add here is of value.

All Ms in all variants have some sort of difference that you can feel if you're looking for it. I've literally felt the difference between ...

Thank you for the additional information! Not looking to try to get one international unless it's from someone I know in Japan, but the xianyu market sounds neat.


i didn't realise, but the xianyu ones are super overpriced anyway. there's one for auction on yahoo that would definitely be the ...

Thank you for the additional information! Not looking to try to get one international unless it's from someone I know in Japan, but the xianyu market sounds neat.

Best writeup I've ever seen on the Realforce 101s. And if you ever decide to part ways with yours, I'd be highly interested in it.

If this is still available, I'm interested.

Glad you got the printing working. The final products, even in pre-production form, look quite amazing. NIce work!

Yep that's right Samir - and no hard feelings! The volunteers certainly caused no time delay. The site is fully functional a week before it's needed and I have a good amount of content.

I've never operated a dot matrix printer before but I first notice that the top tray of my Oki Microline only ...

$IBMHIPD.IDP
$IBMHIPD.SYS
AODBHIPD.IDP
AODBHIPD.SYS
TP2DD.ZIP
UINSTALL.EXE

Those are all the files that were in the floppy. I don't think they will be of much use to you though. Thank you so much! One set of files is the os/2 driver for the trackpoint and the other set is the driver for ...

Cool I have the US version of this keyboard sitting right next to me.

I also have the manual and floppy disk.


what is on the floppy ?

Gonna find that out soon. My father might have something that can read floppies

EDIT: Turns out it is just some IDP and system files. Also an .exe named ...

The cool dot matrix printer was a lucky eBay find for about $40 plus shipping. The paper cost about $5 shipped. Don't worry I'm not breaking the bank :)

Samir I hope you are not insulting all of the many hours of hard work of this community in their many efforts, not least with this project. With ...

Always with the volunteers. What charity is this all supporting again? What's interesting is when I offered professional services on web design in exchange for the M shells it was turned down citing that there's plenty of volunteer help. You always get what you pay for, even with volunteer help ...

I was trying to find the Belkin one I had attached to the M15 because I coudld attach only the keyboard connector and the trackpoint would work too. People found that strange so I wanted to post the model number, but now I'm wondering what I did with it or lost it somewhere. :(

I used to keep ...

So it's 2016 now and I just looked at the M15 and I can't find the Belkin adapter that's usually attached to it.