God of Keyboards

[IIfx]

I got an IBM Model M at a yard sale for 5 dollars. Now I own 2 of the greatest keyboard ever made. Real springs are the best. Even the hailed Apple Extended 1/2 are not nearly as good as the M. What is sad, is that there are millions of vastly inferior keyboards compared to alps-switches.

 

[tecneeq]

Awesome find for a fair price. :lol:

I had two extremely hard to get SGI Keyboards, wich are the same, except that they have a SGI logo. One just died, the other drowned during a mineral water flood caused by a feline perp.

Again, awesome keyboard

 

[Unknown_K]

They are cool, I snagged all the ones that the local recycler had before going out of business. Think I have 6 or 7 of them now plus one of the huge IBM terminal keyboards with all the extra functions keys up on top (FF1 etc).

You might also want to pick up some Northgate keyboards if you come across any.

 

[IPalindromeI]

I heard about Northgates - they have a special layout, don't they?

 

[Unknown_K]

Slightly different but nothing too crazy. You have a few options on layout (they have jumpers to pick which setup you like and the keys can be easily moved).

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

The Northgate Mechanical Switch KBDs are wider than the VT-100 KBD standards by the two vertical rows of extra function keys on the left hand side.

Most of the 101-103 KBDs have the cursor and pagenav keys between the KBD & NumPad. The Northgate had the full 15 key arrangement of some of the later Mini-Computer Workstations . . . CAD seats etc.

My favorite was the Mac 101, which was based on the later VT-100 standard variations, it had the added Command Key, ADB interface and Mac Coloration.

It finally died. :'(

 

[4seasonphoto]

I have a dark gray "M" and it's a keeper! I never thought the PS/2 interface would still be around, but I guess it's become the PC gamer's choice and looks like it will live on, just like the ATX form factor.

 

[funkytoad]

Congratulations. Loving that price. I am typing this reply on an original 1984 IBM Model M. In fact, we have a number of them still in use here at my school.

 

[Appleanche]

Sorry for the ignorance but I don't think I've ever used one.. we do have Cherry keyboards at work that may be model M but I'm not too sure and never really thought to look. I just know they are stiff as it gets.. my fingers cry after typing anything.

But then again I grew up in the mushy keyboard era so it's funny how that works. I'm typing this from one of Apple's aluminum ones and I think it's one of the best keyboards I've used :O

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

If'n, it's flat,it ain't no keyboard!

< . . . says the guy typing on a fused chicklet NetBook "KBD" Duh! : . . . >

People who love Alps Mechanical Keyswitches either grew up on them, developed a taste for them (nearly impossible not to do so) or learned to type on Mechanical Typewriters, and then transitioned to electric typewriters in the workplace or directly to Mechanical Keyswitch KBDS on terminals or PCs right from the start.

Some novelists STILL do all their writing on manual typewriters do to physical feedback from the "machine's keys" being integral to their writing style/creative experience/process.

 

[IPalindromeI]

I have keyboard standards. I can type on a mushy keyboard as long as it has full normal keyboard caps; not flat. I can't type worth crap on my HP TouchPad, any laptops I have have to fix, any modern Mac keyboard, etc. Seriously, the keys are too far apart, they don't travel enough, they don't feel right typing, and they're ugly.