Here are some pictures of an IBM 5322 System/23 Datamaster computer that I acquired recently. Sadly, it needs a little work and can certainly use a refinished barrel plate but I've made a post the wiki and will present the pictures here as well.
I'm not sure if this is unique but the capacitive hammer plates have a "dimple" at the end curved toward the bottom that appears to make contact with the capacitive PCB; leaving a gap so that the whole hammer plate doesn't slap the PCB on key press. I haven't seen this in other Model Fs that I recall. I also note that the hammers appear to feel cold to the touch as if they were more metallic than the normal Model F hammers from the IBM PC XT keyboards. I had to double check that they were not completely metallic. Perhaps this accounts for the gap in that it will still actuate the capacitive circuit even though it doesn't make full contact?
Anyway, here are some pics:
IBM 5322 System/23 Datamaster computer - The Earliest Model F
- seebart
- Offtopicthority Instigator
- Location: Germany
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- Favorite switch: IBM capacitive buckling spring
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Very nice suci, thanks for sharing. What does this "puppy" weigh? 15 Kilos?
- snuci
- Vintage computer guy
- Location: Ontario, Canada
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The legends are super sharp but the camera didn't focus well enough on them. You can also see a slight bit of dirt on the "C" key. This is because the key cap tops have a slightly rough texture and they were difficult to clean. I don't recall if I've ever seen the extra plastic corner stabilizers on the underside of the key caps before. This keyboard has a mixture and there didn't seem to be a pattern.
Haha.That is funny. Shipping weight was 107 lbs or about 48 kilos. You were just a little off

- seebart
- Offtopicthority Instigator
- Location: Germany
- Main keyboard: Rotation
- Main mouse: Steelseries Sensei
- Favorite switch: IBM capacitive buckling spring
- DT Pro Member: 0061
- Contact:
- fohat
- Elder Messenger
- Location: Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
- Main keyboard: Model F 122-key terminal
- Main mouse: Microsoft Optical Mouse
- Favorite switch: Model F Buckling Spring
- DT Pro Member: 0158
I love the stepped Backslash/Pipe key. It looks small but I suppose that it is the standard 1.25u size.
And that center stepped CapsLock with legend of down arrow above the Left Shift with up arrow is great, too.
And that center stepped CapsLock with legend of down arrow above the Left Shift with up arrow is great, too.