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Yesterday I got something I've been wanting for awhile, and I got it from a local thrift store. It's an IBM Model M keyboard with a PS/2 connector. The ticket price was $5.99, but they had a 50% off everything in the store sale going on so I paid a measly 3 bucks for it:)
Why a Model M keyboard, you might ask? Surely newer keyboards MUST be better. Why did I want 20 year old technology? Well, these things are tanks. A standard keyboard these days weighs maybe 2 pounds. A Model M is close to 5 pounds. It also lacks a Windows key. I absolutely LOATHE the Windows key. It's the first thing I disable when I reinstall Windows. Finally, Model M keyboards use a patented "buckling spring" key design. It's a mechanical switch below each key, instead of today's standard bubble dome technology. Model Ms are LOUD. It sounds like a machine gun going off when I'm typing on this thing, but each keystroke is met with very satisfactory positive feedback.
There are a few different revisions of the Model M, and I got the exact one I've been looking for forever. It's a model # 1391401, which was the first one to use the standard PS/2 keyboard connector. Earlier versions would have required a AT <> PS/2 adapter, which I really didn't want to have to use.
Hey lookie here! After Googling around for a bit, this is the EXACT keyboard I just bought, only mine was manufactured in 29 JAN 94 instead of 10 NOV 93. Everything else is exactly identical, right down to the label on the back, the style of IBM logo, and the positioning of the drainage holes. Mine has the longer 10' cord though. Holy smokes I just looked at the price. Mine didn't come with the original packaging, but it sure as hell looks brand new.
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12-04-2006, 04:09 AM
(This post was last modified: 12-04-2006, 04:21 AM by Doc.)
Quote:Yesterday I got something I've been wanting for awhile, and I got it from a local thrift store. It's an IBM Model M keyboard with a PS/2 connector. The ticket price was $5.99, but they had a 50% off everything in the store sale going on so I paid a measly 3 bucks for it:)
Why a Model M keyboard, you might ask? Surely newer keyboards MUST be better. Why did I want 20 year old technology? Well, these things are tanks. A standard keyboard these days weighs maybe 2 pounds. A Model M is close to 5 pounds. It also lacks a Windows key. I absolutely LOATHE the Windows key. It's the first thing I disable when I reinstall Windows. Finally, Model M keyboards use a patented "buckling spring" key design. It's a mechanical switch below each key, instead of today's standard bubble dome technology. Model Ms are LOUD. It sounds like a machine gun going off when I'm typing on this thing, but each keystroke is met with very satisfactory positive feedback.
There are a few different revisions of the Model M, and I got the exact one I've been looking for forever. It's a model # 1391401, which was the first one to use the standard PS/2 keyboard connector. Earlier versions would have required a AT <> PS/2 adapter, which I really didn't want to have to use.
Hey lookie here! After Googling around for a bit, this is the EXACT keyboard I just bought, only mine was manufactured in 29 JAN 94 instead of 10 NOV 93. Everything else is exactly identical, right down to the label on the back, the style of IBM logo, and the positioning of the drainage holes. Mine has the longer 10' cord though. Holy smokes I just looked at the price. Mine didn't come with the original packaging, but it sure as hell looks brand new.
Ah, the old reliable. Apple used the same kind of keyboard in their lineup. Handy for us old timey typists. I tend to hammer away furiously at the keys when I type.
There was a company for a while that offered the old battleship style keyboard for both Macs and peecees that was basically a model M, scissor action keys and all, in a solid stainless steel base with stainless steel keys. They folded. Ugh. I should have bought one of those.
Edit. I want one of these.
Mmm.
All alone, or in twos,
The ones who really love you
Walk up and down outside the wall.
Some hand in hand
And some gathered together in bands.
The bleeding hearts and artists
Make their stand.
And when they've given you their all
Some stagger and fall, after all it's not easy
Banging your heart against some mad buggers wall.
"Isn't this where...."
Posts: 3,498
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Joined: Feb 2003
Quote:There was a company for a while that offered the old battleship style keyboard for both Macs and peecees that was basically a model M, scissor action keys and all, in a solid stainless steel base with stainless steel keys. They folded. Ugh. I should have bought one of those.
A stainless steel Model M would indeed be awesome.
Here's a crappy cellphone picture of my Model M alongside my Logitech media keyboard. My only beef with the Model M is that it isn't black :(
![[Image: kb1nn7.jpg]](http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/2290/kb1nn7.jpg)
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If my memory is working right, the shipping weight on one of those stainless steel keyboards was a staggering 18 pounds. Had a full row of F keys, numeric keypad, a couple of rows of programable shortcut keys (Mac feature only, it used applescript) and both QWERTY and DVORAK were available.
I didn't buy one because they cost 749.99
You could get a black enameled stainless steel keyboard for 150 extra.
Had I known they were going to fold, I would have bought one damnit, they had a USB option!
All alone, or in twos,
The ones who really love you
Walk up and down outside the wall.
Some hand in hand
And some gathered together in bands.
The bleeding hearts and artists
Make their stand.
And when they've given you their all
Some stagger and fall, after all it's not easy
Banging your heart against some mad buggers wall.
"Isn't this where...."
Posts: 3,498
Threads: 412
Joined: Feb 2003
Quote:If my memory is working right, the shipping weight on one of those stainless steel keyboards was a staggering 18 pounds. Had a full row of F keys, numeric keypad, a couple of rows of programable shortcut keys (Mac feature only, it used applescript) and both QWERTY and DVORAK were available.
I didn't buy one because they cost 749.99
You could get a black enameled stainless steel keyboard for 150 extra.
Had I known they were going to fold, I would have bought one damnit, they had a USB option!
An 18 pound keyboard is less of a computer accessory and more of a blunt-object weapon. But holy smokes, $750? There is no way in hell I'd fork out that kind of cash for a keyboard. I could buy a pretty righteous gaming desktop PC for that.
Also, I prefer PS/2 keyboards and mouses over USB ones. I have like 8 free USB ports on my computer, but I'll be damned if I'm gonna use any of them for mouse and keyboard input when I have dedicated PS/2 ports sitting right there! You never know when you might want to use 8 USB ports all at once.
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Macs don't have PS2 ports. With the older Macs, there was ADB. The model M type Apple Extended Keyboards worked with ADB.
Apple killed ADB and went to USB. There was much weeping and gnashing of teeth. People bought ADB to USB cables to keep using the old scissor action keyboards. OSX came along, and in time, these options all failed. You had to have a USB keyboard. And there was rending of the garments and the scraping of the body with potshards. For a while, no good keyboards. No offense, but the current Apple offerings SUCK. And the squishy keyboards offered with the iMacs and G3s and G4s... Oh GAWD. The PAIN. It was like typing in quicksand.
People offered alternatives. Some cheap, some expensive. Some, like the stainless steel board, were beautiful beyond compare, and were offered to Mac users, who tend to have disposable income. While the keyboard did work with Windows based peecees, you needed a USB port to make it work. No PS2 port.
They also offered a matching stainless steel mouse with steel flexi cable. That was around 250 I think. Optical. Had a USB powered hand heater inside so the stainless steel would never feel chilly in your grasp. Had a removable plastic base in the 5 lifesaver iMac colours, and when lit, looked pretty damn cool. The mouse buttons were scissor action to for satisfactory feedback during clicking.
All alone, or in twos,
The ones who really love you
Walk up and down outside the wall.
Some hand in hand
And some gathered together in bands.
The bleeding hearts and artists
Make their stand.
And when they've given you their all
Some stagger and fall, after all it's not easy
Banging your heart against some mad buggers wall.
"Isn't this where...."
Posts: 536
Threads: 63
Joined: Mar 2004
Hi,
This is my GAMING Keyboard a "Natural Keyboard Pro"...by Microsoft : :wub:
![[Image: M17-1806-main.jpg]](http://images.tigerdirect.com/SKUimages/medium/M17-1806-main.jpg)
The Split down the Center allows you to use the Keys on each side of the Split with ease. Those make Great Hot Keys :P
This is the line up:
......F5.F6.......
.....T......Y......
..G..........H.....
B..............N...
Have a Great Quest,
King Jim
________________
Have a Great Quest,
Jim...aka King Jim
He can do more for Others, Who has done most with Himself.
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Quote:Why a Model M keyboard, you might ask?
Those who have to ask have not used a proper keyboard.
Hugs are good, but smashing is better! - Clarence<!--sizec--><!--/sizec-->
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I used one of those a long time ago. It finally broke down on me and so I had to get a new one but that's just as good, to me, because I really do prefer the more modern keyboards. But I'm glad you found the one that you loved. :)
-TheDragoon
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I can't stand that keyboard because they changed the layout of the arrow keys, and the "Home, End, Insert, Delete, and Page" keys. I like the original Microsoft Natural feel keyboard far better. Other than those dumb little changes it is a good keyboard, nice response etc. Just the layout drives me up the wall.
WWBBD?
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Quote:Edit. I want one of these.
Mmm.
I would be careful with the Tactile Pro's. I had one for a while and loved the tactile feel, but there was a misalignment on the plastic cover that made the F5 key a bit sticky. I lived with that, I even bought another one as a backup. Then the S key stopped working on the first one, which led to much humorous type-around in WoW. Fine, I pulled the backup one out of the box, and the plastic surround had the space bar totally jammed. Soaftertypinglikethis.or.like.this.for.a.few.minutes, I went back to the sucky Apple standard-issue keyboard.
I would be very careful to check any TactilePro keyboards by typing on all the keys immediately after purchasing it. I can't recommend this brand.
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Threads: 63
Joined: Mar 2004
Hi, Good catch Yrrek, that is Not the Keyboard Model I have this is the ONE:
This is my GAMING Keyboard a "Natural Keyboard Pro"...by Microsoft : :wub:
![[Image: nkpplan160.jpg]](http://www.dansdata.com/images/nkpro/nkpplan160.jpg)
The Split down the Center allows you to use the Keys on each side of the Split with ease. Those make Great Hot Keys :P
This is the line up:
......F5.F6.......
.....T......Y......
..G..........H.....
B..............N...
Quote:
Yrrek said:
I can't stand that keyboard because they changed the layout of the arrow keys, and the "Home, End, Insert, Delete, and Page" keys. I like the original Microsoft Natural feel keyboard far better. Other than those dumb little changes it is a good keyboard, nice response etc. Just the layout drives me up the wall.
________________
Have a Great Quest,
Jim...aka King Jim
He can do more for Others, Who has done most with Himself.
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