
Why I use a 20-year-old IBM Model M keyboard - protomyth
http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2013/11/why-i-use-a-20-year-old-ibm-model-m-keyboard/
======
avolcano
Mechanical keyboards are awesome. Model Ms are cool, but if you want something
a bit more modern (with media keys, a slightly smaller footprint, and
_slightly_ quieter keys), look into any keyboard that advertises having Cherry
MX switches. You can get a great keyboard for only ~$80 (look at the CM Storm
QuickFire line - ignore the goofy "pro gamer" marketing, they're wonderful for
hacking too!).

If you're interested, check out the excellent r/MechanicalKeyboards buying
guide:
[http://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicalKeyboards/wiki/buying_guid...](http://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicalKeyboards/wiki/buying_guide)

~~~
GuiA
I second this advice! I've been using a mechanical keyboard for a few months
now.

I got a Cooler Master Quickfire Rapid (Rapid is the most "barebones" version
of the keyboard; other versions: TK = has a numpad; Stealth = keys printed on
the side; Pro = has backlighting) with Cherry MX Blue switches (my favorites
for typing; if you're interested I recommend reading up on the switches:
[http://www.keyboardco.com/blog/index.php/2012/12/an-
introduc...](http://www.keyboardco.com/blog/index.php/2012/12/an-introduction-
to-cherry-mx-mechanical-switches/))

Before that I had been using a bluetooth Apple keyboard for years; but I felt
that I typed sloppily on it and that it hurt my wrists. Changing to mechanical
has been great for that; if you're not a touch typist, it'll definitely
encourage you to lean that way.

And finally, the amazing things with Cherry MX caps is that you can buy custom
caps online (or 3D print your own!). So now my keyboard looks like this, which
I find lovely :)
[http://i.imgur.com/j1jZN1a.jpg](http://i.imgur.com/j1jZN1a.jpg)

Finally, if you're working in tech, you probably have a crazy hacker friend
who owns a Happy Hacking Keyboard and talks about it all the time. Those use
Topre switches, which have a different feel than Cherry MX, and are super
expensive (300$ when you include shipping and tax); but damn, they look good,
are super portable, and quite comfortable (available in black/white and
printed/non printed and ansi/mac layouts). However, they're really meant for
UNIX usage- if you don't spend 90%+ of your time in terminal applications of
some form, then it's not for you. They have a mac layout that makes things a
bit easier if you use a mac, but it's still very much hacker oriented. Also,
avoid the Lite version- while it is much cheaper, it uses rubber dome switches
(the kind of switches in traditional cheap keyboards) and is just not worth
it.

The hacker keyboard rabbit hole is a deep one (for example, there are people
who swear only by Japanese keyboards because they have a smaller space bar and
thus have more meta keys/are more compact). It may seem a little superficial
and silly, but hey- you're spending dozens of hours a week on your keyboard.
Having something that you feel is comfortable and looks nice can make your
computing experience significantly better :)

------
csmuk
Model M's are horrid. They are like playing a broken piano.

I use one of these keyboards on my desktop: [http://www.thinkpads.com/wp-
content/uploads/2009/08/lenovo_t...](http://www.thinkpads.com/wp-
content/uploads/2009/08/lenovo_thinkpad_usb_trackpoint_keyboard-2.jpg)

It's the same as my laptop.

Big thanks to Lenovo for making this piece of awesomeness.

Edit: to the downvoters. I was a model M fan for years until it nearly fucked
my hands up. CTS surgery was required. Now I prefer lighter touch positive
action keyboards like Lenovo / Sun ones.

~~~
goldenkey
Seconded. The best keyboard I ever had belonged to a third generation IBM
Thinkpad. When I saw the Thinkpad keyboard on amazon, I jumped on it. The
trackpoint takes a bit of getting used to but it is really great for
programming because your hands can remain in a single position and it'll help
conserve energy and alleviate strain.

This is the one I bought, is this the same one?
[http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B002ONCC6G/B004D9R9OM...](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B002ONCC6G/B004D9R9OM-20)

Apparently they removed the touchpad in this later model but improved the
stickyness of the keys (some folk complained about the keys being mashy in the
1st generation.) I kind of would have liked a trackpad but the trackpoint does
suffice, it's just really hard to get used to after years without one!

~~~
csmuk
That's the one. Mine doesn't have a touchpad either. I don't like having to
move my hands away from the keyboard to use one so it's ideal.

~~~
goldenkey
Right, stationary hands means less energy expended means less stress and less
strain. It's just tough to get used to the "nub", it's like learning how to
ride a bike at the age of 25, hehe :-)

------
rootbear
I have Das Keyboard mechanical keyboards on all of my home systems. I have
spinal nerve damage that reduces sensation in some of my fingers. The positive
tactile feel of the switches and the clicky sounds are very helpful in
compensating for the reduced feeling in my fingers.

~~~
zavulon
Das Keyboard is indeed great. I have the quiet version one, which is not
really quiet, but makes far less noise than their main model.

~~~
mullethunter
I own a 1994 Model M and recently bought the Das Keyboard for Mac, and the Das
Keyboard is horrible. The keys wiggle a bit and feel mushy compared to the
crisp clack of the Model M. Also the extra usb ports mean needing to use two
ports on my MBP which is stupid. I'm still pissed at myself for not returning
it when I had the chance.

~~~
techwizrd
The second USB port is just for the USB Hub (which is why the connector says
"HUB" on it). It is not required for using the Das Keyboard. My Das Keyboard
doesn't have any key wiggle or mushiness issues. What type of Cherry MX
switches did you buy? You may want to get MX switches with more resistance if
you are looking for a feel similar to the Model M.

------
p4bl0
I'm sorry to say that, and I didn't even visited the link, but I actually
laughed when reading the title of this link. After the thread about what 4chan
thinks of HN, this is like HN trying to parody itself :-D.

~~~
ronnier
It's unfair to the office mates of those who use these hipster keyboards. They
are extremely loud. It's amplified by those who have odd typing patterns too.

~~~
davidgerard
TYPE HARD OR GO HOME.

My wife forbade me from using my Model M (now deceased ... it turns out cat
pee can in fact kill one) after 9pm :-(

~~~
bratsche
I'm sorry for your loss.

------
grandalf
Caution -- I used one of these and I think it led to bad habits which
eventually caused a bit of RSI.

Before the model M I typed very lightly on the keyboard, but once I started
using the M I began to press a bit harder in response to the positive clicking
sound. Neither my speed or accuracy changed as a result of using the M.

Next thing I knew, I'd pound the keys on any keyboard, regardless of whether
it had positive clicking.

This led to increased strain on my fingers and wrists and eventually I had to
re-teach myself how to type lightly.

Now I type just as I used to before the M. I caution anyone considering
getting one to be aware of the overall amount of physical pounding his/her
fingers and hands are engaged in, and to realize that it can create additional
tendon fatigue and bad ergonomic habits.

~~~
VLM
"I'd pound the keys on any keyboard, regardless of whether it had positive
clicking."

My experience is the reverse, I have a couple cheap mushboards at work and the
variability of force means I have to hit each key exactly the same each time
(bad) and have to pound the heck out of it because the A key takes about twice
the force of the F key (however small) and tiny variations in striking angle
results in dramatic change in force required. So my hands have to be in
exactly the same position every time and I have to pound the heck out of it.
Luckily this is a secondary machine I don't have to type very much on!

On the other hand my model M at home is smooth as silk so I can
microscopically vary my wrist positions with no change in force required, and
decades later the force required is still more or less constant across all
keys and lower than my mushboard at work.

------
cynwoody
IBM keyboards of old were distinguished by their superior tactile feedback.

In fact, some of the old mainframe terminals, e.g., the 3270†, were capable of
physically locking the keyboard when the program was not expecting input. When
the keyboard was locked, you couldn't type — the keys would not depress. When
the system was ready for input, it would send a keyboard restore order, you
would hear a faint click from within the keyboard, and the keys would then go
down when pressed.

†[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_3270](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_3270)

------
hardwaresofton
I absolutely love buckling spring keyboards (typing on one right now) -- The
feeling is just hard to describe, definitely makes you feel a lot more
productive, and it also reminds me of my younger programming days, when you
expected keyboards to make this kind of sound. For those interested, you can
get a buckling spring keyboard (M replica) without putting down lots of cash:

Unicomp Keyboards @: [http://www.pckeyboard.com/](http://www.pckeyboard.com/)

(Though I guess "lots of cash" is subjective...)

------
VLM
"This thing is loud, which really makes me feel like I'm getting serious work
done when typing. Not so great if you share an office or participate in
conference calls, though."

I'm told over and over again that the most important technique for programming
success is interrupting programers as often as possible. They thrive on having
to listen to sports discussions and having to listen to other people's music
that they don't like when they're trying to concentrate. Open plans are the
silver bullet of programmer productivity and surely a littly clicky clicky
will only help.

Seriously though I have been using a Model M since the 90s, they are beyond
awesome, excellent finger feel compared to mushboards, and cheap/easy to
maintain. Every year or so I pop the keycaps off and wash them using
dishwasher soap, let dry, pop back on. That's about all the maintenance they
need. Every mass market article about them has some weird moth to the flame
desire to go on and on about how loud they are. Dude, they're not jackhammers.
They are discernibly louder if you pay attention to those things. If you don't
pay attention you will not notice the difference.

------
bane
When I was just young lad I worked part-time at one of those mom and pop
computer fixit shops. Every once in a while the owner would buy a palette of
Model M keyboards. I'd get stuck with the job of refurbishing them for sale or
inclusion with new systems. I'd spend a couple weeks taking off all the keys,
scrubbing the keyboards down with a _dishwashing_ tools and soap and then toss
6 or 7 into the kitchen dishwasher for a cycle. After a week of drying they
were good to go for $10-15.

We never had a keyboard that didn't work after this "refurbishment".
Absolutely built like tanks.

So it's weird to see keyboards like the Model M going for $100+. And I agree
that they're nice typers. But then again I'm using the same $10 Logitech I
bought at Ross (of all places) when I realized I needed a USB keyboard for
something 10 years ago. I toss it in the dish washer a couple times a year to
clean the cruft out, but other then some faded keys it works "fine".

The only expensive keyboard I've bought was one of those Bluetooth Mac chiclet
keyboards and only because I was using my rMBP as a second monitor and needed
something a bit closer to type on. It's okay, but I wish sometimes I had
bought the $15 bluetooth keyboards I see at Ross every so often.

~~~
dredwerker
You toss your keyboard in the dishwasher and it still works ??? Not just the
keys?

I would never have dreamed of doing that. :)

~~~
bane
Yeah, but I wouldn't do it with anything too expensive/has batteries etc., and
you gotta give it a couple days to dry out so nothing shorts inside of it. The
rinse cycle is usually fine. You may or may not want to use soap, I usually
wash it with dish soap and a brush first then rinse it in the washer.

------
lgleason
I love mechanical keyboards but prefer a Kinesis Advantage. If you really like
the click cherry blue switches could bed added to the Advantage. Then you
don't have to worry about RSI and can have the clicky feedback.

The biggest issue is that you get noise complaints in offices....but they do
make o-rings to quiet that up....if noise is an issue you are going to want to
use cherry mx-browns and forgo the clicky cherry mx blues....

------
davidgerard
Buy a Unicomp, they make the Model M now. New (not 20-30 years of cruft) and
USB.

[http://unicomp.com/](http://unicomp.com/)

~~~
RexRollman
Oh man, I love the look of their Classic 101 keyboards. No dreaded Windows
key!!

~~~
davidgerard
Unicomp have a _fantastic_ product and apparently NO GRASP WHATSOEVER OF
MARKETING. Their URL is just passed around by word-of-comment. AAAAAAAAAAAA.

------
ek
Mechanical keyboards are actually quite a broad market. Of course Cherry are
the most famous, aside of vintage models like the Model M, and Model M users
often actually discount modern mechanical keyboards since they think Cherry is
representative of modern mechanicals and those aren't like Model Ms.

I use the Matias Mini Tactile Pro with my Mac
[http://matias.ca/minitactilepro/mac/](http://matias.ca/minitactilepro/mac/) .
It has custom Matias Click switches that they say emulate the old ALPS
switches before ALPS changed hands. It's probably my favorite keyboard that
I've ever used, and I'd say that it's a nice middle ground between buckling
spring (which can be actually too difficult to use, as evidenced by reports of
injuries in this thread) and the softer, less tactile Cherry switches.

I do also have a Rosewill RK-9000BR with Cherry Brown microswitches for my
gaming PC, and enjoy that as well.

edit: Also, this thread has taught me about Topre switches, so cool!

~~~
microtherion
Over the last few years, I held on to my mechanical Apple keyboards with
increasing desperation as they started failing. Now, I’m very happy using a
Matias Quiet Pro [http://matias.ca/quietpro/](http://matias.ca/quietpro/)
since I like the mechanical feel but was never too fond of the noise.

------
aaron-lebo
I just got a mechanical keyboard over the weekend, specifically:

Corsair Vengeance K95
[http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823816...](http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823816013)

Note, it is $150 now, but when I bought it it was $130 and newegg pretty
regularly has 5% or 10% discounts.

You can get them for significantly cheaper, here is one at $70:

CM Storm QuickFire TK CHERRY MX Brown
[http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823129...](http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823129019)

Regarding the keyboard I got specifically, it has a metal frame and thus both
is study as hell and looks/feels really high-end. It has brilliant
backlighting and 18! programmable keys which should be interesting.

Getting down to the mechanical aspect itself, I've never been a snob about
keyboards, I've been perfectly content with the cheap keyboard that came with
my boxed computer, but I kept hearing gamers rave about mechanical keyboeards,
so I figured it must be worth trying.

It is amazing. It really surprises me just how enjoyable it makes typing.

If you do a lot of work with computers (I guess that would be almost everyone
here) or programming, I think it is one of the better investments you can
make.

Someone already posted a link to a subreddit covering the topic, and it is
important that you realize that different colored switches have different
characteristics and some prefer one to the other, but reds seem to be the most
popular.

[http://www.reddit.com/r/buildapcsales](http://www.reddit.com/r/buildapcsales)

is a good place to keep an eye out for sales if you don't want to take the
plunge immediately.

~~~
rhizome
Just FYI, it helps to actually mention specifically what you're referring to
so people don't have to visit another website just to know what you're talking
about.

~~~
aaron-lebo
Good point, fixed.

------
brandoncordell
I've used the Cooler Master Quickfire at my old job which made me fall in love
with mechanical keyboards. After leaving the job (and the keyboard) behind, I
decided to spend more time looking a keyboard that would fit my needs. The
options are certainly plentiful but I ultimately ended up buying a Ducky Shine
3 with Cherry MX Blue switches.

I absolutely love this keyboard, and if you look past the tacky
gamer/marketing features of the keyboard (various backlighting modes, like a
"snake" that goes back and forth between your keys) it's a fantastic keyboard.

It works great on a Mac, the include a replacement spacebar which is way
better looking than the ugly "backlight dragon" that advertise with the
keyboard. It came in at just about $140.

Mechanicalkeyboards(.com) usually has the harder to find mechanical keyboards
in stock.

------
altero
If has a wrong shape, proper keyboard should be choped in the middle :-). I
used to have wrist pains, 4000 solved it. I bought six of those just in case.

[http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Natural_keyboard](http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Natural_keyboard)

~~~
Tepix
Yeah, I have used a Happy Hacking Keyboard, the IBM Model M, a really nice
Phillips keyboard with a sweet touch after the first small signs of RSI I
switched to the M$ Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000. I went through two of
these already (they don't seem to be that well-built), but they are only 35€
or so and they also work well with OS X and Linux.

------
dbbolton
One day I went in to my local Goodwill store and noticed they had a good bit
of computers/electronics. I picked up a keyboard and liked the clicky sound
(at the time I didn't know anything about mechanical key switches) and bought
it for $5 US. I had never heard of the company. It was just marked "2001"
along the top. I also had to get a PS2 adapter - that's right, this was an AT
device.

A few years later, one of the switches went bad and I looked into finding a
replacement. It turns out I had bought a Focus FK-2001, which nowadays sell on
eBay for around $60. After that, I started looking at Goodwill for more
mechanical keyboards, but I have never again seen one.

------
arun_bansal
I got one for ~$32, TVS-E Gold USB, they uses Cherry MX Blue.

[http://www.amazon.in/TVS--Bharat-Gold-Wired-
Keyboard/dp/B00A...](http://www.amazon.in/TVS--Bharat-Gold-Wired-
Keyboard/dp/B00A17MNHU/)

~~~
zem
my tvs gold was one of the very few things i carried over when i moved from
india to the us. been using it for the last five years, and it's still going
strong.

------
d0m
Using a daskeyboard, a razer mouse, steelseries mouse-pad and sony
headphones.. I wouldn't replace them for anything else.

By the way, I've tried so many different options to get 2 screens + my laptop
but it never really worked.. I'm running archlinux. I even bought a hardware
switch to fake a wider resolution but it's kind of clunky. Does anyone know a
good way to achieve that? (Be able to plug two screens into laptop?). I've got
a mac-air.. maybe that explains the problem because I know of some graphic
cards that can handle it better..

------
keyle
I have 4 mechanical keyboards, DAS'es, and Duckies... And I reverted to using
an apple (aluminium) keyboard.

I tried Brown and Red switches. I have to say, my favourite is the Duckies by
far, with Red switches.

Of all the keyboards though (I'm a freak with them), the AUD 60 apple keyboard
wins (has to be replaced once a year). It's just super quiet, and my typing
tests show I can easily get more words per minutes on it.

I don't want to be a mood killer, these are just my findings. Apple's are
great. Even on PC.

------
lalos
I'm currently in the process of building my own Ergodox
([http://ergodox.org/Default.aspx](http://ergodox.org/Default.aspx)), pretty
excited for my first mechanical keyboard and mostly want to try out the
parallel key arrangement instead of the slanted keys. Fun fact: keyboards are
slanted because typewriters' keys would get stuck if parallel and we are still
using a design that was produced to solve a problem we no longer have!

~~~
korethr
You may find that the non-staggered key layout will reveal some bad typing
habits, mainly reaching for keys with the wrong finger. But after taking a few
weeks to get used to it, you will probably start to find it much more
comfortable. While I still love the tactile feedback I get from my Model M,
its staggered layout is beginning to feel a bit alien to me.

------
hengheng
Just to add another keyboard to the list, the KBT Pure is a Cherry MX version
of the HHKB2 layout, and available for around $100. It's well built, compact
and you can reach all keys without moving your hands too much. Good key
feedback, and I can type "pianissimo" when I pay attention to the MX Brown's
click feel.

I haven't gotten any faster, as 80% of my typing is still on a Thinkpad
keyboard. Also the Cherry keys feel much too high and don't have a trackpoint.

------
highace
Filco Majestouch Tenkeyless with brown switches for me. It's reasonably
priced, looks lovely, and is brilliant to type on. That the keys come off for
washing and brushing out the keyboard base is also a nice bonus.

[http://www.amazon.com/Filco-Majestouch-2-Tenkeyless-
FKBN87M-...](http://www.amazon.com/Filco-Majestouch-2-Tenkeyless-
FKBN87M-EB2/dp/B004WOF7QM/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1384719087&sr=8-5&keywords=filco+tenkeyless)

~~~
AbsoluteDestiny
This is my favourite keyboard, particularly in the poorly-named 'ninja'
version where the keys are printed on the front instead of the top which
avoids the print rubbing off.

[http://www.keyboardco.com/keyboard/uk-filco-ninja-
majestouch...](http://www.keyboardco.com/keyboard/uk-filco-ninja-
majestouch-2-tenkeyless-nkr-tactile-action-keyboard.asp)

~~~
kbaker
Yes! I love this keyboard, and use it everyday. 10-key-full though, with
Cherry MX Browns (also the US layout so there's a real backslash key):

[http://www.keyboardco.com/keyboard/usa-filco-ninja-
majestouc...](http://www.keyboardco.com/keyboard/usa-filco-ninja-
majestouch-2-nkr-tactile-action-keyboard.asp)

------
pvnick
I've recently had to readjust the way type to be more wrist-friendly since
I've been seeing the beginning (intermediate? God I hope not...) stages of
repetitive stress injury. And that's on my relatively ergonomic macbook air,
which from what I've read is designed from the start to prevent that sort of
thing. I cringe to think of the kind of damage I'd do to my wrists from
developing on one of these things for any period of time.

~~~
Joeri
I have had RSI off an on over the past 2 decades. There are only two types of
'primary' keyboards on which I have no issues: my model M, and a curved layout
keyboard (using a microsoft 2000 keyboard these days). I think they work in
different ways. The curved layout avoids straining my wrists altogether, while
the model M changes the 'quality' of the strain to something less harmful. Of
the two the model M is definitely the nicest to type on. Anything you type on
it feels important. It is too loud though, so I don't use it anymore. Also, my
typing accuracy is much higher on the curved layout of the microsoft 2000.

------
gyepi
I recently moved to South Africa from the US for 10 months and had to be very
judicious about what to take with me. My model M keyboard made the list even
though it weighs a ton and takes up much valuable space. I was willing to
"downsize" from two large monitors to a single laptop monitor, but there is no
way I'm going to spend all all typing on a laptop keyboard!

I'll travel to the ends of the earth with mine!

------
steffan
I couldn't bear to part with my Model M. I've modded one of them to have have
the converter inside with a USB Type B socket. It was made 22 years ago and
still works great. It'll probably outlive me.

I've periodically considered converting it (or another one) to be Bluetooth
wireless. Is there any consensus on the security of Bluetooth for keyboards?

~~~
VLM
"Is there any consensus on the security of Bluetooth for keyboards?"

No consensus because security is really big.

So... is there a guard in the guard shack aka an active keyboard / mouse,
yes/no just look at a spectrum analyzer for power spectrum in the ISM band BT
uses. You can also jam the guards BT devices preventing him from doing
anything quite easily. Although once you go active transmitting the game is
kinda on.

Some talk about pattern recognition vs time but I've never heard anything
"serious" about it. This is the old IBM selectric hack from decades ago where
you'd take an audio recording of that classic typewriter and E latency is 7
ms, F is 8 ms, G is 9 ms due to inherent design of the printhead, so you play
back the tape and output a near perfect stream of whatever was being typed.
Supposedly you can do something like this with BT like the the human key
latency between i and n is faster than q and z because no words have a qz. So
even if the i and n and q and z are perfectly encrypted such that you'd never
mathematically decode them individually, in a sequence representing english
text its supposedly easy to decode. Supposedly. I don't think its a practical
fear and probably doesn't work for rehearsed muscle memory type passphrases.

Generally you can MITM bluetooth but once you're paired you're OK. So attacker
would have to be there when paired. Google for simple secure pairing SSP and I
think that needs ver 2.1 or newer (no problemo). Basically if you're not
typing in four 0 to pair, then its probably SSP?

Once a BT device is woken up latency isn't so bad but my SIL's mouse /
keyboard were famous for about 1 second latency when they fell asleep until
they woke up to save power. This would drive me bonkers, your experience may
vary.

The tradeoff would be one less cable in exchange for a battery that only fails
at the most inopportune time. Eh.

------
jwr
Unfortunately, these keyboards don't have enough modifier keys. You get Ctrl
and Alt — and for any serious hackery one needs at least one more modifier
(call it Cmd, Apple, or Super, doesn't matter).

In the past I actually used two extra modifiers (Super and Hyper) and was
quite happy.

If the keyboard had one extra key on the left, between the Ctrl and Alt key,
I'd be happy.

------
ljosa
A few years ago, I got a Matias Tactile Pro and ended up with wrist pain. I
replaced it with a new Model M (from Unicomp), and have not have any problems
since.

But I also like the keyboard in my Macbook Pro. If Apple's external keyboards
are identical, I would be happy to settle for that if I ever get an office
mate that minds the noise.

------
ChuckMcM
Its a nice keyboard, I use the M13 which was designed to be used with the
ThinkPad 750c so its the same except it has the control stick in the G-H-B
spot, and a left and right mouse buttons on the frame below the space bar.

That comes in handy when something suddenly wants to throw up some sort of GUI
popup.

------
ahoge
I prefer flat laptop-like keyboards. They are cheap, quiet, and they also seem
to cause the least amount of strain.

------
nutate
You too can have the keyboard that inspired the ergonomic revolution after the
first RSI lawsuit loss. Woohoo!
[http://articles.latimes.com/1995-02-28/business/fi-36989_1_l...](http://articles.latimes.com/1995-02-28/business/fi-36989_1_law-
firm)

------
VonGuard
I miss mine. Keys were so clicky and loud! Soothing, like a typewriter.

And, because the key covers pop off, you could make your keyboard 31337:
[http://www.flickr.com/photos/vonguard/134656386/](http://www.flickr.com/photos/vonguard/134656386/)

------
noir_lord
I like my Cherry G80, it feels exactly like my old Model-M from back in the
day (MX Blue switches), build quality is workmanlike (but I like that, it's
the ultimate in no frills packaging) but the switches are great and they are
very cheap compared to many mechanicals.

~~~
rhizome
There's really no reason but nerd-ego to use a Model M anymore, and this post
is pretty pointless by not even mentioning the wide WIDE range of mechanical
keyboards available today.

~~~
noir_lord
In the sense of using an original PS-2 or older keyboard I agree however
Unicomp still makes the Model-M and they are essentially identical to the old
Model-M's (and still _fantastic_ keyboards) but since I wanted one for the
office at home and one for the office at work I could get two G80's for less
than a single Unicomp Model-M so it was a sensible buy.

In addition I _really_ like the no-nonsense Cherry design, it feels like a
tool and not a fashion statement.

~~~
rhizome
Point is that any review of clicky keyboards is incomplete without mention of
the new school boards. Unicomp also, unlike IBM, does not make a tenkeyless.

------
callesgg
Just because the converter says it only needs 100mA does not mean it actually
only needs 100 mA

~~~
nwh
More importantly, that's just the standard current supplied to a USB device.
It didn't ask for more because it probably uses only a fraction of the
default.

------
tortilla
I love my HHKB Pro 2. Pricey but worth it.

[http://elitekeyboards.com/products.php?sub=pfu_keyboards,hhk...](http://elitekeyboards.com/products.php?sub=pfu_keyboards,hhkbpro2&pid=pdkb400b)

~~~
taternuts
I've been using a tex beetle
([http://i.imgur.com/3zaaPzV.png](http://i.imgur.com/3zaaPzV.png)) for awhile
and love it, but I think if/when it breaks I might make the jump to HHKB's

------
BrokenPipe
I'm spoiled but I went with a das keyboard. And or cherry is also good. Model
M is a good alternative, a bit heavy and I miss having the windows button
which I use as function key.

------
venomsnake
I have a problem with the total inability to find anything with US layout and
clicky switches at a decent price in Europe. And the shipping + VAT and
customs from US doubles the price.

------
andyjohnson0
The best keyboard I ever used was an IBM 3279 mainframe terminal.

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stephenaturner
Well they must be sturdy old things to last that long... the first thing that
always goes for me is the keyboard, usually from overuse!

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Zigurd
The noise made all your neighbors move cubicles and the resulting quiet boosts
your productivity.

------
hipaulshi
tried Das Keyboard cherry mx blue switch, wayyy tooo loud to use in work
place. Switched to kinesis freestyle2. The experience is amazing.... I didn't
know non-mechanical keyboard would be such a pleasure to type on.

------
rbanffy
Is anyone doing a Model-F-style (buckling spring on capacitive contact)
keyboard?

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blt
wow, no shout-out to modelm.org or clickykeyboards.org.

------
rfnslyr
When my office was moving, my friends (other coops) and I found a STASH of
model M keyboard. It was amazing. We each got one, a few us sold them for
$300+, but we spent a day or two after work cleaning them all out. Disgusting
after 20 years of work but so satisfying once they looked brand new.

[http://imgur.com/a/o4Gtw](http://imgur.com/a/o4Gtw)

------
icecreampain
I don't suppose any of y'all would know of a Model-M type keyboard, with nice
clicky keys, but without:

1\. the windows buttons and 2\. the right keypad

I find that I never use the keypad anymore and that the increased distance to
the trackball is rather of a pain.

~~~
ljosa
They made a Model M like that. It's referred to as the Model M 84-key keyboard
or the Model M space-saving keyboard. They are hard to find, and will probably
cost you $200 or more. Here are some pictures:
[http://www.clickykeyboards.com/index.cfm/fa/categories.main/...](http://www.clickykeyboards.com/index.cfm/fa/categories.main/parentcat/9242)

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hellyeasa
Who cares? This is a reddit-esque circle jerk as clear as can be.

