deskthority

That's what I did, too. Since I use my M122 for actual 3270 keyboard emulation, I'll probably make up labels for the extra 22 keys. Not ideal, but...

Me too. Even if I am going to have to figure out what to do for the extra keycaps.

I own and run several small IBM mainframes, and the other gear needed to make the 3279 work. I do hobbyist work on them, including building and running classic IBM operating systems.

But having to spend a kilobuck on a keyboard for a terminal that's a "get this out of here" relic to most folks is ...

Grumble. No, I really wish people would quit destroying classic devices to get the beamspring keyboards hacked together and working on their PCs.

I say this as someone who has a real, running IBM 3279-S3G terminal on his desk that gets used daily, right next to his M122.

Not only are they making ...

I'm sure Wendell would love to review it.

"Most of this community". Have you suddenly been elected spokesman? Or is just you and the mice in your pocket?

wobbled wrote: 23 Jul 2025, 05:18 Imagine replying to me after 2 months and starting this up again. Joe probably wishes you stayed quiet. Absolute cretin.

"A fanatic is someone who can't change his mind and won't change the subject." -- Sir Winston Churchill

You, sir, are a fanatic.

My point is that you've already adequately called him out. Now you're being a nuisance to other users, not just Joe. How does that help anyone on DT?


It doesn't, but he doesn't care. He's got such a blind hate on that he is only interested in tearing Joe down, and he doesn't give a single ...

All right, ENOUGH!

I don't know why you insist on bashing Ellipse every chance you get, but KNOCK IT OFF! You think the guy's a slimeball. Fine. We get it. You don't have to keep throwing it in his (and our) face!

If you don't think he's a reputable businessman, then don't buy from him. But leave ...

Heh...looks like the font, while hand-drawn, was drawn to look like a font called Gorton, named after the company that built engravers for it: https://aresluna.org/the-hardest-workin ... collection

I agree. At this point I think the closest I can get is keycaps that match in color but have no legends. Not a huge issue for me since I'll know which key I'm on due to the landmarks. But I would love some with legends. Probably not enough that I try to make some a la the keymacs youtube channel ...

I understand that those are double shot keycaps and that custom keycaps would be printed or dye sublimated or something similar. But I'm looking to get as close as I can given the limitations.

Those keycaps look great., and even multiple profile sculpted on the main keyboard. Yay!

Would it be possible to obtain (through a custom commission from the maker, if necessary) similarly sculpted keycaps for F13-F24 and the left hand 10 key cluster? And the specs for the font used, so we can make ...

I need to make up a set of keys for the B122 that duplicates the IBM PC3270 keyboard.

Yay!

What does that mean for a delivery date estimate?

ritter wrote: 28 Nov 2024, 01:31
I presume its so that you can rip off the tape and put in more modules, in case you want keys there.

Wouldn't that require cutting the outer case, though? That can't be easy to make look good. And the matrix would need to include traces for those keys...

OK, dumb question time. What's the purpose of the extra holes, if you're going to cover them with tape?

Huzzah! Looking forward to finally getting mine...this M122 is OK, but typing on my 3279 has given me the wish for the real thing.

Which USB-B? The original square, the mini that nobody uses any more, or the micro that's still hanging on?

Me, I prefer USB-C, anyway. Easier to deal with.

And I know Wendell (and have done a video with him)...might ask his opinion on the subject.

I've been doing work on Hercules with a real 3279 and its keyboard. It's been a revelation compared to my M122. The touch is much lighter, with a longer travel past the actuation point. I'm really, really hoping that the beam spring Ellipse is making feels just like it. I don't care about the sound ...

I'm waiting with bated breath to see an actual 122-key version of this, completed...

Muirium wrote: 01 Feb 2024, 15:12 DOESN'T WORK UNLESS TYPED IN UPPERCASE, RIGHT?

You got it. JCL must be in uppercase, at least on versions of the IBM mainframe operating systems I work with. So yeah, caps lock is vital.

//RPFSETUP JOB (5161A020,1A11),'SET UP RPF MAYNARD',CLASS=S,MSGCLASS=X,
// MSGLEVEL=(1,1),NOTIFY=MYNRJR
//RPFKEY EXEC PGM=IEBGENER
//SYSPRINT DD SYSOUT=*
//SYSIN DD DUMMY
//SYSUT2 DD DISP=SHR,DSN=SYS1.PARMLIB(RPFKEY00)
//SYSUT1 DD *
RPF.V1R2M0.SRPFPROF
HELP=RPF.V1R2M0.SRPFHELP

//

genericusername57 wrote: 22 Jan 2024, 08:10since you have the unused Caps Lock-key to switch layers you don't have to change your hand placement to use them

Good points, but I must quibble with this one: you may not use Caps Lock, but I do, especially when, for example, entering JCL to build a job to run on the mainframe.

60% really speaks to me because the alpha block is by far the biggest part of a keyboard, even for 120+ key battleships. Layer it and you’ve got an enormous palette for placing your extended functions. All in a neat, portable and symmetrical package.


The problem to me - aside from the fact that ...

genericusername57 wrote: 14 Jan 2024, 15:39 I never miss F-keys or the delete-home-end-cluster

Yeah, and my mainframe work needs all 24 F-keys...and the delete, end, PgUp, and PgDn keys are ones I use all the time.

100% agree. I have one on a shelf and it's very smooth and satisfying to press, but much too heavy for me to use for any prolonged time. The new Models F are much nicer to type on for me due to the lighter weighting. I have never tried a beamspring keyboard but look forward to getting my ...

Looking forward to finally getting it...in the meantime, I've acquired a real IBM 3279 with keyboard.

I said for a long time that the Model M, no matter how great people think it is, is just too heavy a touch for me. Playing with the 3279 refreshed me on what I actually liked. (I'm an old IBM ...

Thanks! It turns out that the housing dimensions changed very slightly, and that clip *almost* works - but works well enough on the original housing, so I swapped the good clip I had for it and used that on the new housing.

I have acquired a 3279 terminal with keyboard. The keyboard is intact, mostly...but it is missing its space bar and the catch that holds the palm rest door closed. I'm looking to buy both.

And no, I'm not interested in selling. I have the equipment needed to actually use the 3279 as a terminal.