F104+SSK+122+62+77+50+Ergo orders now open! New Kishsaver+Industrial Model F Keyboards

[Ellipse]

The keyboards have arrived! Will post photos later.

[depletedvespene]

The keyboards have arrived! Will post photos later.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!!!!

Er... I mean... nice to know.

[iamacicada]

The keyboards have arrived! Will post photos later.

It's coming! I guess the last few months waiting will be the most brutal and exicting.

[Ellipse]

1,349 keyboards were delivered to me today! Gross shipment weight over 12,000 pounds.

Finally after several years Brand New Model F Keyboards are in stock!

While I wait for the remaining dye sub parts to arrive I have time to start testing and mailing out all orders where stock is available (e.g. orders of keyboards with no keys or unprinted keys). The early bird tooling volunteers and low serial numbers with available stock will be going out first.

Also below is the first page of the small 5.5 x 8.5 in. booklet that will be included with each order (in addition to the dot matrix packing slip). Please let me know if there are any errors or suggestions.

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Can anyone guess the significance of the booklet product number in the bottom right corner of the front page?

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[kmnov2017]

8-81, Didn't the 4704 System launch around that time?

[Elrick]

1,349 keyboards were delivered to me today! Gross shipment weight over 12,000 pounds.

Finally after several years Brand New Model F Keyboards are in stock!

Keyboards have arrived (5).jpg

This has surprised even me.

Didn't even know that your proposed F77 was that popular at all. Thought only a hand full of people were interested here because most people wouldn't of even known what was an IBM keyboard in the first place, let alone know or care anything about the Model F series.

Damn Ellipse, you've done something, that is beyond contemplation here you've changed the 'theory of resurrected keyboards'.

It's almost Rick and Morty like, seeing this happen right before our eyes as a collective consciousness .

[Elrick]

Pressed the wrong button.

DT is pissing me off now, so complicated without knowing the reason why.......

[depletedvespene]

…
Can anyone guess the significance of the booklet product number in the bottom right corner of the front page?

I'm gonna go with "The IBM Personal Computer was released in August 1981.".

[Humanoid]

Now's the time to recommend default function layers and other xwhatsit configurations! I will be loading the firmware and default configuration file to each keyboard during the QC process.

The main issue I have is that since I've ordered an ansi layout, I'd like the regular layer (non-fn) to be exactly the same as ansi, model M. I've noticed you put a fn on the bottom right corner for ansi, where a ctrl belongs, which bothers me, cause I use that ctrl a lot. You can put 2 fn keys in the new non-ansi keys that have been placed between ctrl and alt. So the bottom row should be:
ctrl fn alt spacebar alt fn ctrl.

And for the right hand block on the F77, it should be:
print screen, scroll lock, pause
insert, home, page up
delete, end, page down
blank, up, blank
left, down, right
so it's just like the model M, but the keys shifted downwards, just like variant 1 shown in the picture on your shop:
https://www.modelfkeyboards.com/product ... a-compact/

As for the fn layer, as long as you got the backtick-tilde on the esc, and F1 to F12, the rest doesn't matter to me.

[Humanoid]

While I wait for the remaining dye sub parts to arrive I have time to start testing and mailing out all orders where stock is available (e.g. orders of keyboards with no keys or unprinted keys).

I'm confused by this. What I understood earlier, is that getting unprinted keys will not put you ahead of printed keys. Not sure I understand what's going on now.

Since I have a low serial, can I get my keyboard earlier if I just tell you to send without the keys? (I have my own sets here I can use until the printed keys are sent later).

[Mattr567]

On top of that, don't no key orders still come with a 1.75U non stepped key for the split right shift option?

[Ellipse]

Humanoid yes there was a small change of plans for the low serial supporters only who also chose unprinted keys. Getting a small number of orders out of the way now will help everyone's order arrive sooner when I am ready to ship orders with printed keys. When I'm ready, then orders will resume the original plans (all low serials going out first) and I will stop sending out just the non-printed orders (it is not the case that all non-printed orders go out first - only those that can go out when I have some down time now). It does not mean everyone's printed orders will be delayed for the unprinted orders to go out first.

I will not be shipping partial orders.

mattr - "no key" orders do not include any keys. Under 2% of keyboards (about 42) were selected with no keys.

[Mattr567]

Thanks for the clarification!

As one of those no keys orders, excited to get my board sooner

[wobbled]

Is there a possibility that a regular board with regular serial number (with no keys) will be delivered to someone before a single digit serial board with keys?

I really think single digit serial numbers should go out first regardless of having keys or not. Afterall, we did pay more?

[iamacicada]

Is there a possibility that a regular board with regular serial number (with no keys) will be delivered to someone before a single digit serial board with keys?

I really think single digit serial numbers should go out first regardless of having keys or not. Afterall, we did pay more?

It doesn't change when you're going to get your keyboards whatsoever, you still get the highest priority once your keyboard is in stock. Do you really want others to receive theirs slower just so you can have a tiny window of exclusivity?

[wobbled]

Would you feel that way if you paid extra for a single digit serial? I was under the impression when buying it that I would be one of the first to receive it.
It's important to me, since shipping to the UK is slow, that I get it in good time.

[iamacicada]

that I get it in good time.

But how does delaying shipping no keys orders make a difference for you? If anything getting those out first would actually make you get your keyboard sooner.

You still are one of the first to receive the boards, but Ellipse can't ship yours if your keyset isn't in stock. Maybe you can tell Ellipse to ship your board without keys first if you are that eager, then you pay for shipping again when the keys are available.

[Craweth]

I have to agree with wobbled. I have paid to receive the keyboard earlier, now people who didn't will receive it before me?
That doesn't sit right.

[Model_F]

This is unfair to those that paid extra. Period. Stick with your words.

[Mattr567]

But how does delaying shipping no keys orders make a difference for you? If anything getting those out first would actually make you get your keyboard sooner.

You still are one of the first to receive the boards, but Ellipse can't ship yours if your keyset isn't in stock. Maybe you can tell Ellipse to ship your board without keys first if you are that eager, then you pay for shipping again when the keys are available.

I'd also like to keep in mind that all unprinted low serials are going out before any no keys, so low serials still have priority in terms of in-stock orders.

I might be a bit biased, but withholding other people's orders (including fellow low serials) for literally no reason other than just so your feelings don't get hurt is counterproductive. Especially when A low serials ARE going out first and B getting some unprinted low serial and no key orders out now will only speed up the process for the rest.

[ryvnf]

As someone who don't have low serial or single digit, I have to agree that it seems unfair. I think it would have been fine if only low serial existed, but since single digit is supposed to be one tier up it seems unfair.

What is the priority for the one unit custom printed keycaps? Will they ship with the keyboards or at a later date?

[purdobol]

Come on guys. Put yourselves in Ellipse boots.
1,349 keyboards in storage. Every single one has to be tested and shipped.
Don’t make things more complicated than necessary...

Spoiler:

Granted I didn't order one, so I should shut up. Seriously though...

[daphnis]

Below is the proposed factory default function layer for all keyboard variants. Please let me know your feedback:

Now's the time to recommend default function layers and other xwhatsit configurations! I will be loading the firmware and default configuration file to each keyboard during the QC process.

It seems a bit odd to waste non-fn-layer modifiers on caps and num lock. HHKB has caps lock on fn-tab.

[Ellipse]

These are good points - what do you think about an exception for single digit serials? To allow partial orders to go out if you pay extra shipping? Alas it won't help international single digit serials because it costs almost as much to send a few pounds as sending the entire order.

We are at least a few weeks away from full keyset dye sublimation.

[daphnis]

Concerning the Kishsaver,

are the middle modifiers between alt and caps/ctrl going to be
super/win? How about putting lvl3/altgr on the far left instead of caps
lock?

Since the fn is on the right side, it might be a good idea to have
vim arrows on asdf:

a left
s down
t up
f right

[Mattr567]

an exception for single digit serials? To allow partial orders to go out if you pay extra shipping?

I think this is a reasonable solution for those with printed low serials.

[regack]

I've been out of the loop, but a recent email woke me up to events. Is there still an intention to have a second/final round, or is this it? I've got my first order in from back in... 2016? but I was hoping to have that one in hand before committing to... additional models

[Ellipse]

Yes the final round will be next year - not sure yet on timing.

[regack]

Yes the final round will be next year - not sure yet on timing.

Ellipse, thanks for the quick response, as well as all of your years of hard work and dedication bring this to life.

[consolation]

Wow, just wow... People are complaining about others getting keyboards earlier, EVEN THOUGH IT WON'T AFFECT WHEN THEY GET THEIRS, might even help speed things along! (And, they still get preferential treatment - when their order can be completed...) Everyday, the human race turns out to be a bit pettier and more disappointing than one expects; no matter how low you set your expectations. Way to go people...