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New Model M Is an American-Made Keyboard That Puts a Spring Back in Your Typing

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Re: New Model M Is an American-Made Keyboard That Puts a Spring Back in Your Typing

#41

Post by nottorp »

ubercow13 wrote: post #31
nottorp wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Why does the Model M have essentially zero spill resistance? Because the cheap design doesn't permit spill resistance. When you spill water on an M, expect to either have it dry for weeks or months as the water evaporates from between the membranes, or to disassemble it. If it wasn't pure mountain spring water, you have to disassemble it, which--due to plastic rivets-- is a destructive proecss. Hmm that would expla…

>Unfortunately the world has moved on and I want my separated inverted T arrow keys. They have more modern layouts including inverted T arrows. Just look at the pictures on the homepage...

> Just look at the pictures on the homepage...

Maybe after scrolling there are pictures of more modern layouts, but not before. 16:10 deskop monitor with the browser maximized.

> to me and american-made keyboard just sounds like grandure posturing

It makes me think of Razer requiring to be signed into a cloud account to configure your mouse and keyboard.

Yeah, I know they gave up on that, but only because of the backslash. That's no reason to buy from them again.

Re: New Model M Is an American-Made Keyboard That Puts a Spring Back in Your Typing

#42

Post by m463 »

skocznymroczny wrote: post #26
formerly_proven wrote: post #2

The IBM Model M hype is absurdly overblown. Anyone who has used decent mechanical keyboards should be able to pretty much immediately notice just how cost-reduced that keyboard is. It is quite literally the cheapest buckling spring keyboard IBM managed to make in '89, and it shows. Cherry boards are often bashed for their flexing and wobbly cases, but the IBM Model M is hardly better with the top and lower parts of t…

I think a lot of the hype around mechanical keyboards in general is overblown. I had a period of transitioning to mechanical keyboards. I couldn't get used to the high-rise keys and long travel times which made my wrists hurt and made typing a chore. I kept convincing myself that I just had the wrong type of switch, so I changed keyboards every few months seeking that perfect feeling. The closest I got was low-profil…

I have a topre keyboard. It is the most solid keyboard I've used and love it. I bought the realforce RGB. I didn't really care about the RGB, but it's nice to turn on a solid color dimly so I can find the keyboard in the dark. It also has an adjustable actuation point, so you can make it less or more sensitive. I keep it above the point where resting fingers on the keys can set it off. I could probably tune the actuation point higher on the home keys and make all the rest lighter.

I've tried lots of other keyboards including cherry keys, and did not feel as solid. I think it's because the topre keys move up and down in a plastic cylinder that prevents side to side wiggling. I seem to type more accurately.

My previous favorite keyboard was an apple keyboard (older non-flat version) and I thought it was great. Then after getting used to the topre keyboard, I laughed - it didn't feel very good.

Re: New Model M Is an American-Made Keyboard That Puts a Spring Back in Your Typing

#43

Post by dt3ft »

Am I the only one who thinks the Model M is too elevated and thus unergonomic? With such elevated keyboards, several muscles in your hands are slightly but constantly active, especially when your hands are resting on the keys, in order to not press the keys unwillingly. The more elevated the keyboard is, the more your muscles have to work. Try resting your hands on your desk, move the keyboard aside for a moment and pretend that your desk is the keyboard. Try typing on your imaginary keyboard. Try resting your hands in that position. See the difference?

Re: New Model M Is an American-Made Keyboard That Puts a Spring Back in Your Typing

#44

Post by tyfon »

yoz-y wrote: post #22
tyfon wrote: post #19

Anyone know how this compares to Das Keyboard [1] that I am currently using? I have two IBM model M from the 80s that still work. They're currently assigned to my server room though not daily use. [1] https://www.daskeyboard.com/

Note that Das Keyboard switch quality was ruined with version 3, when they done away with variable actuating strength. I was sad when my version 2 died.

Ah, that's not good. I have version 2 and it's still going strong.

Re: New Model M Is an American-Made Keyboard That Puts a Spring Back in Your Typing

#45

Post by executesorder66 »

skocznymroczny wrote: post #26
formerly_proven wrote: post #2

The IBM Model M hype is absurdly overblown. Anyone who has used decent mechanical keyboards should be able to pretty much immediately notice just how cost-reduced that keyboard is. It is quite literally the cheapest buckling spring keyboard IBM managed to make in '89, and it shows. Cherry boards are often bashed for their flexing and wobbly cases, but the IBM Model M is hardly better with the top and lower parts of t…

I think a lot of the hype around mechanical keyboards in general is overblown. I had a period of transitioning to mechanical keyboards. I couldn't get used to the high-rise keys and long travel times which made my wrists hurt and made typing a chore. I kept convincing myself that I just had the wrong type of switch, so I changed keyboards every few months seeking that perfect feeling. The closest I got was low-profil…

So I'm not alone. I really can't understand the appeal of a mechanical keyboard.

- They are loud

- They are expensive

- The keys are massive and ugly

- Massive travel time (So slow to type on)

Sure they are a bit more customizable, but is that really worth all the drawbacks? Especially the worse typing, which is the main point of a keyboard.

If you are a mechanical keyboard fanatic, and my comment angered you, please know that was not my intention. I really don't see the appeal, and I haven't been able to find any advantages (mentioned online or by asking friends that have them). I would love it if someone could explain to me what the actual advantages are, and/or why I am wrong on any of the points I mentioned.

Re: New Model M Is an American-Made Keyboard That Puts a Spring Back in Your Typing

#46

Post by eertami »

Cthulhu_ wrote: post #13
benlumen wrote: post #10

I told myself this would be my next keyboard years ago. So know this about mechanical keyboards in general - choose wisely, because you'll be stuck with it. First, you won't ever go back to rubber dome like everyone always says, but second, the damn things don't seem to wear out. I'm still using the original Razer Blackwidow that I bought in first year uni - 2010. I thought I'd managed to kill it with beer in the fir…

Same, I have a Filco Majestouch bought in 2011, still clicking like new. Of course, I did open it up at some point and that's not pretty. The steel plate where the keys are mounted on was actually a bit rusty; I think it was just painted and I may have scraped it while cleaning at some point, or something?

Thinking about it, I honestly think my Majestouch might be the oldest thing I own. 10 years of almost daily usage and I wouldn't be surprised if it did 10 more.

I did replace the keycaps with PBTs in 2015, as the stock ABS caps were fairly worn, but other than that no maintenance really.

Re: New Model M Is an American-Made Keyboard That Puts a Spring Back in Your Typing

#47

Post by bogdanu »

rjzzleep wrote: post #28
nottorp wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Why does the Model M have essentially zero spill resistance? Because the cheap design doesn't permit spill resistance. When you spill water on an M, expect to either have it dry for weeks or months as the water evaporates from between the membranes, or to disassemble it. If it wasn't pure mountain spring water, you have to disassemble it, which--due to plastic rivets-- is a destructive proecss. Hmm that would expla…

>> New Model M Is an American-Made Keyboard > As an EU resident, when I see that I think I'll have to deal with customs if i buy one :) Not much of an incentive. Weird nationalism play there for me as well. For some reason japanese keyboard sounds artisan(given how many limited edition keyboards their scene builds) to me and american-made keyboard just sounds like grandure posturing. Especially since there are so man…

Not really nationalism in my case. Shipping to my country (EU) costs 115$, more than the keyboard itself.

Besides the shipping costs, there's also customs and VAT. So for a 100$ I'll probably end up with paying 300$. So yeah, not gonna happen, too bad Unicomp doesn't have a EU reseller.

Re: New Model M Is an American-Made Keyboard That Puts a Spring Back in Your Typing

#48

Post by [deleted] »

jwr wrote: post #24

The deal-breaker with all the Model M keyboards and clones is the scarcity of modifier keys. I mean, you get only three on the left side, plus a giant spacebar that you will only ever tap with your right thumb in a single spot. That's good for Tim Cook, I guess, but any self-respecting computer geek will want to have more modifiers. My Ultimate Hacking Keyboard has a small spacebar on the right half, while the left h…

[deleted]

Re: New Model M Is an American-Made Keyboard That Puts a Spring Back in Your Typing

#49

Post by wodenokoto »

skocznymroczny wrote: post #29
benlumen wrote: post #10

I told myself this would be my next keyboard years ago. So know this about mechanical keyboards in general - choose wisely, because you'll be stuck with it. First, you won't ever go back to rubber dome like everyone always says, but second, the damn things don't seem to wear out. I'm still using the original Razer Blackwidow that I bought in first year uni - 2010. I thought I'd managed to kill it with beer in the fir…

I did. I used some mechanical keyboards, could never get over the high-rise keys and long travel times. The closest I got to a perfect keyboard were low-profile blue switches. But in the end, I went back to a chiclet scissor switch keyboard (are those considered rubber domes? technically they are).

I had the same gripes with a mechanical keyboard. I don't get the love for the extremely long key travel (even old school rubber dome keyboards have too long travel for my taste)

A good, super flat chiclet style keyboard are by far the best imho.

Re: New Model M Is an American-Made Keyboard That Puts a Spring Back in Your Typing

#50

Post by chx »

Surely there's some overlap between old greybeard IBM TrackPoint keyboard fanatics and old IBM mechanical keyboard fanastics... the TEX Shinobi is for you. I am typing on one and I have been using the Model M much in the 90s. I was always joking I have my room secured: if anyone breaks in I just boink them over the head with that thing.
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