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IBM 3278 Beam Spring

Posted: 10 Sep 2014, 00:04
by scottc
Thanks to Halvar, I was lucky enough to get my hands on a wonderful IBM 3278 beam spring in DE layout.

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Being a German-layout board, there are some interesting legends.

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What's this -- sellotape? It looks like this section can't hold itself together anymore.

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Good news - the booklet is still intact!

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It's held up surprisingly well!

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There are some homemade stickers on the numpad-ish area.

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...and some other more official-looking ones in the navigation cluster.

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Here's a view from the bottom. I don't have a flat-head screwdriver handy, so this will have to wait...

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My favourite: the full name always gets me. Made in Canada. mr_a500 will be pleased!

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Here it is, toothless and ready for cleaning. Keycap soup pictured in the background.

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Posted: 10 Sep 2014, 00:13
by webwit
That's a great score. I'll be eagerly awaiting your first attempts at fusion Irish-German poetry. Or, as Goethe, the most famous of German comedians, would say:
Lieblich ist's, im Frühlingsgarten
Mancher holden Blume warten;
Aber lieblicher, im Segen
Seiner Freunde Namen pflegen:
Denn der Anblick solcher Züge
Tut so Seel als Geist Genüge,
Ja, zu Lieb und Treu bekennt
Sich der Freund, wie er sich nennt.

Posted: 10 Sep 2014, 00:24
by Halvar
For what it's worth, the various stickers suggest that the keyboard was used in the credit department of a bank until 1984.

The text of the "help" brochure must have been totally incomprehensible to most users back then I assume. It's written like the worst legalese.

Posted: 10 Sep 2014, 00:40
by scottc
webwit wrote: That's a great score. I'll be eagerly awaiting your first attempts at fusion Irish-German poetry. Or, as Goethe, the most famous of German comedians, would say:
Lieblich ist's, im Frühlingsgarten
Mancher holden Blume warten;
Aber lieblicher, im Segen
Seiner Freunde Namen pflegen:
Denn der Anblick solcher Züge
Tut so Seel als Geist Genüge,
Ja, zu Lieb und Treu bekennt
Sich der Freund, wie er sich nennt.
Oh grdstg, dat freig...
Halvar wrote: For what it's worth, the various stickers suggest that the keyboard was used in the credit department of a bank until 1984.

The text of the "help" brochure must have been totally incomprehensible to most users back then I assume. It's written like the worst legalese.
Ooh, that's pretty interesting. The stickers were all but crumbling to dust, unfortunately, so I imagine that they'll be long gone after the dental tab soak.

Posted: 10 Sep 2014, 00:53
by Muirium
Is there anything in the black plastic compartment, underneath? Mine had yet more instructions! Just as inscrutable as the first, to Germans and us alike.

The inside of the case is a good place to spot another date. And beware Greenock, even in "Canadian" boards.

Posted: 10 Sep 2014, 01:11
by Halvar
The bottom compartment was empty in most of the keyboards that I got, including this one. I can provide a brochure with Goethe poems to put in there though if desired.

Posted: 10 Sep 2014, 01:52
by Muirium
It's Irish now. Stash some limericks!

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Posted: 10 Sep 2014, 08:15
by benichka
That's a really nice piece :D It does seem that it is full metal?
How much does that weight?

Posted: 10 Sep 2014, 09:57
by macmakkara
Mine should arrive today or tomorrow acording to dhl :D
If you happen to find source for controller drop me pm :)

Posted: 10 Sep 2014, 11:30
by Halvar
benichka wrote: How much does that weight?
The case is full metal, it weights approximately as much as 2 Model Ms or 4 G80-3000s or 10 modern Dell rubberdomes (= 5 kg). :geek:

Posted: 10 Sep 2014, 11:34
by benichka
lol...
I'm pretty sure some people have a lighter computer :lol: