deskthority

Only the very very earliest ones might have salmon switches.

AEK is a far better bet, almost all have either orange or salmon.

emmafrost1 wrote: ↑

18 May 2023, 13:37

There are a few possible explanations for the weight discrepancy

The factors you listed are real but would seem to be almost trivial.

A discrepency of 250 g, over half a pound - that is huge.

to type on their ‘phones.’ that’s my own worst medium! Amen. I am hopeless with my clumsy fat fingers, BESIDES the fact that I can't see a tiny screen anyway. Also, my skin tends to be dry, and the capacitance of my fingertips, or whatever it is, makes it seem that the phone screen is unable to asc...

always on the number row. Not me. I will usually use the number row at the top for a single digit or 2 embedded in text (as with that "2" just now), but for something like a telephone number I would never dream of trying to find it all up there. My ability to touch type does not reliably extend up ...

As I recall, that keyboard requires that a 5th "reset" wire be connected, in addition to the usual 4 wires.

TNT wrote: ↑

13 May 2023, 14:54

Very nice! Is the DC-2014 really the best blue Alps XT-layout board or is it the only one?

It used to be considered one of the very few keyboards that was a "sure thing" to have blue Alps.

Polecat wrote: ↑

04 May 2023, 02:50

Which means transplanting blue Alps into just about any real Windows-key keyboard will be a disappointment.

Dell AT-101W is a very nice chassis and is even available in black.
Its larger footprint puts some people off, but it has a good solid sound and feel.

Do I know for absolute certain that the cases are interchangeable? No. But my strong guess is that they are. The older switches will probably be better, if they are equally clean. The old bottom case shells also have a rectangular iron weight which probably helps, and it takes a very small amount of...

Nice haul!

Muirium wrote: ↑

23 Mar 2023, 16:53

when are you going to use the other

It is an excellent cleaner when the usual stuff can't cut the mustard. Just be careful because it can damage paint and plastic.

https://www.bobvila.com/slideshow/10-un ... ome-578723

apastuszak wrote: ↑

23 Mar 2023, 14:45

buy some nail polish remover.

A liter of acetone at the hardware store costs about the same as a couple of ounces of nail polish remover in the cosmetic section, and it is the same thing.

You might really enjoy a 122-key terminal. All the usual stuff and more.

The sound is lot more "metallic". Personally, I do not particularly enjoy the sound of loud keyboards, the feel is what I lust for in the Model F. Consider how much more solid and satisfying is the feel of metal compared to plastic .... And although the floss mod does not change the sound of the M ...

the click is so much sharper This is it, boiled down to the essence. I have become accustomed to tactility in general and a click is the best expression of that experience. And although any keyboard contains a variety of materials, the overall perception that you walk away with 99% of the time is "...

AndyJ wrote: ↑

15 Mar 2023, 23:47

Unicomp has

Outbound international shipping from the US is always obscenely expensive.

daemonspudguy wrote: ↑

15 Mar 2023, 01:35

not having arrow keys

Huh?
122-key terminal keyboards have a plethora of dedicated arrow and navigation keys, and can be mapped for more.

I remember dot matrix printers. I actually have a new-in-box Epson FX-86e in the store room. It is just like the one that served me like a true workhorse from the mid-1980s until the mid-1990s - and when I sold it, it was still going strong. The only reason I keep it is my fantasy that one day it w...

The barrel plate is just a dumb piece of plastic, if the metal back plate is also missing that is more problematic.

If you can get a box of parts for a very cheap price, it may be worth it if you plan to stay in the Model M game.

daemonspudguy wrote: ↑

13 Mar 2023, 00:29

I would argue actualy having a layout that doesn't suck is a good reason to prefer an M over an F.

I am inclined to agree. Fortunately, the 122-key terminals can be modified to something extremely close to straight-ANSI.

thefarside wrote: ↑

10 Mar 2023, 21:37

Muirium wrote: ↑

10 Mar 2023, 16:36

nutty for tapping many of mine on my phone!

I will speak

Blasphemy! This is a proper KEYBOARD forum!

It does have the right angled keyboard cable connector that matches what a type II M122 has with this part number. Maybe it is still a Model F at heart but with slight modifications such as the controller and cable. That would be my guess, too. One possibility is that the controller was modified to...

Few stores in the US sell M2 screws, I order them on ebay from China. They are very cheap but plan on taking 3+ weeks to get them. If you are willing to pay considerably more, McMaster-Carr ships fast. https://www.mcmaster.com/Screws/thread-size~m2/metric-sealing-pan-head-screws/ A 1/16" bit (Imperi...

I hate apple, so I hate Apple, too, but they won't see any of the money that you pay for a keyboard that is older than my grown children. Personally, I think that AEK and AEK2 are particularly ugly, especially when yellowed, but the switches and key caps are excellent. I just with that you could tr...

sendas wrote: ↑

08 Feb 2023, 21:47

I'll see if I can check inside the soarers

Is it an Orihalcon cable?
Sometimes people refer to Orihalcon's cables as "Soarer's" and I would certainly not open one up.

I always start with cables and connections (and that can be internal as well as external).

Be careful, naptha does not play well with either paint or plastic. It has been years since I removed a Model M label. To remove adhesive, I squirt a very small amount all around the perimeter and give it a few seconds to work, then carefully start peeling from one corner. It is best to gently lift ...

I use naptha (old-fashioned cigarette lighter fluid) for most adhesive removal projects, and it would likely discolor but not otherwise damage the label. In that scenario, plan to re-affix it with clear tape because it may be too flimsy to lay properly. Another thing that I have done to protect a la...

What an absolutely awesome find !

The only IBM Mµ cap ever sent my way Congratulations Muirium ! - surprised to learn that I have been here a year and a half longer than you. I wish that I had a mu cap, but I am almost exclusively an IBM user and those are almost as rare as would be Alps or Space Invaders, my other preferred switch...

most of the used/bolt-modded Model Ms on the market would have hit that a long time ago, assuming regular use. My guess is that approximately 0% of ancient IBM iron has been in "regular use" since it was originally purchased. Almost all of them have probably a small number of 1-5 year periods of us...