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Unicomp's "New" Model M Keyboard

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Re: Unicomp's "New" Model M Keyboard

#111

Post by kettro »

adrianmonk wrote: post #26

As long as we're talking mechanical keyboards, do they all require maintenance just to keep working, or is the basic Cooler Master one I bought just a dud? After only like 2 years, many of the keys stopped working reliably. They'd double type or fail to register. I looked into it, and this seems to be a common issue with many mechanical keyboards. I tried some of the recommended solutions (blow dust out, use contact…

I’ve had my New M for a couple years now, and it’s been great. No complaints. Unicomp has sorted out their QC issues, and it’s a solid board. I’d say that the lack of a removable cable is a bit of a bummer, but that’s a nit pick.

Re: Unicomp's "New" Model M Keyboard

#112

Post by flir »

dartharva wrote: post #99

I will once again ask you guys to check out TVS Gold keyboards, they are a functional successor to the Model M and ubiquitous in India. Did I mention they are also really cheap? https://www.tvs-e.in/keyboards-and-mice/gold-pro/

Switches, right?

Re: Unicomp's "New" Model M Keyboard

#114

Post by samatman »

cduzz wrote: post #103
samatman wrote: post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm in the same boat, but if Unicomp ever manufactures a split-key I might be willing to forgo thumb clusters and ortholinear layout. Might be. I do love me a buckling spring.

If you're using a PC you can likely just get 2 keyboards. It'll use a little more desktop space but you can put them wherever you want. I've found that the mac doesn't respect "left keyboard shift right keyboard letter a for a capital A" which is annoying.

That's... creative, I'll give you that. That wouldn't leave room to put my trackball anywhere convenient. In fact, nothing about that sounds convenient, but if it works for you, more power to ya.

Re: Unicomp's "New" Model M Keyboard

#115

Post by imaginarypedro »

al_borland wrote: post #63
imaginarypedro wrote: post #8

I had a classic 101-key Unicomp Model M that I purchased while they were apparently having quality problems due to worn out tooling. The keys felt different than my real Model Ms and the spacebar frequently stuck. They've since refurbished the tooling and I hear the quality is back to the high level you would expect. For me though I just chose to retire the Unicomp and refurbish my real Model Ms. I bought three about…

How long ago were the issues? A co-worker of mine bought one many years ago (10-12 if I had to guess). It was pretty bad. He spent a bunch of time filing down all the bits of extra plastic from the manufacturing process. I had seen better finishing on keyboard costing a fraction of the price. Not that Unicomp has the highest prices in the market, far from it, but it’s not a $10 OEM board either. I had wanted to buy o…

I bought mine around 2017.

Re: Unicomp's "New" Model M Keyboard

#116

Post by beloch »

bosch_mind wrote: post #110

I ordered one of these and returned it instantly. Very cheap and weird compared to nice and modern mechanical keyboards you get today. I really wanted an original model M but didn’t want to deal with weird ps2 conversion stuff.

There are still a surprising number of motherboards being made with a PS/2 port.

I suspect some motherboard companies have people who still cherish their Model-M's, because support for them seems to be flawless. How many other completely unmodified thirty-plus year-old peripherals can you plug into a brand new computer and expect to just work?

Re: Unicomp's "New" Model M Keyboard

#117

Post by sleepybrett »

cduzz wrote: post #107

I've got a couple M keyboards floating around. I grew up using an IBM PC with the F keyboard; when I got my first computer I got a "focus 2002" keyboard that also had the mechanical (but not BS) keys. Worked a university and availed myself of their "surplus junk" sales every 2nd tuesday of the month and adopted many a weird piece of hardware, and eventually had a stack of 3 decent M keyboards that I'd rotate through…

I still prefer the F to the M.. however I can't really type of qwerty boards anymore for any length of time without risking RSI. Kinesis Advantage for me for the rest of my life.

Re: Unicomp's "New" Model M Keyboard

#118

Post by sleepybrett »

adregan wrote: post #38
NegativeLatency wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not OP, but I use the kinesis advantage but if I was going to pick one again I'd go with the ergodox, also had a keyboardio but switching between types is kinda tricky and annoying

Anecdotal, but ergodox flared up my RSI terribly. I think it might be the shear size of it and overstretching my pinkies with the shift keys pulling double duty with parenthesis. I’m now a happy user of the kinesis advantage (though the configuration software pales in comparison to the ergodox) and feel so much better.

yeah all the *doxes suck.

I've been on advantages for 20+ years at this point and haven't had any of the RSI that prompted the switch since.

Currently daily on a 360pro. Might want to sell it or reswitch it for something a little lighter and maybe even something linear. Maybe a silent red or lf red.

Re: Unicomp's "New" Model M Keyboard

#119

Post by sleepybrett »

ryan-c wrote: post #50
adregan wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Anecdotal, but ergodox flared up my RSI terribly. I think it might be the shear size of it and overstretching my pinkies with the shift keys pulling double duty with parenthesis. I’m now a happy user of the kinesis advantage (though the configuration software pales in comparison to the ergodox) and feel so much better.

There's a number of options for replacing the control board on the kinesis advantage (or advantage2) with one that runs QMK, providing the same sort of configurability as the ergodox, and the advantage 360 pro runs on ZMK.

I can suggest the following, I had three advantage 2s before picking up my 360pro.

I modded all of the 2s with the following boards:

* https://github.com/kinx-project/kint - Great board, requires usb of course. Programmable with QMK.

* https://github.com/wizarddata/Blue-Wizard-Mod - Doesn't support QMK but does support ZMK but is bluetooth. Great board.

I picked the kint up on some pcbway type service, the blue wizard I got off ebay.

Re: Unicomp's "New" Model M Keyboard

#120

Post by breckenedge »

doublepg23 wrote: post #45

Love the New Model M keyboard. I have one for my personal setup and one for my work setup. Recent batches also use Rpi Picos now which let you flash custom firmware. https://github.com/purdeaandrei/vial-qmk-overnumpad-and-aris... In theory, they're probably "worse" than a brand new IBM made Model M was but I think people overestimate the feel of extant Model Ms that have been around for 30, 40 years now. I also found…

Thanks, I had no idea these were running a Pico, yay QMK
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