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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

#241

Post by abvr »

driverdan wrote: post #158
dartharva wrote: post #140

In India we have the TVS Gold range of mechanical keyboards that are complete rip-offs of the Model M but are also very cheap: https://www.tvs-e.in/keyboards-and-mice/ They are extremely popular, almost standard-issue in most of India's government offices.

Those are not buckling springs, they use Chinese cherry blue knockoff switches. Still not a bad price for US$36 on Amazon.in.

Yes, unfortunately current manufacturing practices forced them to switch over to Chinese clones of the Cherry MX. I'm writing this on their late 90's Cherry MX Blue based keyboard (which I'm lucky to still use) which were switched over to the cheaper Chinese switches in the last decade.

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

#242

Post by mholm »

burlesona wrote: post #198
MivLives wrote: post #134

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You're looking for something with choc mechanical switches. I personally use a Lily58 but there's a bunch of other boards you can potentially find with them.

Where do you go about ordering a split board with custom switches and key caps?

Board: You might try https://flashquark.com/product/gb-mitosis-wireless-split-erg... and seeing if you can get custom switches installed. I believe the pin outs are the same, so it would just be a matter of sending them switches they don't currently sell, if they agree.

For keycaps, Signature Plastics is where I buy blanks. DSA profile will be your best bet, given how strange split board layouts can be.

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

#243

Post by toast0 »

kstrauser wrote: post #210
toast0 wrote: post #205

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> You might hate my design. That's OK, really! See if you can make one you like more. Oh wow, I do hate it. Thank you for sharing.

You bet! What did you come up with?

I'd probably just go with something boring. But then again, I'm pretty happy with garbage $10ish keyboards[1] (for the most part; I managed to break a keyboard and the easiest replacement was a cheap logitech that was really awful; so I apparently have standards).

I like the idea of unmarked letter keys; but I'd probably keep markings on the others, opposite of what you did, but I'm also not going to pay extra to get unlabeled keys if it's extra.

[1] Like what usually comes when you buy a pre-built desktop.

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

#244

Post by ndeast »

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…

Never understood all of the hype that the Model M got. It was made purely as a cost reduction to the Model F and it got "worse" in almost every way. I can't stand typing on a Model M. The Model F is where it's at and IMO deserves the praise and obsession that the M receives.

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

#245

Post by kstrauser »

toast0 wrote: post #243
kstrauser wrote: post #210

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You bet! What did you come up with?

I'd probably just go with something boring. But then again, I'm pretty happy with garbage $10ish keyboards[1] (for the most part; I managed to break a keyboard and the easiest replacement was a cheap logitech that was really awful; so I apparently have standards). I like the idea of unmarked letter keys; but I'd probably keep markings on the others, opposite of what you did, but I'm also not going to pay extra to get…

I can't do the cheap ones anymore. I have a nice office chair for my back and a nice keyboard for my hands, and I'd never go back.

From this store, all of the customization is included. It's the same cost whether you buy all beige keys with the default caps, or if you make every key an alternating color and upload an image for custom prints. So then it became a question of "if I can do anything I want with this... what is it I actually want?" I figured I'd go for something that looks at home in a cyberpunk novel.

Edit: BTW, your earlier "oh wow, I do hate it" reply made me laugh. Thank you.

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

#246

Post by bartpiet »

scaladev wrote: post #56
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…

Not to rain on your parade, but 10 years is nothing. I'm still using my cheap A4Tech KV-300H bought back in early 2011 for about $15. It works just as it did the day it was bought, except for some minor cosmetic wear. It had tea, coffee, and water poured on it about a dozen times, continuing working as before after a few hours in a warm place. I really don't get the usual "get one mechanical keyboard and it'll serve…

Thank you for bringing up that little gem, A4Tech KV-300H is indeed excellent value for its price. It had very good user reviews in my country; I bought it few years ago for about 20€, as a successor to an Apple Wireless Keyboard. Sturdy, wired, classic full-size ANSI layout, with accessible modifier keys (no FN/multimedia keys). A bit creaky, but nice option if one prefers low profile, chiclet keyboards.

Also, for some people comfort beats all other factors, including durability. Mechanical or not, since I switched to Microsoft Natural Ergonomic 4000 at work, I really don't care what is under the keycaps. Improvement in comfort is so massive for me, that even if keyboard would completely break every 2 years, I would just happily buy another one.

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

#247

Post by kstrauser »

rbanffy wrote: post #90
znpy wrote: post #57

I own a real model m and an unicomp endura pro. The model m was cheap because I literally pulled it out of the dumpster. The endura pro was a complete waste of A LOT of money considering double shipping (usa to usa and usa to europe since they would not ship to europe, and that implies a re-shipping handling fee) and import duties on top of that. The keyboard is loud but doesn't add anything really to my typing. And…

> I own a real model m and an unicomp endura pro. They are real Model M keyboards. Unicomp got the Lexmark machinery and IP and essentially continued manufacturing them ever since. They aren't recreations.

Not exactly. I have a Model M made in '86 or so, and I used that for a while but wanted a more modern version so I got the Unicomp. I was sorely disappointed because it was not the same keyboard. The Unicomp was significantly lighter than the IBM model, and I could flex the body of the Unicomp without too much effort whereas you could park a tank on the IBM.

The innards may be mostly the same, but it definitely was not a "Model M, but made more recently and with USB".

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

#248

Post by spear »

cordite wrote: post #166
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…

How can you use vim without the escape key? These model F reproductions lack that.

I think you can hit Fn-backquote.

You can also order either of two HHKB-style layouts, where the backquote key is replaced by Esc (among other changes).

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

#249

Post by spear »

bombcar wrote: post #66
danaur wrote: post #7

Unicomp model M is not the same as the original model M the typing feel is considerably different. I purchased one and ended up returning it since it was so different than the model M feel I was expecting

The build quality is also sadly lacking - I’ve tried two or three Unicomps over the years and they all die eventually. The genuine model m keep trucking along.

I've been using two Unicomps since 2008, one for the office and one at home. They haven't died yet. I've only had the replace the rubber trackpoint nub on one of them.

Supposedly, the build quality since they retooled last year is even better.

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

#250

Post by rbanffy »

Krisando wrote: post #104
rbanffy wrote: post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's sad to hear. I have a 122-key that's about 5yo now and it's, by far, my favorite keyboard. What happened?

It's hard to describe other than, the new model m is just better than previous classic and endura pro. I find them more sturdy, almost no key wiggle (as opposed to having some before), the lettering on the keys are clearer (although that I didn't notice until someone pointed it out and didn't care after, it was something people complained about), the enclosure doesn't creek if you try to flex it etc. My only complain…

I'd pay extra for green LEDs...
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