this post was submitted on 12 Nov 2023

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Mechanical Keyboards

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My IBM Model M from 1993 (lemmy.world)

submitted 1 year ago by FireWire400@lemmy.world to c/mechanicalkeyboards@lemmy.ml

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[+] Shameless@lemmy.world 10 points 1 year ago (2 children)

[deleted]

[–] nottheengineer@feddit.de 9 points 1 year ago (1 children)

But it's nothing special, those things were built like absolute tanks. You could kill someone with an early model M and then go right back to typing.

[–] lukas@lemmy.haigner.me 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

IBM Model M's melting point is too low to protect against people that abuse the pen holder as an ashtray tho, and mine got shipped to me without protective packaging lol. It works, but a bolt mod and a destructive deep clean was necessary. Yes, Model M's can get permanent dents and turn yellow if you put enough lit cigarettes on it. Restoration videos don't show Model M's as abused as this one.

[–] FireWire400@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Mind posting a picture of it as well? I'm kinda curious as to how it looks and what you've done to save it.

But seriously, who the fuck would not only smoke around their computer but put out the cigarette on their keyboard?

[–] lukas@lemmy.haigner.me 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Sure.

Image 1: Packaging

Image 2: More Packaging

Image 3: Before Front

Most visible damage in this picture is above the F7 and Druck, Rollen, Pause keys. Druck, Rollen, Pause keys themselves are damaged. Previous owner probably cleaned this IBM Model M from the outside before they sent it to me. You'll see the horrors soon enough.

Image 4: Before Label

Image 5: After Back (similar to missing Before Back)

I removed the label from the back.

Image 6: Before Assembly Front

Note the ash :(

Image 7: Before Assembly Back

Image 8: Before Internals

How this melted is beyond me. Maybe due to repeated exposure to hot ash?

Image 9: After Cinematic Shot

Image 10: After Druck, Rollen, Pause Keys

Destructive cleaning on the side of the keys, though I could also look for replacement keycaps.

Image 11: After Yellow Spot

More destructive cleaning.

I didn't make any after pictures of the assembly and internals, but I gave everything a deep clean and bolt modded my IBM Model M.

[–] FireWire400@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

Thanks. I'm hosestly amazed that the case isn't cracked at all from being shipped like that.

[–] FireWire400@lemmy.world 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

It does have a few battle scars but everything still works great and the keys are still very clicky

[–] jaschen@lemm.ee 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

How do you deal with the multiple keystroke issues? If I remember correctly, it's only able to have a few simultaneous keystrokes before it doesn't recognize it.

[–] FireWire400@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

You mean the lack of n-key rollover? To be honest, that's never been an issue for me and I do a fair bit of gaming.

[–] jaschen@lemm.ee 3 points 1 year ago

Oh good. I remembered having that issue in the 90s when using these keyboards.

[–] hamburglar26@wilbo.tech 1 points 1 year ago

I ran into it using a PS2-USB adapter with mine. I can't remember which game but I want to say some kind of FPS where I was hitting a lot, and even then it wasn't terrible but enough to notice. For day to day typing I never had an issue.

[–] funkajunk@lemm.ee 4 points 1 year ago (2 children)

No Super key would drive me nuts

[–] maxprime@lemmy.ml 5 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

Some people map the caps lock key to super.

[–] hamburglar26@wilbo.tech 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I've also just mapped it to Ctrl+Alt or something as well. But ultimately for a daily driver I just got a Unicomp with the super key and use my old one with my retro rig now.

[–] maxprime@lemmy.ml 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Nice. How does it compare with the IBM, aside from the super key?

[–] hamburglar26@wilbo.tech 1 points 1 year ago

Unless you are super nitpicky practically identical other than the branding. Former Lexmark and IBM people bought the actual stuff used to make them over the years and formed Unicomp after it was shut down so they are not cheap knockoffs.

I did read that the molds used in some models were starting to wear out, but they have new ones that seem to be getting good reviews.

[–] Oha@lemmy.ohaa.xyz 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

thats what im doing and its great

[–] Subverb@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

No need. CTRL-ESC.

[–] Oha@lemmy.ohaa.xyz 2 points 1 year ago

too complicated for my smooth brain

[–] Subverb@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I have a IBM Model M from 1984 as my daily driver.

CTRL-ESC works, I actually prefer it.

[–] FireWire400@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

So yours is almost 40 years old, nice. It's amazing how far technology has moved in that time and here we are still using these ancient keyboards... they have seen some things we wouldn't believe.

[–] thorcik@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

Cyrix gang rise up!

[–] gnuplusmatt@startrek.website 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I'd have thought it would have yellowed more than that, did you have to treat it to make it look so good?

[–] FireWire400@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Surprisingly not, I don't think I've ever seen a yellowed Model M (or earlier Model F for that matter).

[–] lorez@lemm.ee 2 points 1 year ago

We have the same exact brief...ehm...keyboard.

[–] Moghul@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

Told you people would love it :D I'm glad she lives!

[–] 257m@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Man I wish I had a curled up wire for keyboard and mouse... My wires are way too long and always get in the way.

[–] stolid_agnostic@lemmy.ml 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

the OG keyboard, how is it?

[–] FireWire400@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

Amazing, really tactile and loud :D

[–] lukas@lemmy.haigner.me 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Love to see the pen holder in use :P

[–] FireWire400@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I wish more modern keyboards had them as it's actually quite handy. I use it more for decoration purposes most of the time but it can be a real live saver if you keep misplacing smaller tools

[–] lukas@lemmy.haigner.me 1 points 1 year ago

Yeah, I also love the pen holder of my IBM Model M. I don't know about others, but I always keep a pen at my desk. So I may as well use the pen holder built into my keyboard.