deskthority

So it seems that no one knows exactly when production of the Model M started, but the earliest examples seem to date back to 1985. The Model M 1386303 is the very first version of the Model M keyboard with examples seen online and here on Deskthority dating as early as June 1985. Also early industrial variants have been found dating back to 1985. Recently there was a very early Model M 1386303 that sold on eBay that dates back to May 7,1985. This particular board is ID# 00801, one of the first 1000 Model M's ever made. I bid on this, but apparently did not want it as badly as someone else.

Does anyone here have an earlier Model M or at least know of an earlier example?

auction link:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/IBM-Model-M-138 ... true&rt=nc

Lovely. The really old ones just have so much more presence.

There are several known prototypes. I don't know if we have a date on them. The controller from my black-badge M is from week 51 or 52 of 1984, but that's of course not exactly the same.

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clickykeyboards might know of an older one, he has a pretty good database of Model Ms.

Yeah, in fact he has one of the prototypes as I recall.

taylorswiftttttt wrote: ↑I have a 1386303 from July 11th, 1985. It's 1 day away from my birth day which is nice.

As far as I know, the only Model Ms that have the possibility to be made in 1985 are 1386303s and 1388032s. Perhaps someone can add to this.

That May 5th 1985 board sold in a lot of boards about a month ago. My max bid on the auction was $150, I was taking an exam and it went for $152.50. The guy who bought those boards has made a pretty hefty profit now.

Cool, thanks for the info. It likely would have sold at a loss had I not bid it way up at the end I've seen some shell out even more for early boards.

My model F was made several months after that model M

Always love seeing early Model M's. My earliest is a young pup. 06 Jun 86

Here is the early model M that I have from August 1985.
http://www.clickeykeyboards.com/model-m ... -keyboard/

This black frame model M keyboard has a female SDL connector and connects to natively to a IBM ps/2 computer via the SDL to ps/2 cable without the need for a converter. Also can work on computers with USB ports with ps/2 to USB converter or SDL to USB cable.

I also have a few other early 1386303 from 1985 with the 5-pin right-pin connector, but these model M variants were intended for non-PCs and can't be plugged in directly to an IBM ps/2 personal computer.

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I am going to have to side with taylorswiftttttt regarding the 1386303 Model M's. Even though this model can't be directly plugged into a PC, they are underrated in my opinion due to the outstanding build quality of this era.

I just wanted to share these spreadsheets from ClickyKeyboards which help to document early examples of Model M's. I am not sure if there is a similar database for other early M's like the 1390120.

1390120
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/ ... 95Me18/pub

1390131
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/ ... 0uKczE/pub

1391401
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/ ... 6ZYHwI/pub