Additionally, I've spend the last three weeks helping Unicomp with by doing a critical review of this keyboard. I will have a article of my findings and public review due soon, so stay tuned! Just bear in mind that what I have is a prototype, and it is not fully representative of the final product shipping next month.
- protomini_v_ssk.jpg (1.46 MiB) Viewed 9639 times
My r/ModelM post: https://www.reddit.com/r/modelm/comment ... arch_2021/It’s past time for another update on the progress update of the Mini M (Tenkeyless) keyboard. Please note that on December 20, 2019, we posted “there is a good chance we can begin shipping the first keyboard by the end of the first quarter, 2020”. The post included a photo of a Mini M with the text “Available March 2020” written across the keys. Well, a lot has happened to us and to the world in general since that post. But come the first day of spring, we are going to put the last 14 months behind us and look to the future.
Today, February 24, 2021, Unicomp will begin taking orders for the US Version of the Mini M which will begin shipping by March 20, 2021!
First things first—if you purchased a Gift Certificate to preserve your place in line for a Mini M, please accept our thanks for your patience and your confidence that we would eventually figure out how to work our way through the obstacles of 2020. You will receive an email directing you how and when to place your order. Don’t place your order until you receive the email. The order that the gift certificates have been received has been recorded and the serial number of the keyboard you receive will reflect that order.
Please note we are only taking orders from US customers at this point. We are still working toward regulatory approvals for regions outside the US. If you are a Gift Certificate customer living outside the US, the serial number for you keyboard has been preserved.
Along with the Mini M announcement, we are also announcing the expansion of the New Model M offerings. We now support the addition of 7 European language models as well as a New Model M for MacOS use.
Below is some more information about the Mini M but for the full story, go to https://www.pckeyboard.com/page/product/MINI_M.
The Mini M
The Mini M buckling spring keyboard has the same mechanism, feel and general layout as the original IBM Model M (SSK) keyboard. With the much-loved buckling spring key design these keyboards have been prized by computer enthusiasts and robust typists because of the tactile and auditory feedback of each keystroke.
Manufactured in Lexington, Kentucky, our buckling spring keyboard is a durable, audible keyboard with a gorgeous finish and solid feel reminiscent of the classic IBM Model M family of keyboards.
Buckling Springs
Buckling springs originated in IBM’s mechanical keyboard as a fundamentally different kind of switch mechanism. Featuring a coil spring that sits between the keycap and a pivoting hammer that collapses when clicked, the spring provides a loud, tactile feedback.
Model M-Inspired Keycaps
The two-tone white and gray buckling spring keys are made of PBT polymer. The dye-sublimated legends compliment the authentic feel and classic design. The keys are also available in all gray or all white.
Other features
Similar to the SSK, the Mini M has an embedded number pad which is active whenever the operating system has NumLock active. When NumLock is active, you can also move the cursor by holding down a shift key and selecting the appropriate key in the NumPad area for movement.
Additionally, the SSK detachable PS/2 cable has been upgraded to a USB detachable cable. The detachable cable may be unlocked by inserting a small screwdriver or other small probe into the connector just above the cable plug.
An area of design improvement is the number of keys which may reported to the operating system. Up to 10 keys plus modifier keys are capable of being reported simultaneously. Additionally, the new design dramatically reduces key ghosting over other Model M designs. While the keyboard does not support N Key Rollover, you will notice the difference.