

IBM Model M keyboard Simulator - gtani
http://webwit.nl/input/kbsim/

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dasht
That completely misses the point of the Model M.

It's not just the noise - it's the tactile feedback. That was a keyboard on
which, when you pressed a key, more than any other keyboard of its time or
since -- they keyboard _fought back_.

That pleasant click? Yeah, the tactile component that went with that was a
great source of repetitive stress injury.

~~~
ComputerGuru
I upvoted you, but there's something I'm not clear about - are you saying that
the Model M causes _more_ repetitive stress-related pain than other keyboards?
Because I beg to differ.

Switching from a Microsoft intellisomething keyboard to a Model M (and a
Logitech web keyboard before it) _reduced_ my wrist pain (and I'm already on
Dvorak). At work, I'm now using a Microsoft keyboard once more, and have
noticed a marked increase in wrist pain.

I think the shallow travel on the other keyboards means when you smash the
keys, you don't get as much resistance meaning you hit the base of the
keyboard with more force, causing more pain.

Think of it like the old cars. People think they're incredible because they
don't dent and are made of solid steel. In reality, you _need_ the car to dent
(all the way until it reaches the driver safety zone) in order to reduce the
force of impact. The crumbling of the bumper consumes force that would have
gone into the driver.

Same with the Model M. The buckling of the keys consumes that pressure rather
than throwing back into your joints and your wrists. It's healthier that way.

~~~
maw
"I upvoted you, but there's something I'm not clear about - are you saying
that the Model M causes more repetitive stress-related pain than other
keyboards? Because I beg to differ. Switching from a Microsoft
intellisomething keyboard to a Model M (and a Logitech web keyboard before it)
reduced my wrist pain (and I'm already on Dvorak). At work, I'm now using a
Microsoft keyboard once more, and have noticed a marked increase in wrist
pain."

I don't disbelieve you -- and, in fact, would report the same. Model Ms are
awesome.

However.

What makes a good keyboard is very much a personal thing. It depends on many
factors. How tall you are; what position you sit in; what kind of chair you
use; how high your chair is adjusted; what your posture is like within that
chair; how high your desk is; how high your desk is relative to your chair;
how the monitor is oriented; how long your arms are; the ambient temperature;
how large your hands are; how strong your fingers are; what position you hold
your fingers in over the keyboard (I maintain that holding your fingers over
the home row as a default position is insane); how often you take breaks; what
kind of exercises you do during those breaks, if any; what kind of exercises
you do before sitting down to type, and when you're done for the day; and how
many hours a day you type are the first few factors that spring to mind. I
didn't have to try hard to come up with this list.

So the Model M works for you, and it works for me too. Lucky for us, because
they truly are sweet keyboards (...till you try to hook one up to a mac). But
that doesn't mean they'll work just as well for everyone else.

(The same goes for pointing devices, too.)

~~~
ComputerGuru
Check out the unicomp remakes. They work on Mac.

<http://pckeyboards.stores.yahoo.net/>

