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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

#271

Post by baxuz »

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 wish I could find an Apple Magic keyboard with all the functionality of a QMK-compatible keyboard.

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

#272

Post by intrasight »

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…

This article is talking about the 1984 model not 1989. I don't know the difference. All of mine say "Model M © IBM Corp. 1984", including what I'm typing this message on. I have purchased and tried other new mechanical keyboards, but I always find myself returning to my IBM. The others have invariably had wobbly, sticky keys. I will keep looking since I would like to use a keyboard without the numbers pad, which I never use and which moves my trackball 6" further right.

Since I have three IBM keyboards, I think I'm covered until retirement. They will outlast me and I'll put them in my will ;)

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

#273

Post by Rafael_Milcic »

bjoli wrote: post #211
TylerE wrote: post #154

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Topre dude. You'll thank and hate me later.

I actually switched from topre to a BTC 5140. A very nice, snappy and ubiquitous rubber dome keyboard. You can get one for 10 bucks. It is like a topre for poor people.

Can you give some pointers on tracking these down? I found this WYSE one in a video linked below, but I can only find a couple overpriced ones on ebay.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TK7oaCQ-SGM

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

#274

Post by MivLives »

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?

Littlekeyboards, and boardsource.xyz both have the parts (and assembly services if you don't want to bother).

Keycaps can be hard, chocs in particular don't have a lot of good caps. MBKs are the best feeling ones (in my opinion). They just announced ones with legends and they won't be available for months. There are other options with legends available as well, that are closer to traditional laptop keys.

https://github.com/diimdeep/awesome-split-keyboards - A list of splits, not all support lower profile keycaps.

Reddit has the https://www.reddit.com/r/ErgoMechKeyboards/ community, who might be able to point you to more information, including a layout comparer.

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

#275

Post by s_fischer »

MengerSponge wrote: post #236
macNchz wrote: post #172

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah I think like anything there's a spectrum of how people perceive and react to tactile things. I'm really into all the things that feel nice in your hand. I love the weighted shift knob on my manual transmission car, my topre keyboard, the click-feel of my Intellimouse, the mechanical feeling of my various pocketknives, any heavy well-built hand tools, twiddling a nice wood pencil while I think. I'll often favor b…

May I introduce you to one of my favorite niche youtube channels? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4VfzMbn28E

I just want to thank you for this discovery, I was waiting for the over analyzed description of the scroll wheel and nearly had a spit take upon hearing his review.

In an age where everyone and their mom (literally) are doing sponsored product reviews on youtube, and also as a lifelong hardware nerd, this parody really appeals to my inner soul.

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

#276

Post by bjoli »

Rafael_Milcic wrote: post #273
bjoli wrote: post #211

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I actually switched from topre to a BTC 5140. A very nice, snappy and ubiquitous rubber dome keyboard. You can get one for 10 bucks. It is like a topre for poor people.

Can you give some pointers on tracking these down? I found this WYSE one in a video linked below, but I can only find a couple overpriced ones on ebay. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TK7oaCQ-SGM

I bought mine at a Swedish online auction site. I suspect eBay is the place, but unless you are not getting an AT converter with it I would not pay more than $20.

If you find an old Packard bell with a 1.25 unit wide escape key it is certainly a BTC board. That is how I found mine. 25sek (about 3 bucks) without an AT converter.

Just look for retro keyboards. The 1.25 unit escape key is the first thing to spot. Then make sure it is the dome-with-slider one and not a foam-and-foil (which are certainly degraded beyond use by now).

Personally I think the future of tactile keyboards is rubber domes and either light-based sensing or EC style (like topre). No friction, yet great tactility instead of the almost-linear switches like cherry MX brown.

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

#277

Post by deeg »

Krisando wrote: post #257
deeg wrote: post #228

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I have an older unicomp and a newer unicomp since the retooling last year. How does the newer unicomp compare to the Model M's? I have three Model M's (work, home, and spare). I bought a Unicomp around 2010 because it has USB but had to give up on it because it required too much pressure and gave me mild CTS, something I've never experienced with the Model M's.

> How does the newer unicomp compare to the Model M's? To compare to my original M. Pros: - it has all the windows keys, menu keys etc. - It really is the best Unicomp keyboard I've ever had and I can't really tell much of a difference between this any my original M. Not sure if my original Model M is showing its' age, but it really doesn't feel worse. Neutral: - It's nowhere as heavy - The sound is different (not be…

Thanks for the lengthy response! I wish I could try it out before buying one.

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

#278

Post by curiouser2 »

chx wrote: post #50

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 .

Wow hadn't seen this one before. A friend had the model M13 growing up with a trackpoint and a pretty shitty right/left click in the middle of the keyboard but this looks amazing.

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

#279

Post by nottorp »

Groxx wrote: post #237
nottorp wrote: post #107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

https://imgur.com/BQmNtl4 Maybe they do A/B testing if you see a non compact one when opening the page.

While I agree that it's not very prominent: https://imgur.com/a/24ooR1L

Oh but those aren't separated, they're with the numpad. I like my huuuge keyboards with blank space. The "new" 104-key layout.

The one you're circling is still compact to me.

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

#280

Post by wyclif »

mycall wrote: post #266
wyclif wrote: post #264

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'll avoid dating myself, but let's just say I took typing class around the same time you did. Classroom had 20 IBM Selectrics. I was the only male in the class and probably the only student who wasn't in the Business/Accounting track (I was in College Prep and they couldn't figure out why I would take the class since professionals at the time had a secretary type all their correspondence). I foresaw that it was goin…

170 is insane. I have similar history and top out at 88wpm @ https://play.typeracer.com

Practice helps, but you can probably increase your speed by learning not to bottom out the keys with every keystroke. Cherry Browns help because they have a tactile 'bump.'
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