deskthority

The nominees in the category Best vintage keyboard 2015 are:

Cherry MX 5000 • Cherry's answer to the Matias Ergo Pro, 20 years before it came out! The G80-5000 ErgoPlus is considered by many to be the finest board Cherry ever made. Highly sought after, of course, their ergonomics delight some lucky users to this day.

Dolch keyboard • Dolch means one thing in the keyboard world. Not network analysers. But their timeless, greyscale keyboards! The Dolch look is a true classic. Emulated many times in caps group buys since, the real deal remains a favourite among classic doubleshots.

IBM 4704 series • So rare, and so desired, that a remake is well underway, the Kishsaver is a legend in its own right. Unavailable in 3 whole sizes of heavy metal awe, the Kish is a star and thanks to Xwhatsit it is perfectly usable today.

IBM Space Saving Keyboard • Another IBM, and another strong contender for the greatest keyboard of all time. The Model M Space Saving Keyboard commands respect, and sky high prices to this day. Tenkeyless twenty years before the name, the SSK is a permanent favourite for many of us.

Regular IBM Model M • And if the SSK isn't enough for you — numbercruncher that you surely are — there's always its fullsize brother. Most people chose this one over the little SSK back when IBM sold both versions for the same price. Because, um, bulk discount?

And the Wingnut for Best vintage keyboard 2015, as voted for by the members of deskthority, goes to...

Yes!

Best switch for office use and most solid case wins!

Not my vote, but maybe just because I have none

I'm impressed by how well the 4704 did, even with a split vote between the buckling spring entries.

Had the three entries been combined, buckling spring nearly would have had a supermajority. IBMthority indeed.

I might not be the biggest fan of buckling springs, but the 4704's quality can't be ignored. It's also a very unique, striking, and pretty design for what it's worth--and it's worth a lot!

Combined with the heft and build quality. Definitely an easy vote, though the Cherry split keyboard was a very tempting second choice.

Madhias wrote: ↑Not my vote, but maybe just because I have none

It's like your SSK, just more solid and even better feel, look and sound!

Wait .. the SSK didn't win? But this 60% keyboard is seriously crippled, all the important nav keys are missing as well as function keys, and tinnie asked way to much for it back then ($80)!

Well, ok, at least a BS keyboard won.

The reign of those racketty old IBM things must end sooner or later.

Halvar wrote: ↑Wait .. the SSK didn't win? But this 60% keyboard is seriously crippled, all the important nav keys are missing as well as function keys, and tinnie asked way to much for it back then ($80)!

Well, ok, at least a BS keyboard won.

There exist 4 varaints!

You need the 107-key version!

Halvar wrote: ↑Wait .. the SSK didn't win? But this 60% keyboard is seriously crippled, all the important nav keys are missing as well as function keys, and tinnie asked way to much for it back then ($80)!

Well, ok, at least a BS keyboard won.

I would also add a way too large case which is totally useless nowadays..

photekq wrote: ↑The reign of those racketty old IBM things must end sooner or later.

One day, eh, one day!

photekq wrote: ↑The reign of those racketty old IBM things must end sooner or later.

Now that Ellipse is making new ones, never.

I still like my boards conventional in layout-- the 107-key flavour comes close, butyou end up having to sacrifice something to replace the top-row keys.

I don't want a board where I have to explain to the user at my desk "how do you press F5"

Hoping that eventually this leads to a capsense 103 in full-ANSI layout.