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Love my Unicomp Classic 104!

I like the buckling spring feel. I use the Unicomp Classic 104 and have been very happy with it for 8-10 years now.

Try here and here for your keyboard needs. I've bought new keyboards from pckeyboard; they don't feel exactly like an old Model M, but they're in the same ballpark.

I bought a replacement Model M keyboard with USB from Unicomp. This is the original IBM keyboard, just newer. From their website: "The buckling spring “Model M” keyboard, invented by IBM in the 80’s; popularized by Lexmark in the early 90’s; and manufactured by Unicomp for the past 15 years is regaining its status as one of the best keyboards in the market."

Same original design. Very sturdy; you could probably cleave your way through the zombie apocalypse with this thing, and it would keep working. You can get them in either PS2 or USB. Mine's a USB version, and I love it.

Yes.
http://pckeyboard.com/

Made by Unicomp now. Awesome.
http://pckeyboard.com/

Also an unabashed M fanboi. I've owned several for about as long as I've been using computers, with one that I would take from job to job. BTW, you can get spare parts ranging from buttons to a full keyset ($20, no key caps) at Unicomp. Unicomp is a company in Kentucky which now owns the original IBM patent and continue to offer the Model M in a wide variety of key arrangements, including custom, for around $80. I haven't dealt with them yet, but I expect to soon - I've got one board with a bum Ctrl key that I hope to save.

from the company that holds the original design patent from IBM for the Model M, and inhereted the process from Lexmark. The keyboard is still built and serviced in Lexington, Kentucky. They ship internationally. have a nice rennaissance.

http://www.pckeyboard.com/

I bought a treadmill that was designed to handle running slowly all day long and which has a low profile to slide under my engineering workstation.

I run it at about 1.5 mph all day long and it's very easy to type at that speed after a few days of acclimation.
I imagine a job with quite a bit of mouse work would be a little more difficult, but my trackpad/wrist rest works fine.

It's much easier on my body walking all day as opposed to sitting or standing. The first week I wore my usual hiking boots and was in alot of pain, but switching to good running shoes that fit made all the difference.

My whole setup is:
An Anthro cart.
A Treaddesk treadmill.
A unicomp M4 keyboard.
An IOne Libra 35-T wristpad trackpad.
And Asics GT-2170 shoes.

Works great for me.

Yeah, completely irreplaceable.

I didn't even think about the keyboards, which reminds me that I have a few in the basement hooked up to various machines. I don't get to use them as much as I used to because I use my laptop for all of my daily driver stuff. If you ever break it (not likely) you can pick up a replacement from Unicomp: http://www.pckeyboard.com/ They are expensive but its the only way to get a new model m these days unless you come across an unopened IBM branded one somewhere (in which case its worth a small fortune).

I bought one once from this company:
http://pckeyboard.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Store_Code=PCK&Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=UltraClassic

It was nearly identical to the lab full of "original" IBM keyboards we had.

I have a Model-M that I love. it was based on the selectric AFAIK. http://www.pckeyboard.com/

Think about the 80s generation growing up with computers and especially their experience with IBM Model M Clicky keyboards (still available here and here!).

So many people already feel so sentimental of our clicky keyboards that we're buying them up on ebay and stock piling a couple "just in case".

So, yeah, you better believe 20, 30, 40 years from now people will look at certain iconic computer products and think real nostalgically about them. They already do and like a good wine age makes them only more desirable.

You meant pckeyboard.com, which makes you doubly wrong--those keyboard are a sad imitation of a true Model M. Lexmark started decreasing the quality of the parts in their keyboards to cut costs in 1995, and the Unicomp models continue in that sad direction. Nothing you can buy today compares to a 1994 or earlier Model M.

How about oldest piece of equipment in regular use?

I use a 1991 IBM Model M at my main workstation, which puts me at 18 years. They just don't make them like this anymore (well actually Unicomp does)

Even Detroit would have difficulty coming up with a way to make a $10 keyboard cost $100. $40/hour with a production rate of two keyboards per hour and markups galore?

As was reported on NPR a little while ago http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=100076874 there's a little company in Lexington, KY called Unicomp http://www.pckeyboard.com/ that still produces the old IBM Model M keyboard, the one with the really loud click and lots of tactile feedback. They charge $69 per keyboard. Not quite a four dollar keyboard, which can be had today, but compares well to the fancy $100+ keyboards that some other brands market. (Although arguably with less gee-whiz functionality.)

As the poster above me said, the patent's expired, so it's better than open source, it's public domain.

And, Unicomp owns the factory that most US Model Ms were built in, and is making buckling spring keyboards today, based on the Model M design. However, you can now get 104 keys, USB, and/or a smaller profile plastic case (in the SpaceSaver and EnduraPro 104 - unfortunately, you can't get the smaller profile case with 101 keys. But I like the Windows keys (and originally bought my EnduraPro for use with a Mac, which really needs them a lot more than a PC.))

If you want a 104 key version with a USB connector, try the Unicomp Customizer. It's made in the same factory as the old Model M's and everything. It has a hard plastic body instead of solid metal, but it's very sturdy none the less. They'll even print custom buttons for you if you want (I got a Command key to replace the Windows logo key).

http://www.pckeyboard.com/

http://www.pckeyboard.com/

I do take the caps lock key off though. It's annoying to HIT IT INSTEAD OF TAB.

Unnecessary mutilation of Model Ms! Heinous!

Why not just remap it to ctrl or something (or "A" or nothing if you would still worry about hitting it accidentally, but remember that hitting ctrl on its own doesn't do anything in most systems).

BTW, you can still get new clone IBM Model M -like keyboards from http://pckeyboard.com/

These guys seem to make the equivalent (buckling spring tech, etc...).

I love the Trackpoint on my Thinkpad, and I really miss it when I use my desktop. Here's what I've really been looking for: a WIRELESS keyboard with a Trackpoint. Does anyone know of such a thing? I looked around at http://pckeyboard.com/ and http://www.lenovo.com/ ...but I have not been able to find such a creation.

ummm .... same design new manufacture. That is I think an "equivalent". My Model M, manufactured Nov. 6, 1989, is showing no signs of wear -- not even worn off letters. I doubt I'll ever have to replace it but just in case I do, it is good to know that equivalents are being made. What would be super cool, would be a bluetooth Model M, that just might convince me to buy a new one.

>I do have a Model M13 that has a failed stick (jumps to the right and stays there

Unicomp's new keyboards just don't have the right feel. The keys are a bit off, and the TP response is
different. But I've had good luck with their repair services for the old keyboards. I sent in one of mine
with the same symptoms you're describing, and got it back a week later, good as new.

The cost was ~$70 with shipping. They replaced the trackpoint, the mouse buttons, and cleaned the board.
http://pckeyboard.com/repair.html

Worth it if you really like these keyboards. I use them at home and work.

There is actually a company that licensed the design from IBM and makes them - with and without Windows Keys (none for me thanks), and standard IBM click - or - mushy, crappy, gonna fail in a few years membrane. Havent tried them, but people claim they (the clicky ones) are as durable and well designed as the Mfg'd by Lexmark IBM Model M's (which is to say, slightly less durable, but still damn near indestructible). ( http://pckeyboard.com/ ) On a funny but very entirely true story (stories actually), I actually put that indestructible-ness to the test.

Back in 86 I worked for Valcom Computer (prolly never heard of them unless you were big into buying IBM's in the mid 80's). People would come in and ask "Why is the IBM keyboard $100 and the others $10-40?" So, I'd unplug an IBM from one of our computers, put it on the floor (tossing it tends to pop the overcaps on the keys), and then proceed to step on it, bounce up and down on it, etc... pick it back up and ask "If this was your cheap little $40 keyboard, would you want to plug it back in now and hope you didnt fry your keyboard controller or at the very least hope it still worked?" - then plug the beast back in and load the keyboard test and hit every key.

A number of years later, at a different job, after doing something similar with coworkers, we decided to see just how indestructible they were... so, after (obviously) passing the stop on it test, we took it out back and parked an Isuzu Trooper on it... then hit the gas... they keyboard went flying across the asphalt about 30 feet... was scuffed on the bottom, and of course worked fine. By that time, we were getting kinda desparate in our attempts to destroy it under something that resembled normal use, and were standing in the front of the stoor - where we saw a city bus stop at the corner (our storefront was 2 doors down from the light)... we ran out, put the Model M right in front of the big back wheels, and waited... the bus slowly crawled up (like people tend to do while waiting for a light) which put the wheel right on top of the keyboard. Finally the light changed, the bus took off, we ran out, grabbed the keyboard, waved to the guy behind the bus who was watching us with a mixture of amusement and "I think they are crazy" look on his face, and plugged it in...

So, having passed that test (yes, of course it still worked - it was only a city bus)... we decided to go upstairs and launch it off the roof (3 story drop). We threw it as far outward as possible adding to the distance travelled considerably. The keyboard must have went in total 150 feet between it's downward drop of 3 stories and the distance we launched it horizontally.

The ancient Model M's casing cracked or split in a number of places, the keycaps flew everywhere, it looked horrendous - but STILL worked.

We took a blowtorch (propane pipe welding torch like what a plumber uses) and took that to the outer casing... the weird stuff they use kinda smoldered on the outside, turning brown and black, but didnt burn through. Looked more like a bad scare from a surface burn on a human (like a cigarette burn).

Finally, we "destroyed" it with a sledge hammer. Mostly though, the hammer just ended up crushing the round key holders that rise up from the inner plastic cover - and probably a few of the keyswitches.

Neat thing is it was still easily fixable since we could have just replaced the inner and upper cover and a few keyswitches and been done (for far cheaper than a new Model M)... but we had a couple dozen at the time, so it didnt really matter and we just kept it as a conversation piece. Somewhere I have shards of the outer casing still...

Years and years ago, I gave my mom one of them... (Model M) ancient one, metal IBM logo and all... she still uses it and refuses to give it up - begging, offering to buy it, whatever... doesnt work.

And me, I have 2 Model M-13s, and slowly acquiring more... and will keep them till they die (if I dont die of old age first)... my M/M13 keyboards have outlasted every computer I have had - and will continue to do so.

As a proud owner of a brand-new SpaceSaver from Unicomp, I have to agree. Worth every penny, though the postage cost me as much as the keyboard itself.

Wouldn't know about characters fading, though; mine's a blank, like Das Keyboard.

it's like the microsoft keyboards, they are actually awesome, but nobody would own one if they refused to type words or phrases that were on a banned list.

A comment further below had a link to these.

You can still get full-size version too, http://www.pckeyboard.com/onthestk.html
I love 'em, nice to not have to reach for a mouse when you gotta use one.

incorrect use of keyboards!

Get touch-typing lessons. Yes, lessons. Or that awful "mavis beacon" program. There is a right way and a wrong way to type. One key indicator (as pointed out in a recent emacs thread): if you use the same hand to press a key and hold down a modifier, YOU ARE DOING IT WRONG. There is a reason you have two shifts, two ctrls, two alts - it's so that you can press shift with your right hand when typing a "left hand letter", and shift with your left hand when typing a "right hand letter". And so on.

This means that your wrists are pretty much straight at all times. And if you've small hands, and need to "stretch" to reach a key - don't! Move your arm instead. And your wrists should never touch the table - holding your hands tilted upward and moving your fingers is just idiotic, keepy your fingers after the first nuckle somewhat below wrist level at all times when typing. Wrist "rests" are extremely damaging, unless you're actually just resting against them in between bursts of typing. I've seen people lean their wrists on the rests and type -that will knacker your wrists in a matter of months.

The trouble is, "playing" the keyboard correctly, like playing the piano correctly, is highly unlikely to be the "natural" way your body will seize upon to do it if you just sit down and start pressing stuff. It may feel very unnatural, but I was taught to type properly in school (the only boy in a secretarial class...), and I've been typing for 20 YEARS without any pain.

Helps to buy quality keyboards too - nowadays see e.g. http://pckeyboard.com/ or http://cherry.de/

Yes, it looks like a nice thing to have... but not at that price.

Actually, I'm just about to order a good old IBM-Model-M-like buckling spring keyboard from Unicomp... And it seems I'll have to order a blank one at that, because no-one had ever requested a Croatian keyboard from them before.

But really... the first thing I wondered when I saw the Optimus concept was "how would it feel to type on that thing?"
Most of the time you don't bother looking at the keyboard; it just takes your eyes from what you're doing.
But if you type a lot, the feel of the keyboard is of utmost importance.
My guess is - for the specs have not been announced yet - that it'll be a scissor-switch keyboard, which I guess is OK, but far from optimum for such an expensive keyboard.

Clicky keyboards are nice, but why pay $80 for the Das Keyboard when you can get a newly manufactured Model M for less money?

For keyboards that work just like good old Model M, buckling springs and all, check Unicomp.

I saw a "Model M"-style (collapsing spring) keyboard that also had a trackpoint on it while browsing eBay one time. Guy was asking too much, but now I wish I had it for my docking station.

Thinkpad users can keep their fingers in position.
There is a desktop solution available, too:

http://www.pckeyboard.com/pdf/Onthestick.pdf
--
No one ever got fired for buying Lenovo. Or something like that...

This may not relate, but I had the same thing happen with a model M clone from Unicomp connected to a Cybex switchbox. It turned out I was accidentally hitting the the first half of the keyboard shortcut to switch terminals, but not the second half. This would cause the keyboard to lock-up. I fixed the issue by remapping the shortcut in the cybex switch to something I wouldn't hit so easily.

I bought a Model M in 2004 and another Model M this week fro $60,
      http://pckeyboards.stores.yahoo.net/cus101usenon.h tml
IBM keyboard manufacturing went from IBM to Lexmark to Unicomp,
which now manufactures these.
These keyboards even say "Model M" on the back,
although pckeyboards.com doesn't mention "Model M".
Select the "Buckling spring" option and the "PS2 Mini-din" option.
Approaching their main website becomes difficult to identify this keyboard amongst other similar keyboards,
      http://www.pckeyboard.com/customizer.html
from which I chose the "Customizer 101" in
      http://pckeyboards.stores.yahoo.net/keyboards.html
They also have "Buckling spring" versions with 104 keys and USB connections.

This was discussed on Slashdot a couple years ago,
      http://ask.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=04/10/09/21 32257&tid=137&tid=4
and "find" "pckeyboard".

I originally bought this keyboard because, as a Linux user,
I have no need for the Microsoft buttons, which become like graffiti on the keyboard.
I like this particular Model M's lack of Microsoft icons,
its heft, and of course its buckling springs.

Unicomp (the original contractor who made IBM keyboards) still makes them and are for sale at http://www.pckeyboard.com/ . My undiagnosed 'carpal tunnel' pain went away after I started using one.

http://www.pckeyboard.com/ Unicomp still makes and sells the Model M design for a base price of $50- and it's the same beast. Got one, want to get more.

They're still being manufactured by Unicomp; same layout, same technology. Plus, they come in black!

They're still being manufactured by Unicomp; same layout, same technology. Plus, they come in black!

... Unicomp keyboards with buckling spring technology -- the true heirs of the IBM Model M. Because squishy plastic junk just won't do.

Ask and you shall receive:

http://www.pckeyboard.com/customizer.html

www.pckeyboard.com

Unicomp makes buckling spring keyboards, they got the tech and rights and what not from Lexmark when they stopped making IBM's keyboards. They're basically the same, except now you can get them with 104-key layouts and USB connectors too. There's quite a few models available, basically all the ones IBM offered, and then some.

I have an actual IBM as well as a Unicomp, but I use the Unicomp because I need the win key and USB for my Mac. They keys feel and sound exactly the same though.

Unicomp. The true one and only heir to the IBM Model M.

I have a great fondness for IBM buckling spring keyboards as that's where I cut my teeth (well, actually first on an IBM Selectric). Anyway, some years ago I bought two Endura Pro Unicomp keyboards from PC Keyboard. Clicky key goodness. Spendy, but indestructible. Loud, but I kind of like it, especially when I am typing while angry. Best of all, on request they will hard-swap keys, which is what I had them do, now typing away quite happily with the l-control key back where it belongs and caps lock reglegated out of the way. It makes a _huge_ difference in all-day typing sessions to not make that stretch off the home row to reach ctrl. Like many, I would formerly accomplish this with custom x-configs, registry hacks in Windows, and other tactics, but this is just better. And permanent.