
Why I use a 20-year-old IBM Model M keyboard - Tomte
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/11/why-i-use-a-20-year-old-ibm-model-m-keyboard/
======
shawnbaden
If you are interested in an IBM Model M I recommend the Unicomp UB4044A
([http://www.pckeyboard.com/page/product/UB4044A](http://www.pckeyboard.com/page/product/UB4044A)).
It's a IBM Model M with USB. I bought one over a decade ago (build date
4/20/2007).

Also, Ars Technica updated the URL date in this story. The original URL is
[http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2013/11/why-i-
use-a-20-year-o...](http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2013/11/why-i-
use-a-20-year-old-ibm-model-m-keyboard/) and it redirects to the 2018 link
here.

~~~
acheron
I will also recommend Unicomp.

 _> I bought one over a decade ago (build date 4/20/2007)._

Awhile ago I remember hearing that they were having some financial problems
because essentially they never had repeat customers: buy one keyboard and
you'll never need another.

~~~
chaoticmass
They need to make a new Spacesaver model (one without the numpad) and not only
will they have a lot of new customers, they will also have each one of their
old customers come back to buy one.

~~~
privong
> They need to make a new Spacesaver model (one without the numpad)

Yeah. I'm in the market for a new keyboard and am thinking about a TKL. Just
spent some time on the Unicomp site looking for a TLK version to no avail.

~~~
_jal
These are very high-end buckling-spring reconstructions, including TKL
layouts: [https://www.modelfkeyboards.com/](https://www.modelfkeyboards.com/)
.

On the downside, no idea when it will actually ship, and significantly more
expensive than Unicomp.

~~~
privong
I did see those from a link elsewhere in the thread. The cost and uncertain
delivery timeline make that a non-starter for me, though.

------
robterrin
Something else is going on here... Let's look at the reasons given:

\- Noise

\- Pleasant to use

\- Accurate

The real reason is because the author is a hipster programmer and wants to
elevate his status. It is well known that "real" coders who set up ISP's in
the 90's and accomplished other badass feats of superhuman programming use
clicky keyboards ([https://workplace.stackexchange.com/questions/40897/how-
do-i...](https://workplace.stackexchange.com/questions/40897/how-do-i-
confront-coworkers-about-their-loud-annoying-mechanical-keyboards)).

This goes back to the bullshit nature of most technology jobs. It is such an
empty life to work on abstract intellectual problems with no discernible
results in the real world, as noted by David Graeber:

"Crucially, the realization brings a delight, the pleasure at being the cause,
that is the very foundation of our being." \-
[https://harpers.org/archive/2018/06/punching-the-
clock/](https://harpers.org/archive/2018/06/punching-the-clock/)

The key (pun intended) component here is the theatre of a loud keyboard. It
FEELS like you're getting work done! The author readily admits it, "This thing
is loud, which really makes me feel like I'm getting serious work done when
typing."

So the noise and being pleasant are really one in the same. The feedback make
him feel better about being able to make something that produces change in his
environment. Even if he is his own audience and only fooling himself, that is
enough.

Finally, I question the accuracy piece. I grew up typing on mechanical
keyboards, and therefore can appreciate the haptic sensation and noise aspect,
but I'm happier with my keyboards' accuracy today. Most of my typing errors
are not an issue of incompletely depressing a key, but typing the incorrect
key. Mechanical keyboards do nothing for improving this kind of accuracy.

Theatrics for an audience of one. That is the reason. Plain and simple.

(edited for formatting)

~~~
closeparen
I’ve come to understand that the most fashionable form of status seeking is
loudly espousing the belief that other people can’t possibly enjoy things, so
_they_ must be status seeking.

~~~
flycaliguy
Good observation. Please enjoy some genuinely earned status from me.

------
sho
Next article in the series, "Why I killed my co-worker"

~~~
jackhack
I remember those days. One is annoying. A dozen or so all going at once...
well it just sounded like work was happening and as strange as it sounds it
was kind of nice.

Now the big Epson impact printer in the eggcrate-foam lined coffin (meant to
contain the BZZZZZZZZZT! BZZZZZZZZZT! noise) was never something I adjusted
to. We eventually moved it to a storage closet. God bless the silent laser
printer!

But then I do recall buying a Walkman so that I could listen to music (casette
tapes and the radio) while working, consuming batteries rather quickly.
Perhaps nostalgia is making my memory of keyboard sounds seem less annoying
that it really was.

~~~
C1sc0cat
You obviously never heard a twin head long track daisywriter going full out.

I was doing a long print run on one and put ear defenders on

------
corecoder
> “For starters, the sound. This thing is loud, which really makes me feel
> like I'm getting serious work done when typing.”

Someone should immediately start building super noisy pens, pencils, erasers
and markers. But, like, really loud.

And loud brushes of course! Loud post-its!

~~~
segmondy
It's not the noise, it's the feedback, this is the same reason people like
keyboards that have tactical feedback. Having fast feedback signals to our
senses when working can keep us working longer without fatigue.

~~~
_Schizotypy
Yea, like the feedback of a loud buzzing sound a pen could give every time it
feels pressure on the tip. Could even make it vibrate!

------
xte
As an Emacs user I'm ALWAYS struggle to find a good keyboard for my setup.
Actually I'm using a K550 Yama simply because it have enough extra key to have
many things work's at a single keypress (and does NOT require any software to
program/use those extra keys), I'd like some Maltron keyboards but they are
(IMO) too expensive and without backlight, other "classic Emacs user's
keyboards" feature simply too few keys to be comfortable.

Perhaps I'm looking for something like
[https://i.redd.it/z5knt99vpbsy.jpg](https://i.redd.it/z5knt99vpbsy.jpg)
but...

A trend I noticed is however that substantially all new keyboards tend to have
less and less keys than ever, while ancient keyboards tend to offer more keys
in various fashion, like SUN type [67] keyboars or $I_do_not_remember with a
full function key row + another S-function key on top etc. And that's IMO it's
a bad sign: keyboards means production, mouses means consumption. Having big
keyboard IMO means produce many thing, having mouse-centric UI means being a
consumer of someone else service.

------
steveeq1
For those interested, there is a guy selling old-school re-creations of "Model
F" keyboards (circa 1981-1983) here:
[https://www.modelfkeyboards.com/](https://www.modelfkeyboards.com/)

Sadly, they do not have the 103-key layout.

------
AceyMan
I've got a Unicomp 104-key purchased at least twelve years ago. While I'm a
big fan of the feel and sound, as a daily driver the actuation length and
force becomes tiring, so it's been mothballed.

I'm using a steel backed unit with Cherry Browns and damper rings (it's a
Ducky — WASD/Code were always OOS when I was ready to buy) and it's okay, but
it honestly doesn't feel that much nicer than a fresh, cheapo rubber dome
unit.

I've been curious about the Topre keyed boards which reputedly have a solid,
but damped, "thwumph" response — that sounds right up my alley, but they are a
lot of cash for a blind buy, since I've never seen or touched one.

Anyone here have experience with the Topre boards?

------
SerLava
He mentioned three cheap keyboards that came with his computer - who has a
comparison between this keyboard and a modern mechanical?

~~~
NeedMoreTea
I've tried several modern mechanicals, and have one with Cherry blues, and
used to have one with Cherry brown, which died after just a few years. My 25
year old M is still feeling as good as new, and aside from a little shine on
some keys looks pretty new too. Most modern ones have plastic that ages far
faster.

I still pick the M when there's a lot of typing needed. It's about as loud as
blues, but a little less annoying (for me anyway) from the slightly less
plasticky sound, but has a distinctly nicer typing feel. Partially because it
has a back board that's heavy steel meaning there's no flex at all - every
modern mechanical has some degree of flex, sometimes lots and partially it
feels a little different to Cherry blues. Something hard to describe but
probably when and where on the keypress the click and release happen.

Having the extra Windows/Cmd key on the base row would be nicer sometimes. I
wish I had gone for the one with combined trackpoint though.

I fully expect it to outlast my need for any keyboard and still be in as-new
condition. :)

~~~
type0
I used model M in the 90s, I wouldn't use one today though unless I wanted to
drive everyone around crazy mad at me. As for the cherry blues, it gets on my
nerves far quicker than model M could ever do. It has to be down to the nature
of the switch itself the sound is artificial and the feedback is awful even
with the good key caps on a sturdy board.

> Something hard to describe but probably when and where on the keypress the
> click and release happen.

Exactly this, there are some mods that can fix this icky release, never tried
those. If I remember correctly it shortens the key travel as well so it might
not be to everyone's liking.

------
dlevine
I'm typing this on an M0110 (keyboard from the original 1984 Macintosh) that I
rewired to a Teensy
([https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicalKeyboards/comments/8q4o4n...](https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicalKeyboards/comments/8q4o4n/my_m0110_build/)).
I won't say that it's my favorite keyboard to type on, but it's loud and
definitely cool.

My keyboard at work was built from an Apple Extended Keyboard II (I harvested
the switches/keycaps and built it up from a custom PCB -
[https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicalKeyboards/comments/4xr1wv...](https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicalKeyboards/comments/4xr1wv/finally_finished_my_aek64_build/)).
A lot quieter than a Model M, but IMHO it feels better than most of the modern
switches.

------
ars
I use a KB9910. It's not a mechanical keyboard, because I don't like the
clicks.

But the amazing thing is how reliable it's been. It's probably 23 years old
and works absolutely perfectly. I have a second one just in case, but I've
never needed it.

~~~
_Schizotypy
Not all mechanical keyboards are clicky. I hate the sound, but love my
mechanical keyboard with black switches. No tactile feedback

------
beat
My first serious job was four and a half years in the mid-90s with an RS/6000
for a desktop machine. I _loved_ that keyboard. Nothing else has ever been as
good.

~~~
moonbug
The RS6k wasn't too shabby either, but perhaps without quite the same
longevity..

------
johndill
I love these things. We used to affectionately refer to to these as "Taka-
Taka's" for the beloved sound they make when typing. I miss these.

~~~
dammitcoetzee
Unicomp bought the tooling and makes a full n-key rollover usb version of the
M [http://www.pckeyboard.com/page/SFNT](http://www.pckeyboard.com/page/SFNT)

------
melling
“For starters, the sound. This thing is loud, which really makes me feel like
I'm getting serious work done when typing.”

We’re all a bunch a little code monkeys. We can’t imagine programming without
a keyboard, that’s why we’re still programming with keyboards.

Eventually, someone will invent the future, and we will all be happy and
wonder why it didn’t happen sooner.

~~~
Nasrudith
What would you program with other than a keyboard? Block diagrams are the only
serious programming tool I know of that calls for a mouse to do most of the
action and even then there is a good deal of keyboard work on the components
themselves.

~~~
newen
Brain computer interface, that gloves thing in Minority Report, contact lens
monitor and virtual keyboard by monitoring your hands like in Rainbows End,
lots of other stuff I'm sure. All you need is some interface between you and
the operating system.

------
NVRM
I am enjoying my K70. RGB lightning is a major advance, regardless your level
at typing.

This should be doable and fun to bring to oldies, corsair uses this TI chip
family: «TLC5958 64x64 Led driver matrix».
[http://www.ti.com/tool/TIDA-00161](http://www.ti.com/tool/TIDA-00161)

~~~
1001101
Had 2 clicky model M's, now have 2 K70s - K70 has everything I loved about the
M. With the K70, you've got the 4 different kinds of switches (linear/non
haptics, clicky/not) - I'm on the red, linear, non-clicky. The build quality
(made in Germany) is definitely solid. I've been driving LEDs from my .vimrc -
that's a trick the M couldn't do.

------
JeanMarcS
I dumped mine 4 month ago (half the letters were gone, there was a hole in the
E key) because it was time to do so as I moved and changed country.

It was a heartbreaking moment for me, and I'm happy to read here in the
comments suggestions for equivalent. Thanks.

------
gct
I shelled out ~$600 for two new in-box model Ms from the 80s last year, worth
it.

~~~
scottlocklin
I haven't used a model-M in a long time, but I luuurbe my Das Keyboards. Makes
using a mac almost tolerable (even comes with volume itunes doodads).

My pals all think I'm nuts for "spending so much on a keyboard" but I'm
hammering on the damn thing all day, and using a chiclet keyboard or some
other inferior keyboard would make me crazy.

------
jwr
I also have a keyboard from the 80s that I really like, but these days I
switched to the Ultimate Hacking Keyboard (UHK). Lack of modifiers is a
problem: I really want at least three on each side of the space bar.

------
mixmastamyk
I have a short (no numpad) WASD keyboard with the quiet red switches and
custom key labels and love it.

Only feature I'd like to have is the ability to split it somehow.

------
jaclaz
To be picky (besides clicky ;-)), that specific keyboard:

>Mmmm.... manufactured in 1985, just like Ars Features Editor Nathan Mattise.

was manufactured (on 28th August) 1992, and only copyrighted 1985.

Neither 1992 nor 1985 are "twenty years", for the record that is respectively
26 or 33, or more like around 30 years.

This said, you'll have to take my Model-M (and my HP28C pocket calculator) out
of my cold, dead hands, it is good to see that some of the younger folks still
appreciate the reliability and sturdiness just like some of us old dinosaurs
still do.

Long life Model M!

~~~
molecule
> From the archives... registered May 10, 2012

~~~
jaclaz
May 10, 2012?

Yet another date, the Wayback Machine Cache has it Nov 17, 2013.

------
mcculley
See
[https://twitter.com/mcculley/status/659798006208856064](https://twitter.com/mcculley/status/659798006208856064)
and
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17435899](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17435899)
for my experience with Unicomp.

------
moonbug
I'd be more impressed if they were still using the RS6k it originally shipped
with.

------
shitgoose
i am using Razer BlackWidow keyboard - the closest thing to IBM keyboard that
i could find.

~~~
asianthrowaway
Check out Unicomp, they bought the rights to produced Model Ms:
[https://www.pckeyboard.com/](https://www.pckeyboard.com/)

------
lowry
As you grow older, you'd better switch to Matias Alps Quiet Click and Cherry
MX Red or even Cherry MX Speed Silver.

------
cmrdporcupine
I love the Model M, but it has a Caps-Locks where the Control should be, so I
don't use it anymore.

