Search found 365 matches

by sharktastica
12 Feb 2024, 02:29
Forum: Keyboards
Topic: Steven Spielberg's beamspring?
Replies: 3
Views: 4112

Re: Steven Spielberg's beamspring?

It looks to be IBM 5253/5254 . The terminal specifically looks like an IBM 5253 Display Station, which (along with its 5254 dual-operator sibling) were for the IBM 5520 Administrative System, a document creation, editing and storage system. They're interesting since the terminals look very similar t...
by sharktastica
05 Feb 2024, 23:12
Forum: Keyboards
Topic: Help Dating a Silver Badge Model M
Replies: 13
Views: 6320

Re: Help Dating a Silver Badge Model M

What this heck is going on here? This PCB is quite a bit longer with space for a number of unpopulated components, not to mention some other subtle differences in components. It seems that this controller layout was borrowed from early terminal models. (Copying what I said on my Discord to you for ...
by sharktastica
15 Jan 2024, 20:04
Forum: Keyboards
Topic: How can I tell if an IBM Model F 122 keyboard has missing keys?
Replies: 2
Views: 5780

Re: How can I tell if an IBM Model F 122 keybaord has missing keys?

My hope is that my Keyboard Directory will help with such questions in the future but it's still a WIP. There are only 4 unique F122s currently in it (can search "F122" to see them) but I'll work on them this evening so more may appear shortly. But in lieu of that, you're welcome to post a photo of ...
by sharktastica
04 Jan 2024, 22:19
Forum: News
Topic: Shark's IBM keyboard part number database hits 3000+ keyboards recorded
Replies: 2
Views: 1384

Shark's IBM keyboard part number database hits 3000+ keyboards recorded

These are keyboards spanning 1949 to the present, covering IBM, its descendants and companies that have acquired IBM divisions, staff and IP. From the IBM 024/026 Card Punch Keyboard Assembly to the Unicomp Mini M and Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold 16's Bluetooth TrackPoint Keyboard and Stand... 70+ years ...
by sharktastica
11 Dec 2023, 17:38
Forum: Keyboards
Topic: Dear Model F owners, can we talk? (Long rant)
Replies: 143
Views: 276631

Re: Dear Model F owners, can we talk? (Long rant)

It was my understanding the solenoid activated when the terminal couldn't keep up with your key presses? I'm recalling from a YouTube comment I read years ago so maybe this is totally wrong. They were called "clicker assemblies" (or some variation of that) and primarily used for engaging on key pre...
by sharktastica
11 Nov 2023, 23:38
Forum: Keyboards
Topic: IBM PS/2 L40sx and PS/2e M4-1 Space Saver keyboards
Replies: 2
Views: 8315

Re: IBM PS/2 L40sx and PS/2e M4-1 Space Saver keyboards

Good to see you here! I certainly think they're interesting (and I always defend that IBM buckling sleeve keyboards are underrated!) Thank you taking the time to post the membrane layouts - whilst I have M4s, I've been put off the idea of completely opening up the inner assembly in case I broke anyt...
by sharktastica
19 Oct 2023, 01:10
Forum: Keyboards
Topic: Comparison & classifications of 122-key IBM Model M keyboards (redux!)
Replies: 1
Views: 7779

Re: Comparison & classifications of 122-key IBM Model M keyboards (redux!)

Apologies for the poor photo for Type 5. They're not common and its really hard to find photos of them. The photo above is a (quick and poor) scale up of a photo from Unicomp's website in the late '90s. I have an example of Type 5 (a Quiet Touch NLynx Technologies brand P/N 301-5520-012 from the ear...
by sharktastica
19 Oct 2023, 01:03
Forum: Keyboards
Topic: Comparison & classifications of 122-key IBM Model M keyboards (redux!)
Replies: 1
Views: 7779

Comparison & classifications of 122-key IBM Model M keyboards (redux!)

A few years ago, I wrote a guide on the different types of 122-key Model Ms (aka, "M122s") explaining how there were four distinct types of them and how Unicomp later adapted some of the later ones to suit their needs. I've recently been revamping content on the entire IBM Converged Keyboard (the of...
by sharktastica
18 Oct 2023, 19:10
Forum: News
Topic: Official names for IBM 75/87/104/122 key terminal keyboards
Replies: 3
Views: 2796

Re: Official names for IBM 75/87/104/122 key terminal keyboards

Any idea what this here Kishsaver's layout was called? I think I've seen it described by IBM as a 4704 type something-or-other (searching DT isn't bringing it up), along with numeric names for its brother 4704s like the 77. I don't recall having seen the layout itself described, however. I'm not su...
by sharktastica
18 Oct 2023, 18:15
Forum: News
Topic: Official names for IBM 75/87/104/122 key terminal keyboards
Replies: 3
Views: 2796

Official names for IBM 75/87/104/122 key terminal keyboards

A few weeks ago, I was looking for layout diagrams for IBM 3270 family terminal keyboards and I saw some specific names being used to describe styles of IBM keyboards that I don't think I've seen mentioned before (at least, contemporary in keyboard communities). IBM Base Keyboard and IBM Converged K...
by sharktastica
17 Oct 2023, 18:59
Forum: Other external
Topic: Great/Interesting Finds
Replies: 26262
Views: 8604890

Re: Great/Interesting Finds

Now up to $760. Besides the color is there anything else that differentiates this from a normal Model M? From normal Model Ms in general? Mechanically, not really. Obviously, the general rule of thumb is that the earlier the Model M the better quality though. In my experience though, the earliest o...
by sharktastica
20 Sep 2023, 17:13
Forum: Keyboards
Topic: Classic Style FSSK Model F vs. Unicomp Mini M
Replies: 25
Views: 35457

Re: Classic Style FSSK Model F vs. Unicomp Mini M

Something else no one has pointed out. The Unicomp Mini-M has lock lights. From the photos, it looks like the FSSK will not. I know the original SSK did not have lock lights, which is why the FSSK does not. But I really like either lock lights. or integrated LEDs into the caps lock and num lock key...
by sharktastica
11 Sep 2023, 22:04
Forum: Keyboards
Topic: Unicomp's new RP2040/Pico controller purchasing & flashing Vial-QMK guide
Replies: 23
Views: 28345

Re: Unicomp's new RP2040/Pico controller purchasing & flashing Vial-QMK guide

Updates are live! Changes: "How to get them" has been split so it's no longer a massive text wall. Two "Compatibility with..." sections and the "Can I make my incompatible keyboard compatible?" section were formed from it. Created "How do I find out if new Unicomp already has one?" section to explai...
by sharktastica
10 Sep 2023, 21:50
Forum: Keyboards
Topic: Dear Model F owners, can we talk? (Long rant)
Replies: 143
Views: 276631

Re: Dear Model F owners, can we talk? (Long rant)

(sometimes 3, depending on which keys on the matrix)? Model Ms are always 2-key rollover. Rollover would be the guaranteed minimum achievable combo size for all keys, not the maximum in a certain scenario. For example, the matrix used in the Unicomp Mini M is theoretically capable of having Q-T + A...
by sharktastica
10 Sep 2023, 01:09
Forum: Keyboards
Topic: Unicomp's new RP2040/Pico controller purchasing & flashing Vial-QMK guide
Replies: 23
Views: 28345

Re: Unicomp's new RP2040/Pico controller purchasing & flashing Vial-QMK guide

The PCBs are thicker but they still fit. I also installed one in my 2014 GE Medical Unicomp. You just need to use a worrying amount of force and come in from the right angle. This was my experience as well. They fit, but something seems tighter. I tried 3 Unicomps (a 2019 Classic, a 2019 Ultra Clas...
by sharktastica
08 Aug 2023, 19:52
Forum: Keyboards
Topic: IBM Model M6/M6-1 ThinkPad, PS/note & PS/2 laptop keyboard assemblies
Replies: 1
Views: 1862

Re: IBM Model M6/M6-1 ThinkPad, PS/note & PS/2 laptop keyboard assemblies

Full applicable laptop/subnotebook/portable workstation list M6 or M6-1 is given either by IBM/Lexmark's assignment or based on a keyboard's closest related M6 or M6-1 (pretty much all the keyboards are related to at least another or based on another's layout) with the discussion in the "M6 versus ...
by sharktastica
08 Aug 2023, 19:33
Forum: Keyboards
Topic: IBM Model M6/M6-1 ThinkPad, PS/note & PS/2 laptop keyboard assemblies
Replies: 1
Views: 1862

IBM Model M6/M6-1 ThinkPad, PS/note & PS/2 laptop keyboard assemblies

Anyone who has or had particularly early ThinkPads (700 to 755, 350 to 365, etc.) and taken them apart or lifted the keyboard may have noticed they have an "M6" or "M6-1" Model M designation on their manufacture sticker... The IBM Model M6 was the original family of ThinkPad keyboards used on many h...
by sharktastica
03 Aug 2023, 01:09
Forum: Keyboards
Topic: Unicomp's new RP2040/Pico controller purchasing & flashing Vial-QMK guide
Replies: 23
Views: 28345

Re: Unicomp's new RP2040/Pico controller purchasing & flashing Vial-QMK guide

bottom row Should note that like with their other keyboards, it's possible to configure the Mini M with a "Tsangan" style bottom row. If you're unfamiliar with it, it's simply the bottom row of a classic Model M with the blanks filled in. Unicomp calls it the "103" style for their other keyboards. ...
by sharktastica
03 Aug 2023, 00:57
Forum: Keyboards
Topic: Unicomp's new RP2040/Pico controller purchasing & flashing Vial-QMK guide
Replies: 23
Views: 28345

Re: Unicomp's new RP2040/Pico controller purchasing & flashing Vial-QMK guide

idollar wrote:
01 Aug 2023, 17:09
My Mini-M order (internal in USA) is from 02 May 2023

Do you know if they will be "New Mini M logic card with Pico" versions ?
If they haven't shipped it already, my understanding is that it should be. But I recommend emailing them just to be sure.
by sharktastica
29 Jul 2023, 22:17
Forum: Gallery
Topic: Shark's IBM/Lexmark/Unicomp Keyboard ID Chart (W.I.P.)
Replies: 3
Views: 3722

Shark's IBM/Lexmark/Unicomp Keyboard ID Chart (W.I.P.)

As a Star Trek fan, I've long enjoyed looking at charts of various ships on websites like Ex Astris Scientia and Starfleet Museum . I've been wanting to bring this magic over to my website, in the process making some cool content that looks neat and shows the evolution of IBM's keyboard families, an...
by sharktastica
22 Jun 2023, 23:25
Forum: Keyboards
Topic: Unicomp's new RP2040/Pico controller purchasing & flashing Vial-QMK guide
Replies: 23
Views: 28345

Re: Unicomp's new RP2040/Pico controller purchasing & flashing Vial-QMK guide

Wonderful guide Sharktastica! Just finished programming my Mini M with the Justify controller. Thanks, enjoy! The hardest part was prying off the retaining rings used to hold the old controller in (seriously, why on earth did Unicomp design it this way instead of using screws?). Because at first, t...
by sharktastica
22 Jun 2023, 18:03
Forum: Keyboards
Topic: Unicomp's new RP2040/Pico controller purchasing & flashing Vial-QMK guide
Replies: 23
Views: 28345

Unicomp's new RP2040/Pico controller purchasing & flashing Vial-QMK guide

As some are probably already aware, Unicomp was forced to update its controller design this year since their previous chip of choice for USB keyboards has been discontinued and [largely] unavailable. This chip was also difficult for anyone to reprogram. Unicomp elected to embrace an RP2040 future, w...
by sharktastica
27 May 2023, 16:06
Forum: Keyboards
Topic: IBM 5324 Model F Keyboard
Replies: 10
Views: 1900

Re: IBM 5324 Model F Keyboard

Ah, the Bigfoot. The classiest keyboard cover ever made. The cable on yours comes out at a different spot on the back, though. Probably a design improvement for ease of access to the 60% storage compartment. :D This is a different bigfoot. The one you pictured with the three-setting feet are IBM 52...
by sharktastica
25 May 2023, 01:03
Forum: Mice & other input devices
Topic: Unidentified clicky 80's IBM optical mouse with nonstandard connector
Replies: 14
Views: 21322

Re: Unidentified clicky 80's IBM optical mouse with nonstandard connector

It appears to be an IBM 5277 Mouse ( source 1 , source 2 ). It's intended for IBM 3270 family colour/graphics terminals (3179-Gx, 3192-Gx0) and PC-based emulators (3270 PC AT/G and 3270 PC AT/GX). The earliest mention I can find on IBM's Offering Info portal is June 1984 at a price of $340 USD (arou...
by sharktastica
18 May 2023, 23:24
Forum: Keyboards
Topic: Old IBM Model M serial numbers
Replies: 8
Views: 2063

Re: Old IBM Model M serial numbers

Pulled from my database ;) , an early production Model F AT. I was wondering what this particular ID meant. I didn't believe it to be the 55th unit produced. AT.jpg Looks like the folks at Greenock forgot the rest of the ID! For reference, he's some completed Model F IBM U.K. birth certs: F/XT: htt...
by sharktastica
18 May 2023, 21:18
Forum: Keyboards
Topic: Old IBM Model M serial numbers
Replies: 8
Views: 2063

Re: Old IBM Model M serial numbers

Yes, the letter at the beginning of an IBM Model M serial number does mean something special. The letter indicates the plant where the keyboard was manufactured. A: Lexington, Kentucky B: Chicopee, Massachusetts C: Austin, Texas D: South Carolina E: Japan F: Mexico G: Taiwan H: China So, your keybo...
by sharktastica
11 Apr 2023, 17:03
Forum: Keyboards
Topic: I was just checking the Model K Keyboards site and just saw my dream keyboard
Replies: 27
Views: 4828

Re: I was just checking the Model K Keyboards site and just saw my dream keyboard

Model K? 8-) That's the evolution of the species, I suppose :D So the question is: where are the Model G, H, I and J keyboards? Early UK-made Model Ms (which typically never had a "Model M" designation on the keyboard to begin with) could have a sticker inside that said "Model G" , which makes sens...
by sharktastica
20 Mar 2023, 16:54
Forum: Keyboards
Topic: Classic Unicomp Speaker Hole?
Replies: 10
Views: 1703

Re: Classic Unicomp Speaker Hole?

Or did Unicomp update some tooling or something recently? The back case piece seems to be made from the moulds IBM and Lexmark used for 102/103-key InfoWindow terminal keyboards such as P/N 1394204 ( example #1 , #2 ) - you can tell by the larger than usual [Type II/III/IV M122 style] flip-out feet...
by sharktastica
16 Mar 2023, 14:06
Forum: Keyboards
Topic: Small queries re. Unicomp 122's Single Usage Code controller
Replies: 12
Views: 1772

Re: Small queries re. Unicomp 122's Single Usage Code controller

Hey DT, sharktastica here. I've been summoned. 1) if the new controller improves on the original's 2-key rollover, or is that an inescapable part of the M experience? No, it's a physical limitation of the membrane assembly. All Model Ms (including the latest Unicomp Mini M) are ultimately bound to 2...
by sharktastica
15 Feb 2023, 16:34
Forum: Keyboards
Topic: Differentiating IBM 3101, 3270 & 5250 Model B/Model F/Model M keyboards
Replies: 6
Views: 2598

Re: Differentiating IBM 3101, 3270 & 5250 Model B/Model F/Model M keyboards

If you're going to do this there should probably be greater differentiation in the 3270 section. I'll add an additional photo to the summary soon. However the article itself makes this clear, showing both 'generations' of 3270 family Model Bs and a [bolded] suggestion for quick identification for e...

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