The Cult of IBM Model M

[Enablingwolf]

Any other followers of the Cult of M?



The other day I got myself a Model M keyboard. For free. Been awhile since I used one and I fondly remember how great they are. There has been a few times I mentioned I wanted one... I also know they have a following for being some of the best keyboards ever made. the feel of the keys is very underrated.

I got lucky getting a 1391401 version with a (PS/2) 10 foot (3.05m) cord. (Which IMO is more desirable than the older and/or shorter cords.) The birth certificate shows a birthday of 04APR89. This is not a Maxiswitch or Lexmark made unit. It is a real IBM keyboard. Plant number - J1.

The only flaws, are the Esc key cover is cracked, and the right Ctrl key cover is missing. Which only cost about a dollar each to replace.
All the key springs work perfectly! So the worst case is not there, mechanical issues. Key covers are very simple to replace and are not hard to come by.

For those of you who do not know. The keys have little covers that detach.

Yes, that is a G15 glowing under the Model M


Otherwise this keyboard is - Like anyone who knows... One of the best keyboards ever made. Even after 21 years of duty. I say this old timer has another 20 years left in it. Now time to take it apart and clean it up. He's a tad dirty from decades of use. Nothing really bad though.

 

[bing]

Count me in, here is mine.

Yeah, I know, thats the old shot, now its cleaned.

 

[benbaked]

I have mine hooked up at work. There is a place locally to me that often has used ones from the late 80s/early 90s for $12 plus tax.

 

[Marshmallow64]

Wish I still had mine from back in the day.

 

[Old Thrashbarg]

I have around 30 of 'em in various configurations and states of repair, that I've collected over the years.

I have I one I use for my test bench, and one hooked to my retro DOS PC. Honestly, though, I've come to prefer the Dell AT101 for everyday use... still mechanical, but the keys are a bit lighter and it isn't nearly as noisy.