
King of click: the story of the greatest keyboard ever made - jwaz
http://www.theverge.com/2014/10/7/6882427/king-of-keys
======
pico
[http://www.pckeyboard.com/](http://www.pckeyboard.com/)

As I understand it, the IBM design and patents passed to this company where
you can buy one today. No relation here except that I'm a satisfied customer.

~~~
veidr
I have the Unicomp keyboard linked above. I also have a Das Keyboard, old MS
ergonomic thing, and old Apple Extended II, and a few others.

But my favorite of all of them is the Code Keyboard (I have two but the
'green' switch variant is my favorite). Which I learned about from this site,
so thanks HN!

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

~~~
rsl7
I _also_ have a unicomp, which I love, a Das Keyboard at work, and a Code
keyboard at home. I have no idea about the different switches - how can you
tell without buying them all? But yeah, the code keyboard is amazing, I just
wish it had the USB hub like the Das does.

~~~
veidr
AFAIK the Code keyboard only offers Cherry MX switches in Green or Clear. I
bought one of each. The Clear is quieter, so I use that one at work, but it
doesn't feel as good to me.

~~~
tomsthumb
Clears are 15cN lighter touch and a different switch style. Greens are
basically heavy blues. It sounds like you type heavy.

[http://deskthority.net/wiki/Cherry_MX](http://deskthority.net/wiki/Cherry_MX)

[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/)

~~~
veidr
Well, I _have_ noticed that I definitely do bang harder on the keyboard
depending on my excitement level.( That could mean I am having an inspired
moment of coding, or just that somebody has once again posted to HN about the
technological superiority of the modern Japanese toilet[1].)

In comparing the two Code keyboards, what I prefer about the Green version is
that there seems to be this one exact point where the key is pressed. You can
feel it (and hear it) and it is always the same.

The clear version feels a bit 'mushier', like the point at which the key is
'pressed' isn't as precisely defined.

[1]:
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4787587](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4787587)

------
wyc
Unicomp Inc. (as mentioned in the article) keeps pretty true to the Model M.
Despite their old-looking website, they let you customize with a black body or
blank keyfaces. These things are somewhat loud, but I think they feel great.

~~~
graycat
Sorry, I still prefer beige computer parts -- to my eyes, everything black
makes everything too difficult to see without just a huge amount of light.

So, I had a tough time at the Unicomp site finding a keyboard with a beige
base. They did seem to have one keyboard with a white base. I'd prefer beige.

After some looking, and without an easy to find explicit statement, eventually
it appeared that the IBM Model M keyboard uses a standard PS/2 connector.
Okay. And for people who want to connect such a keyboard to an USB port,
apparently there are some simple converters.

Yes, I might like the _buckling spring_ keys.

A keyboard I did like was from AnyKey shipped by Gateway with a copy of the
function keys in two columns on the left. For some years, my left hand was
nicely trained to hit those function keys possibly with the control key or the
shift key -- I had my favorite text editor programmed to do something good
with all 36 or so options. For the function key location above the numeric
keys, have to look and reach, and for me that's less good.

Gee, I guess I'm the only one who still prefers beige!

~~~
pico
You sent me back to the Unicomp site to check. I'm pretty sure that what you
call beige, they call white. In fact I'm typing on one--I like beige too.

------
beloch
I credit the IBM Model-M with contributing substantially to the continued
survival of the PS/2 port in this era of USB dominance. The PS/2 port has been
around since 1987 and USB since 1996. Yes, USB is now twice as old as PS/2 was
when USB was introduced! PS/2 ports have some advantages over USB that might
have kept them alive in certain niches, but there are so many cherished Model
M keyboards still in use (this post is being typed on one made in 1993) that
no self-respecting motherboard designer would ever leave the PS/2 port out!

------
joseph8th
Typing this on one now... Still says, "IBM Personal Computer" in the top left
corner. Someone painted the body of it black years ago. Clickety-clickety-
clack! Third desktop I've used it with. Gave the keyboards that came with them
away. The only thing I'm missing is the "Windows" key, but that's OK since I'm
a Linux man, anyway. Love my keyboard. I feel like I'm accomplishing something
when I type.

------
myrandomcomment
So I have a Model-M from around 1988ish in storage still. When I worked at IBM
they were "green tag" parts which meant you did not have to account for them.
Order 1 or order 100 (internally). I do love that keyboard. I think my
favorite however is a Sun Type-5 which had a custom interface so you cannot
plug it into anything but an old Sun. A few years ago I did a bit of googling
and found a few projects to make a Sun-to-USB interface. Too much effort :(

Today I use a Sun Type-7 Japanese hooked to my Macbook. I had a need to write
in Japanese in the past and just got to prefer the layout. I just custom
ordered my Macbook in the US with the Japanese keyboard, etc. The placement of
the @ and : are just better as an example.

------
JasonCEC
My entire company is obsessed with keyboards. [I type on my Das cherry browns
- tanked but not clicky]

We have, collectively, \- Original 1983 Model M \- Unicomp Model M \- Das
ultimate 3 cherry red \- Das pro 4 cherry blue \- Das pro 3 cherry brown

We're thinking of trying out the Keyboard.io butterfly split board....

Mechanical keyboards make a huge difference in typing speed, accuracy, and
comfort - its worth the extra cost!

There's few feelings as good (that can be had sitting / standing [yes - I'm at
a standing desk. Coder, hipster, ceo, startup data miner] at your computer) as
your fingers floating over the keys without bottoming out.

~~~
eddieroger
Comfort is really an undermentioned point here. I've worked in a few offices
that haven't been friendly to my Das (despite it having the "quiet" keys), but
now that I'm working out of a home office, the clicks live on. And as someone
who types for a living, I do notice that my fingers feel different after a few
hours of hacking away on the Das than on my Apple bluetooth chicklet.

------
kabdib
I'd forgotten that the original PC keyboard had CapsLock in the lower-right
corner, and how perfect that seemed to me at the time.

The current placement of CapsLock is horrible. I don't know why that ever
became a standard.

~~~
spudlyo
I have two original PC/AT keyboards, and I love them, not just for their
correct placement of the CONTROL key, but because they are if anything, even
louder and more tactile than the model M. To connect them to my Mac I have to
use two adapters, one to go from AT to PS/2, and another to go from PS/2 to
USB.

To me, they're as close to you can get on a computer to the ultimate
expression of keyboard perfection; the IBM Selectric.

------
snogglethorpe
I totally love the model-M (I've used it a great deal), and the model-M is
inarguably a great keyboard, but calling it "greatest keyboard ever made"
seems just silly hyperbole (OK, I know, I know... it's the verge what do I
expect)... ><

There have been many keyboards every bit as wonderful as the model-M, and of
course what constitutes "great" is obviously highly subjective. Buckling
springs are nice, but they're just one of many good mechanisms.

~~~
jfb
I loved my old Next keyboards; also, the Apple Ergonomic; and the Sun
classics. I've used the classic Model M as well as the Unicomp versions. I
currently use Kinesis Advantage. All are excellent. There is no one keyboard
to rule them all.

~~~
MaysonL
Back in the '80s, I used a VT100 long enough that a substantial portion of the
matte finish was worn smooth where my palm rubbed when using the cursor keys,
as well as half of the space bar. I still miss having the cursor keys where I
could reach them without bending my wrist or raising my arm.

------
seanmcdirmid
My Model M is dated from 1993, the same year I graduated from high school. I
gave it a thorough cleaning this year: took all the keys off, washed them
individually, snapped them back on. It almost feels like new now.

My use even got people in my Chinese office more interested in better
keyboards; a couple of them have purchased expensive mechanical keyboards for
use at work, which is basically unheard of here (though you can buy them on
Taobao).

------
markbao
These things _are_ fantastic (I used to own a Unicomp), though of the "modern"
mechanical keyboards, which is the best? The Reddit r/MechanicalKeyboards
buying guide[0] lists a lot of stuff, but I'm curious what HN likes.

[0]
[http://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicalKeyboards/wiki/buying_guid...](http://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicalKeyboards/wiki/buying_guide)

~~~
tomsthumb
Kinesis Advantage (split grid) keyboards. Alternatively, anything with cherry
MX blue or MX brown switches, preferably without the 10 key/keypad section.
Accountants are probably the only people who should actually have a 10-key
built into their keyboards.

~~~
markbao
Awesome. I've been meaning to pick up a Kinesis Advantage—the combination of
MX Brown switches plus ergonomic keyboard is great. I had the Freestyle2 which
was less than great. I've been typing on Apple chicklet keyboards for years
and while they're actually not that bad, they're not ergonomically sound at
all.

~~~
graublau
I think the chiclet keys are an ergonomic silver-bullet - RSI probably comes
from years of us typing on deep keys in high keyboards.

~~~
tomsthumb
Chiclets are actually worse on your fingers because they shock-load your
fingers when they bottom out. Mechanical keyboards are much easier on your
fingers because you can feel when the key is activated, and sometimes hear it.
This lets you know that you can stop pressing before the key bottoms out and
there's much less force put through your fingers.

~~~
markbao
Never thought of that—that explains a lot of the fatigue I get from typing on
them for long periods of time. I know that certain Cherry MX keys do the same.
Which ones don't bottom out too harshly?

------
PythonicAlpha
I fall in love with the Model M working at my first job with IBM workstations.
The feeling of the typing at the fingertips is just the best. The sound is
just of second nature. I know no other keyboard that has that precise and
sensitive force-feedback (meaning: the buckling happens just at that point,
when the key is recognized -- so you can exactly feel (and hear) it).

\-- written with my own Model M

------
YokoZar
Are there any wireless keyboards like this? I am the unfortunate owner of a
cat who really really likes chomping through smaller cables.

~~~
rdtsc
Haven't seen one. A real model M keyboard cable is not small though. It is
pretty thick and sturdy. Kitty would have to work pretty hard at it. Maybe a
few chew toys would help it and divert its attention.

------
sikhnerd
The Model M is absolutely fantastic, if you've never used a proper mechanical
keyboard you really should. I'm significantly more productive coding or
general writing on my MX-Blues then the chiclet keyboard of my Macbook - it's
a huge difference.

~~~
cgh
Agreed, I'm typing this on a Filco Majestouch 2 with Cherry MX-Blues. It's a
fun keyboard that I actually look forward to using every day just for its own
sake.

------
hadoukenio
If anybody is after one:

    
    
      http://www.clickykeyboards.com/

------
jakejake
An alternative that I use is the Dell L100. It's not quite as heavy as the
IBM, but they have a nice solid feel, they're USB and you can get them new for
under $40.

------
bizarref00l
Those keyboards are superb. My first encounter were with a ibm serial
terminal, then on some old pc where this one were scavenged.

\-- Sent from my IBM Model M keyboard.

------
CarVac
I type on a 1995-vintage laptop M keyboard (M6-1), adapted with a custom board
and a microcontroller. It has the strong tactility with less noise.

------
rdtsc
I use one and love it.

It is just so satisfying to type on it. It has the perfect design it seems.
Keys just the right spacing just the right clicky-ness.

