31 May
2016
31 May
'16
6:26 p.m.
While on the subject anyone know where one can buy replacement key caps??
-Ali
31 May
31 May
6:30 p.m.
Unicomp still sells replacement caps (
http://www.pckeyboard.com/page/category/Buttons ), however I believe they
have a minimum order amount (price). There are also the ever-so-hated
keyboard forums where you can often post a "Looking for" and find someone
with some spares they'll dump dirt cheap or free.
6:34 p.m.
On Tue, 31 May 2016, Christopher Satterfield wrote:
Unicomp still sells replacement caps (
http://www.pckeyboard.com/page/category/Buttons ), however I believe they
have a minimum order amount (price). There are also the ever-so-hated
keyboard forums where you can often post a "Looking for" and find someone
with some spares they'll dump dirt cheap or free.
One can also 3D print keycaps for Cherry MX switches. There are models out
there for free. Here's someone doing it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ub4cb-u8EWA
-Swift
7:36 p.m.
New subject: Model M Key Cap Replacement
Unicomp still sells replacement caps (
http://www.pckeyboard.com/page/category/Buttons ), however I believe
they have a minimum order amount (price). There are also the ever-so-
hated keyboard forums where you can often post a "Looking for" and find
someone with some spares they'll dump dirt cheap or free.
Hi,
Yeah, I am aware of Unicomp but their selection is very limited. I was hoping there was an
outfit that made specialty key caps. For the standard keys I usually have one or two very
badly beat up and abused Model Ms to donate parts from....
-Ali
1 Jun
1 Jun
9:52 a.m.
On Tue, 31 May 2016, Christopher Satterfield wrote:
Unicomp still sells replacement caps (
http://www.pckeyboard.com/page/category/Buttons ), however I believe they
have a minimum order amount (price). There are also the ever-so-hated
keyboard forums where you can often post a "Looking for" and find someone
with some spares they'll dump dirt cheap or free.
AFAIK, the key caps that Unicomp sells are the monolithic cap & plunger
that their keyboards use, not the two-part keys that the real Model M
keyboards use. (For those not aware, the Model M key cap is separate from
the plunger - the key cap is _literally_ just a cap on top of a smaller
key form that's got the plunger molded in.)
g.
--
Proud owner of F-15C 80-0007
http://www.f15sim.com - The only one of its kind.
http://www.diy-cockpits.org/coll - Go Collimated or Go Home.
Some people collect things for a hobby. Geeks collect hobbies.
ScarletDME - The red hot Data Management Environment
A Multi-Value database for the masses, not the classes.
http://scarlet.deltasoft.com - Get it _today_!
5:31 p.m.
On my 1992 IBM Model M most of the key caps are removable but some are not.
Notably, wider keys such as Backspace, Enter and the big + on the numeric
pad don't have removable caps. They're like the Unicomp Wide Keys.
On 1 June 2016 at 14:52, geneb <geneb at deltasoft.com> wrote:
On Tue, 31 May 2016, Christopher Satterfield wrote:
Unicomp still sells replacement caps (
--
4.4 > 5.4
http://www.pckeyboard.com/page/category/Buttons
), however I believe they
have a minimum order amount (price). There are also the ever-so-hated
keyboard forums where you can often post a "Looking for" and find someone
with some spares they'll dump dirt cheap or free.
AFAIK, the key caps that Unicomp sells are the monolithic cap & plunger
that
their keyboards use, not the two-part keys that the real Model M
keyboards use. (For those not aware, the Model M key cap is separate from
the plunger - the key cap is _literally_ just a cap on top of a smaller key
form that's got the plunger molded in.)
g.
--
Proud owner of F-15C 80-0007
http://www.f15sim.com - The only one of its kind.
http://www.diy-cockpits.org/coll - Go Collimated or Go Home.
Some people collect things for a hobby. Geeks collect hobbies.
ScarletDME - The red hot Data Management Environment
A Multi-Value database for the masses, not the classes.
http://scarlet.deltasoft.com - Get it _today_!
2 Jun
2 Jun
5:45 p.m.
New subject: Model M Key Cap Replacement
Unicomp still sells replacement caps (
http://www.pckeyboard.com/page/category/Buttons ), however I believe
Does anyone know if IBM produced any Model M KBs w/ post windows 95 keys (I know I know an
abomination!)? You know windows key, right click key, maybe power/sleep buttons that would
have interchangeable caps?
-Ali
5 Jun
5 Jun
7:33 a.m.
New subject: Model M Key Cap Replacement
On 2 June 2016 at 23:45, Ali <cctalk at ibm51xx.net> wrote:
Does anyone know if IBM produced any Model M KBs w/ post windows 95 keys (I know I know
an abomination!)? You know windows key, right click key, maybe power/sleep buttons that
would have interchangeable caps?
The "Windows" key is the same as "Super" on Sun keyboards, and
there's
an equivalent for the right-click or "application" key as well. So
they weren't MS innovations; actually they were MS /replacing/ keys
that IBM's design omitted.
As such, my "anti" stance on them has softened considerably. :?)
Yes, I believe there are Model-M clones with them. However, one friend
bought a Unicomp type clone "Model M" clicky keyboard and both he and
I were very disappointed with its build quality. Me, I stick to
genuine retro parts. I have a small stock of them -- half a dozen --
which is probably enough for the rest of my life! :-/
The power/sleep key you mention is /not/ a standard key, AFAIK, and no
I don't think most clicky keyboards have one.
--
Liam Proven ? Profile: http://lproven.livejournal.com/profile
Email: lproven at cix.co.uk ? GMail/G+/Twitter/Flickr/Facebook: lproven
MSN: lproven at hotmail.com ? Skype/AIM/Yahoo/LinkedIn: liamproven
Cell/Mobiles: +44 7939-087884 (UK) ? +420 702 829 053 (?R)
8:28 a.m.
New subject: Model M Key Cap Replacement
I've been using a Unicomp model M alongside an IBM model M for about a year now and I
find there is no noticeable difference between them at all.
-----Original Message-----
From: cctalk [mailto:cctalk-bounces at classiccmp.org] On Behalf Of Liam Proven
Sent: 05 June 2016 12:33
To: General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts <cctalk at classiccmp.org>
Subject: Re: Model M Key Cap Replacement
On 2 June 2016 at 23:45, Ali <cctalk at ibm51xx.net> wrote:
Does anyone know if IBM produced any Model M KBs w/ post windows 95 keys (I know I know
an abomination!)? You know windows key, right click key, maybe power/sleep buttons that
would have interchangeable caps?
The "Windows" key is the same as "Super" on Sun keyboards, and
there's an equivalent for the right-click or "application" key as well. So
they weren't MS innovations; actually they were MS /replacing/ keys that IBM's
design omitted.
As such, my "anti" stance on them has softened considerably. :?)
Yes, I believe there are Model-M clones with them. However, one friend bought a Unicomp
type clone "Model M" clicky keyboard and both he and I were very disappointed
with its build quality. Me, I stick to genuine retro parts. I have a small stock of them
-- half a dozen -- which is probably enough for the rest of my life! :-/
The power/sleep key you mention is /not/ a standard key, AFAIK, and no I don't think
most clicky keyboards have one.
--
Liam Proven ? Profile: http://lproven.livejournal.com/profile
Email: lproven at cix.co.uk ? GMail/G+/Twitter/Flickr/Facebook: lproven
MSN: lproven at hotmail.com ? Skype/AIM/Yahoo/LinkedIn: liamproven
Cell/Mobiles: +44 7939-087884 (UK) ? +420 702 829 053 (?R)
---
This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
https://www.avast.com/antivirus
12:01 p.m.
New subject: Model M Key Cap Replacement
On 6/5/16 7:33, Liam Proven wrote:
Yes, I believe there are Model-M clones with them.
However, one friend
bought a Unicomp type clone "Model M" clicky keyboard and both he and
I were very disappointed with its build quality.
I have a couple of buckling-spring Unicomps as well as IBM model M's,
and while I would agree that the IBM version is more heavily built, I
think the Unicomp is of reasonable quality. At least for people who
don't plan to use it as a deadly weapon.
It would have been nice if they had made the cable detachable though.
Also, I'm not sure it's fair to call Unicomp a "clone", as I understand
it they were either an OEM for IBM, or acquired the production assets
from them, or something along those lines. Pretty
close to the real
thing in my view.
6 Jun
6 Jun
10:29 a.m.
New subject: Model M Key Cap Replacement
On 5 June 2016 at 18:01, Andrew M Hoerter <amh at pobox.com> wrote:
I have a couple of buckling-spring Unicomps as well as
IBM model M's, and
while I would agree that the IBM version is more heavily built, I think the
Unicomp is of reasonable quality. At least for people who don't plan to use
it as a deadly weapon.
It would have been nice if they had made the cable detachable though.
Also, I'm not sure it's fair to call Unicomp a "clone", as I understand
it
they were either an OEM for IBM, or acquired the production assets from
them, or something along those lines. Pretty close to the real thing in my
view.
I think IBM offloaded the keyboards line to Lexmark, who offloaded it
to Unicomp. So, yes, it's legit, you're right, not a clone.
The one unit I have tried felt rough and poorly-built compared to the
Real Thing, and it failed after a few months. I understand the owner
got a warranty repair and that failed, but I think he has a working
one now. As it happens I was chatting with his housemate today on
Twitter and I think it's still working now. But then, he is on the
list, so he could answer for himself if he liked. :-)
For an expensive keyboard, it did feel cheap to me -- including, as
you say, the captive cable. I would have liked to see proper onboard
USB using a standard cable, perhaps with a 2nd port for a mouse.
--
Liam Proven ? Profile: http://lproven.livejournal.com/profile
Email: lproven at cix.co.uk ? GMail/G+/Twitter/Flickr/Facebook: lproven
MSN: lproven at hotmail.com ? Skype/AIM/Yahoo/LinkedIn: liamproven
Cell/Mobiles: +44 7939-087884 (UK) ? +420 702 829 053 (?R)
10:48 a.m.
New subject: Model M Key Cap Replacement
On 2016-06-06 11:29 AM, Liam Proven wrote:
I think IBM offloaded the keyboards line to Lexmark,
who offloaded it
to Unicomp. So, yes, it's legit, you're right, not a clone. The one
unit I have tried felt rough and poorly-built compared to the Real
Thing, and it failed after a few months. I understand the owner got a
warranty repair and that failed, but I think he has a working one now.
As it happens I was chatting with his housemate today on Twitter and I
think it's still working now. But then, he is on the list, so he could
answer for himself if he liked. :-) For an expensive keyboard, it did
feel cheap to me -- including, as you say, the captive cable. I would
have liked to see proper onboard USB using a standard cable, perhaps
with a 2nd port for a mouse
What became Lexmark was originally the IBM typewriter
plant in Lexington
Ky., when the typewriter business was winding down they where given the
mission of producing keyboards among other things. Later it was severed
off from IBM and became Lexmark, much the same way as the IBM Toronto
plant became Celestica. Unicomp came along still later and apparently
bought the keyboard designs from Lexmark, after Lexmark was no longer
interested in producing keyboards.
Paul.
24 Jun
24 Jun
1:01 p.m.
New subject: Model M Key Cap Replacement
Unicomp still sells replacement caps (
http://www.pckeyboard.com/page/category/Buttons ), however I believe
they have a minimum order amount (price). There are also the ever-so-
hated keyboard forums where you can often post a "Looking for" and find
someone with some spares they'll dump dirt cheap or free.
Does anyone know if WASD key caps are compatible?
http://www.wasdkeyboards.com/index.php/products/printed-keycap-singles.html
Thanks!
-Ali
1:25 p.m.
New subject: Model M Key Cap Replacement
On 24 Jun 2016, at 19:01 , Ali <cctalk at
ibm51xx.net> wrote:
No, those are for Cherry MX keyswitches (and a number of chinese clones). Not compatible
with the Model M at all.
I think I have a full set of keycaps for a Model M keyboard (ISO layout, Norwegian
character set) somewhere.
Unicomp still sells replacement caps (
http://www.pckeyboard.com/page/category/Buttons ), however I believe
they have a minimum order amount (price). There are also the ever-so-
hated keyboard forums where you can often post a "Looking for" and find
someone with some spares they'll dump dirt cheap or free.
Does anyone know if WASD key caps are compatible?
http://www.wasdkeyboards.com/index.php/products/printed-keycap-singles.html
1:49 p.m.
New subject: Model M Key Cap Replacement
Does anyone
know if WASD key caps are compatible?
http://www.wasdkeyboards.com/index.php/products/printed-keycap-
singles
.html
No, those are for Cherry MX keyswitches (and a number of chinese
clones). Not compatible with the Model M at all.
I think I have a full set of keycaps for a Model M keyboard (ISO
layout, Norwegian character set) somewhere.
1:59 p.m.
New subject: Model M Key Cap Replacement
On Fri, 24 Jun 2016, Ali wrote:
As far as I know, those are designed for Cherry MX key switches, they're
not the shells that the Model M needs.
g.
--
Proud owner of F-15C 80-0007
http://www.f15sim.com - The only one of its kind.
http://www.diy-cockpits.org/coll - Go Collimated or Go Home.
Some people collect things for a hobby. Geeks collect hobbies.
ScarletDME - The red hot Data Management Environment
A Multi-Value database for the masses, not the classes.
http://scarlet.deltasoft.com - Get it _today_!
Unicomp still
sells replacement caps (
http://www.pckeyboard.com/page/category/Buttons ), however I believe
they have a minimum order amount (price). There are also the ever-so-
hated keyboard forums where you can often post a "Looking for" and find
someone with some spares they'll dump dirt cheap or free.
Does anyone know if WASD key caps are compatible?
http://www.wasdkeyboards.com/index.php/products/printed-keycap-singles.html
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