deskthority

* PS/2 to USB: a cheap and effective solution is to use an active PS/2 to USB converter like this one. Orihalcon also sells a somewhat more expensive, yet elegant PS/2 to USB converter cable.

* You could paint the back plate or apply a layer of acrylic varnish.

Great finds!

I wish my employer had kept its old keyboards, yet the only thing you can find in our building is crappy HP rubberdomes, none of which are older than two years.

Thank you for these posts! Very interesting to see what these things look like inside (however rusty this sample may be!).

Ouch! Makes you wonder who did it. A courier?

Cool stuff! Thanks - dank je wel!

I have eight keyboards, all of which I use from time to time, with the exception of an absolutely terrible Commodore rubberdome from the 1990s. Those keys are just too frustrating to type on. I switch every two or three weeks, depending on whether I feel like something else to type on. The board I u...

Thanks for the responses guys! But check it out, I'm not too concerned about restoring the texture because as this picture shows, the texture underneath this 'coating' is the same. It literally looks like this slightly darker beige paint/latex film was applied over the lighter plastic, and it's the...

Thanks for the responses guys! But check it out, I'm not too concerned about restoring the texture because as this picture shows, the texture underneath this 'coating' is the same. It literally looks like this slightly darker beige paint/latex film was applied over the lighter plastic, and it's the...

Fantastic! Many thanks for posting.

EDIT: Unicomp used to sell NOS logitech made 'grey button' soap mice before they sold out. I have one of them , they sold them for 1 USD in the end. They are quite well build , such a shame about the low dpi One frustrating thing is that the DPI doesn't actually account for the cursor speed, it's s...

Thanks! I only saw this just now - have always been curious about the Unicomp Model Ms.

... the keys on different rows have different profiles (inclinations), so "switching" keycaps works only if one has a qwerty set that covers the same keyboard (ISO etc. - the above discussion). But, since you have such a keyboard, you just have to try it :) Forgive my ignorance, but what does that ...

But if by "qwerty" you mean the US layout (commonly called ANSI as opposed to ISO, which is used in most European layouts including "azerty"), swapping keycap sets will not work because the keyboards are built differently: - the whole Enter key cluster has a completely different layout, with the sw...

I have one of those, from Logilink. I've used it with my Model M for a month or so, and it works fine.

I do also have a blue cube, but the 'split cable' adapters allow me to also attach my PS/2 mouse.

Build a switch into a Model M or Model F that transforms it into a rubberdome for those moments when your other half can't bear to hear any more clicking.

if you don't have large strong hands, get clamps and a hammer, it will make getting the XT back together easy, the one pin that folds over , be very careful with it , only bend it up a tiny amount to get the plate out as it can snap and then you will be in a world of shit :P. Thanks for the advice ...

I gave swapping the spring a go. Unfortunately, it didn't resolve the problem. It did improve my skills with toothpicks, though. It seems this keyboard does, indeed, require more thorough repairs.

OH , another thing to try first , swap the keycap with another , it could be damage to the cap. Do the easy thing first Thanks - I've already tried that. What still throws me is that I do get output if I carefully touch the spring without the keycap on. Makes me wonder what would happen if I'd medd...

Many thanks for the reply! Seems like I've got my work cut out for me.

Perhaps someone can help me with a problem that I'm having with one of my Model F boards. I recently cleaned it, after which the following problem started occurring: the comma key does not register with the key cap on, even though the spring seems to be seated properly: whenever I take the key cap o...

Many thanks! I always enjoy your reviews.

For a while now, I've been looking for a mouse that matches my Model M and Model F keyboards in both style and feel, and I think I may have found it. Yesterday I got an IBM 96F9275 rollerball mouse. Unlike the Model 001 (the 'trapezoid' mouse that came with the PS/2) it's nice and speedy even on a 1...

Chyros wrote: ↑So, we've been struggling with Alps codes for a while now. I've been working on a theory though.
[...]

Interesting stuff - thank you for sharing!

Also, what's a bolt mod? In a bolt mod you cut away all of the plastic rivets that connect the barrel plate with the metal plate that supports the membrames which register your key presses. This gives you access to the membrames and allows you to replace the rivets with nuts and bolts (which should...

Sometimes, my IBM Model M seems to sense two clicks when I press a button. Basically, this results in two of those characters appearing on screen, even though clicky sound is normal. This seems to most often happen with "i" and left arrow. Any idea what is broken, and if it's possible to fix it? I'...

Good idea. A long narrow metal bar of the same size as the spacebar could be taped on for a completely reversible ballast. Thanks. Using a strip that could be taped to the spacebar has occurred to me, too. As soon as I have a bit of time on my hands I'll look into options - ideally, I'd find a work...

I can't decide what is worst, the screwdriver to pop out the key or the adhesive advice, I bet many of you got heart attacks. I've actually used screwdrivers for precisely this purpose on a Model M and a Model F. It worked really well, and I didn't notice any kind of damage in either case. Model M ...

After reading up on how to mod my Model F spacebar so as to decrease the downward force required to make it register I decided to try a few other things first. I didn't quite feel like cracking open the shell again and was afraid I might damage something in the process of modifying the keyboard. The...

ulises3.14 wrote: ↑I can't decide what is worst, the screwdriver to pop out the key or the adhesive advice, I bet many of you got heart attacks.

I've actually used screwdrivers for precisely this purpose on a Model M and a Model F. It worked really well, and I didn't notice any kind of damage in either case.

Thanks guys! I'll consider doing that - or just train my thumb until it possesses superhuman strength! I've given the problem with the paint some more thought. Acrylic paint might do the trick, too (I have some experience restoring vintage toys using acrylics). If I do indeed go ahead and paint over...