USB IBM Model M Keyboard

sedrosken

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For those of you who actually like your keys to click, here you go. A USB replica IBM Model M keyboard from Unicomp.

Price is too steep for me but ya know whatever. They also make versions with Trackpoints, windows keys, etc etc. They can be ordered to be PS/2 or USB. Pretty snazzy if I do say so myself.

(OH MY GHAD I'LL TAKE TWENTY)
 

snowhiker

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For those of you who actually like your keys to click, here you go. A USB replica IBM Model M keyboard from Unicomp.

I've been using a Unicomp since 2007 and I finally got a usb one last year. Not quite the sound/feel/quality of an original IBM made Model M but close enough. Buckling spring or go home. Supposedly the Cherry MX-Green keyboards feel/sound kinda like buckling springs but they are still rare/not in production now.
 

ddrueding

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The DasKeyboard works great for me. I have the Ultimate (blank keys) at work where people occasionally see me type passwords and the Pro (normal keys) at home where I occasionally drink.
 

Handruin

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The DasKeyboard works great for me. I have the Ultimate (blank keys) at work where people occasionally see me type passwords and the Pro (normal keys) at home where I occasionally drink.

I know I'm digging up an older thread but I've been interested in a mechanical Cherry MX keys for a new keyboard. I hadn't heard of the DasKeyboard brand before but it looks great. The other Cherry-style keyboard company I was looking at is wasd keyboards. They seem to be in the same ballpark as DasKeyboards but I like the craftsmanship of the DasKeyboads a little more. My question to you is which type of Cherry switches did you go with? The blue or brown? How loud are they? Is it distracting?

I see that WASD offers blue, brown, red, black, and green switch types, each having its own characteristics and personality. Then they offer to have them dampened with o-rings if desired. I didn't even know there was this many variations of the Cherry switch.
 

Chewy509

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I've got a Das Keyboard Model S Professional silent at work (Cherry red switches), and very happy with it.

The Reds are only slightly louder than most membrane keyboards, but for a comparison, Das Keyboard has audio here: http://www.daskeyboard.com/model-s-professional/ (scroll down and there are links for each key type).

My boss has an ergonomic keyboard with Cherry Blues, and have no problems with the noise...
 

Stereodude

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Whatever you do, make sure you have the keyboard near your phone's microphone when you're on conference calls so your typing can be heard very clearly by everyone. :D
 

ddrueding

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I work have the loudest switches I could get. It feels to me that the louder switches have more of a snap to them (it might just be the sound). At home I have the quiet one, which is still a bit louder than the generic dual-language keyboard my wife uses.
 

Handruin

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Whatever you do, make sure you have the keyboard near your phone's microphone when you're on conference calls so your typing can be heard very clearly by everyone. :D

I've been on calls with those people before. :)
 

Handruin

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I work have the loudest switches I could get. It feels to me that the louder switches have more of a snap to them (it might just be the sound). At home I have the quiet one, which is still a bit louder than the generic dual-language keyboard my wife uses.

The louder (blue) keys likely do have more snap. A review I read says they Cherry blue switches require 50 grams of force vs 45 grams for the Cherry brown switches. I'm going to give the brown switches a try. Overall reviews seem to be very positive. If I like it, I might pick up one for work with the blue switches so I can be that guy on the phone clicking away. :)
 

snowhiker

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I've read that the Cherry MX-Green switches are the closest to feel and sound of buckling springs. I'd like to try one of those, although I'm happy with my loud Unicomp.
 

Santilli

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I'm typing on a Kentucky Unicomp special Model M. Complete with Condom over it.

I spilled coffee on it, and between there and back shipping, and 40 dollars to fix it, I decided to buy two of the Kentucky models, and condoms to protect them. All the water proof keyboards I tried sucked in comparision.

Was it Merc that knew the owner/Manager by first name?
 

Handruin

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I'm typing on a Kentucky Unicomp special Model M. Complete with Condom over it.

I spilled coffee on it, and between there and back shipping, and 40 dollars to fix it, I decided to buy two of the Kentucky models, and condoms to protect them. All the water proof keyboards I tried sucked in comparision.

Was it Merc that knew the owner/Manager by first name?

That sounds like a miserable keyboard to use with a condom on it.
 

snowhiker

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That sounds like a miserable keyboard to use with a condom on it.

Well I guess if you are going to bang* it (the keyboard) you need protection.


*A buckling spring keyboard + plastic cover = LOTS OF FORCE needed to press the keys.
 

Handruin

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My new das Keyboard came in today. I also picked up a recommended 18" 3M Gel wrist rest since there is no wrist rest with this keyboard. I know das had reasons for not including one because of proper form of typing but I'm used to one by now so I'll stick with it for a bit to see if I really need one. The keyboard feels really well-made and the noise isn't all that loud with the Cherry brown switches. The switches themselves don't really make a click, it's the key hitting the bottom that makes the most noise. It's definitely louder than my Cyborg V.5 it replaced but the feel of the keys is so much nicer in comparison. I enjoy how solid and accurate each key-press is. I'm glad this thread was started or I may never of heard of das keyboards.
 

Santilli

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Well I guess if you are going to bang* it (the keyboard) you need protection.


*A buckling spring keyboard + plastic cover = LOTS OF FORCE needed to press the keys.

The covers from the company work, stay in place, and don't seem to wear out.

The keyboards, on sale, 59. each, and I don't think you can find anything at that price point that is as nice a keyboard. Haven't spilled anything other then crumbs on the keyboard since getting them.

It eludes me why someone would pay 3 times as much money for a keyboard, but each to their own.

GS

Sedrosken:

Here is the page where the bargains are:

http://pckeyboard.com/page/category/BargainRack

Check back and you might find one on sale.

He almost always has some really cheap keyboards for sale as well, but, usually not made by him, with buckling springs.
 

Santilli

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Fair enough.

Considering the mouse and keyboard are by far the most often used items, at least for me, it does make sense to spend a few extra bucks.
 

Handruin

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Fair enough.

Considering the mouse and keyboard are by far the most often used items, at least for me, it does make sense to spend a few extra bucks.

That was the reason I decided to try one of the Das Keyboards. I ended up bringing it to work since I haven't had much time on my home PC to enjoy it. It replaced the crappy Apple wireless keyboard which is void of useful keys like page up and page down (among many others). Anyway, I figured since I spend a good portion of my day in the office that it's worth using a good keyboard. It's somewhat noisy but none has complained about it.
 

sedrosken

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Why is it that more and more keyboards are omitting the useful word processing keys (that somehow find a use within the GUI, as well)? Do they just think that not enough people use them to justify it? I'll admit, I only started using the special keys a couple years ago, but it made typing a much more bearable affair. I don't really use PgUp/PgDn often, preferring instead to move by finer increments using the scroll wheel or the arrow keys, but Home and End as well as Delete and Insert are among the most useful things since the arrow keys.

Smooth scrolling is a butt. It takes too much CPU time, in my opinion, doesn't really look good (on a tablet it looks and works fine, but on a PC I tend to just want to do my work without so much flashiness), so whereever I can, I turn it off. My mouse has that weird button below the scroll wheel that locks it into line-scrolling or smooth, so really I guess I could live with both, but in smooth scrolling mode it's all too easy to send the wheel flying down the page. If they put some resistance behind it I might like it more. That said, I do switch to smooth scrolling on the mouse's end when I want to scroll to a specific point quicker than normal.
 
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