Great/Interesting Finds

[E TwentyNine]

This one was born Feb 4, 1999 and built for IBM by Unicomp. This is the only series of IBM branded Model M13's that did not have a true trackpoint. This version comes with Unicomp's track stick instead, which acts more like a little mini-joystick, instead of like a relatively immobile pressure sensing Trackpoint.

This is wrong. While the unicomp built M13's do have their technology, there are Maxiswitch industrial M13's that have the trackpoint.

I'll dispute his other quote too:

Either way, it is the rarest of all IBM Model M13 series, followed by the rare black M13's, and then the more common white M13's.

The Maxiswitch industrial is more rare than the Unicomp one, and I'll extend that to saying the black M13's are way more common than white ones.

[E TwentyNine]

You could take the innards from an old school beige IBM M-13 and drop it into one of Unicomp's overstock industrial gray cases (still being sold), and you'd end up with a superior overall keyboard to this.

But I suppose if you're a speculator or collector, this might be an okay investment.

The standard cases don't have the opening for the mouse port nor I'd suspect the internal structure for supporting the mouse controller card.

[ohaimark]

Here's a very, very special ANSI keyboard. These usually have a bizarre square enter key:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/222275461067

[Firebolt1914]

http://www.ebay.de/itm/Cherry-G80-3500H ... 2cb3587232

http://www.ebay.de/itm/Cherry-G80-3000H ... 2cb392229f

Have these been posted yet?

[dermixxer]

That seller has even more boards/caps to sell:
http://www.ebay.de/sch/sixtysixmhz/m.ht ... rmvSB=true

[chzel]

Those are sixty's auctions

[seebart]

Wow, he selling more of his gems. I'd love that Blaupunkt BTX.

[gogusrl]

dat full size Strg labeled Control key on the 0778

[emdude]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-IBM-M4- ... 2276388271

IBM M4-1 with numpad, I had to do a double take, 'Made by Key Tronic'? But the label does say so. I personally was not aware they made keyboards for IBM.

[BinaryHalibut]

Anyone know what switches this uses?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Avaya-EPC-Lucen ... 2274203879

[Wingpad]

Anyone know what switches this uses?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Avaya-EPC-Lucen ... 2274203879

I think it is a rebranded Wyse keyboard like this one (model 901865-01):

My guess would be Cherry MX Black switches as a result.

[photekq]

Rubber dome.

[mecano]

Dual adb ports to USB adapter https://www.leboncoin.fr/informatique/1 ... tm?ca=12_s

[Wodan]

ONLY TODAY - will laser some Beamspring foam replacement rings later and offering them @5€ a set (90pc) for CLUB MEMBERS ONLY. One per person, shipping 4,50/6€ domestic/international, no idea how many I will have but FCFS. Paypal +2€ (charges are TERRIBLE for small amounts) PM ME!

NO RESALE! If I see them for sale, you get blacklisted from ANY of my future sales.

[Slom]

ONLY TODAY - will laser some Beamspring foam replacement rings later and offering them @5€ a set (100pc) for CLUB MEMBERS ONLY. One per person, shipping 4,50/6€ domestic/international, no idea how many I will have but FCFS. Paypal +2€ (charges are TERRIBLE for small amounts) PM ME!

NO RESALE! If I see them for sale, you get blacklisted from ANY of my future sales.

I thought DT now had a club-members only section for this kind of stuff ^^

[fohat]

Dual adb ports to USB adapter https://www.leboncoin.fr/informatique/1 ... tm?ca=12_s

I used to have one of these. It is quite handy, if you have the mouse, too.

But it is larger than the iMate.

[Hypersphere]

Northgate Omnikey 101 White Alps US ANSI $99.95 Shipped

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Northgate-Omnik ... Sw8gVX~BxL

[alh84001]

In my experience, switches in this will bind. So either be prepared to clean the switches, or have replacements. And I'd wait for a price drop.

[//gainsborough]

In my experience, switches in this will bind. So either be prepared to clean the switches, or have replacements. And I'd wait for a price drop.

I can attest to this. I recently bought a 102, and it was the worst keyswitch feeling ever - scratchy beyond belief. I disassembled every switch on the board and used a dry lube on the sliders and now it feels fantastic.

I don't understand the variability in alps switches - I mean, I know the keyfeel is pretty dependent on the dust condition of the board itself - but I'm talking about how some alps boards I've acquired have a visible lubricant on the slider (that is still doing it's job as a lubricant), while others do not. The age of the board could be the same as well.

[gogusrl]

Spanish white on black doubleshots

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Cherry-Mechanic ... SwzaJX9E~0

some other interesting stuff from that seller as well.

[Slom]

Siemens wreck with Keyboard
http://www.ebay.de/itm/Siemens-Simatic- ... 2371400221

Focus keyboard with attached Computer
http://www.ebay.de/itm/PC-AT-386-Monito ... 2669222867

[Hypersphere]

Monterey K104 Keyboard

http://www.ebay.com/itm/RARE-Monterey-V ... SwAuNW8ISx

[Chyros]

Alps switches in any chassis will NOT bind if the condition is up to par. If they do, the keyboard is not up to scratch and should be considered non-representative.

[seebart]

Chyros is right of course, that's the one aspect Alps Electric messed up when designing SKCM which does not go well with dirt and wear. About the only aspect that Cherry MX beats SKCM by a longshot.

[alh84001]

Yes, that's right of course, but from my personal experience and from some other members here, it seems SKCM whites are especially prone to binding, and I wonder if it has to do something with the slider material. I had some alps boards in terrible condition, but, apart from those loose blues, I don't think I experienced any other switches that had binding issues. They might have been scratchy and what not, but no binding.

[seebart]

Yes, that's right of course, but from my personal experience and from some other members here, it seems SKCM whites are especially prone to binding

I don't think so, but I've never owned SKCM whites that were in really bad shape so I cannot judge. I did own a Dell AT once with blacks that had some minor binding.

and I wonder if it has to do something with the slider material. I had some alps boards in terrible condition, but, apart from those loose blues, I don't think I experienced any other switches that had binding issues. They might have been scratchy and what not, but no binding.

Interesting question. It may be that binding starts with a certain high amount of wear. With the amount of old keyboards around here that have worn white SKCM's we should be able to find out. Chyros what's your take on this?

I really don't think it would be specific to white SKCM's though.

[Chyros]

Yes, that's right of course, but from my personal experience and from some other members here, it seems SKCM whites are especially prone to binding, and I wonder if it has to do something with the slider material. I had some alps boards in terrible condition, but, apart from those loose blues, I don't think I experienced any other switches that had binding issues. They might have been scratchy and what not, but no binding.

I would say that's not true, that's most likely just a coincidence.

[Hypersphere]

I have recently tested four keyboards with blue Alps and I did not find binding.

However, I have recently examined five Northgate Omnikey 101 keyboards with white Alps. Three of the five exhibited some degree of binding. This was mostly apparent from pressing 1.50x or larger keys off center, especially in the upper right-hand corner. Interestingly, it was the cleanest-looking white Alps board that had the greatest level of binding.

Subsequently, I have cleaned and lubed all the switches on one of the white Alps boards and this virtually eliminated binding, although minor binding was still present on the Blackslash key.

[jerue]

Spanish white on black doubleshots

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Cherry-Mechanic ... SwzaJX9E~0

some other interesting stuff from that seller as well.

I had my eye on those and finally decided to cave and just buy them. Need to replace the super shiny Y key on my otherwise good WoB set


NIB Compaq G80-11800 (2 listings) both $20 BIN
(I assume these are the thin PBT version, I have seen these version of keycaps with thick PBT, but I wouldnt count on it)
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Compaq- ... 2372997162
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Compaq- ... 2372995865


Datahand BIN $500 (edit: this appears to be an older version)
http://www.ebay.com/itm/DataHand-DH200- ... 2373004890?


good price on Hypersphere's brown alps and small neon greens for harvesting
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Keyboard-from-I ... 2582546461


this painted NCR has a scroll lock key I really want, but not paying $75 for it: http://www.ebay.com/itm/232111335203?

[E3E]

Yes, that's right of course, but from my personal experience and from some other members here, it seems SKCM whites are especially prone to binding, and I wonder if it has to do something with the slider material. I had some alps boards in terrible condition, but, apart from those loose blues, I don't think I experienced any other switches that had binding issues. They might have been scratchy and what not, but no binding.

There's still the mysterious case of my Xerox 6085 with Alps SKCM Greens that had binding despite being immaculate.



Er, nevermind I guess! I just took a picture of the tops in good lighting. The plate was a little dusty, probably from just sitting around too long as the keyboard was not dirty nor were the caps shined, but that alone must've caused the binding I experienced with the swtiches.

My DocuTechs had no binding what-so-ever. Good news is, though, that swapping good condition Alps SKCM Salmon tops onto the SKCM Greens made them good as new.

What is a little strange though, is that I cleaned some of the switches and lubed them with molybdenum disulfide powder and they weren't exactly restored (before the top swap). Perhaps if I used an ultrasonic cleaner on the tops, it would've been a different story.