Question about my IBM "industrial" / "grey" Model M

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Akephal

08 Aug 2019, 18:18

Hi,

(I hope this is the right place for this, if not please tell me and I try to get this post removed).

First of all, I'm sorry because english is not my first language. I've been "using" Deskthority for quit a while but never really made an account. I was inspired to start this post, and to actually create an account on your lovely board, by Chyrosran22. He made a video about his grey Model M and since I just got this one by a lucky find, I thought maybe someone of you can help me out. As you can see form the model sticker it is quit a "new" one and doesn't seem to fit the time sharts I was dealing with. Is it a later one they just did throw together from older parts?

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Donnelly20

08 Aug 2019, 19:36

Would you be interested in selling it ?

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daedalus
Buckler Of Springs

08 Aug 2019, 22:21

The black square label Industrial Model M is usually associated with the IBM 7531, which was an Industrial version of the PC AT. It was launched in mid 1985, and most of the examples you see online are from the mid to late 80s.

There's two possible explanations as to why one was made in 1990:

1) IBM kept making this particular model of Industrial PC for a long time.
2) This was keyboard was refurbished by IBM.

Given that Industrial hardware often manufactured for a long time due to the difficulty of replacing embedded systems, I would put my money on 1)

User avatar
depletedvespene

08 Aug 2019, 22:46

I was going to say the same as Daedalus. Also, it should be remembered that the different plants (USA, UK and Mexico) had different stocks of keyboard parts (something easily noticed when taking into account the "inconsistency" in the dates of "adoption" of the differing logos, from silver square to oval gray to oval blue).

Since "industrial" keyboards were not made in huge numbers, it stands to reason that the Greenock plant simply had a large batch of gray cases in stock, which took long enough to be depleted, allowing for an, indeed, industrial gray keyboard with a black square logo to have been manufactured "as late as" 1990. Another factor that points in the same direction is the actual part number of this keyboard: 1388072, indeed lower than the well-known 1391401, and similar to the part number 1388032 (the US English industrial gray keyboard with a black square logo).


For contrast, I have a couple of Spanish Model M keyboards, part number 1391506, with SDL ports and all. HOWEVER... they were made in 1996 in the USA plant (not in Mexico), which at the time had already become LexMark and was normally producing Spanish Model M keyboards with the part number 82G2384 (with a fixed cable). The plant probably received an order for a batch of, specifically, 1391506 keyboards and manufactured those according to that spec.

So, Akephal, there is nothing weird about your keyboard. You indeed had a lucky find, and you should cherish it. Ensure the keyboard is in full working order and enjoy it for the decades to come! :)

User avatar
Chyros

08 Aug 2019, 23:16

Just, wow.

I've NEVER seen a black-badge ISO model before. I hadn't heard of this p/n, either. It's probably second-gen, not even fist- or zeroth-gen, but still, what an incredible find!

Congratulations mate! :D
Last edited by Chyros on 09 Aug 2019, 07:01, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
Akephal

08 Aug 2019, 23:31

Thanks all of you for the clearification. (And btw. no I'm not going to sell this one at this point and probably not in the future.)
depletedvespene wrote:
08 Aug 2019, 22:46
So, Akephal, there is nothing weird about your keyboard. You indeed had a lucky find, and you should cherish it. Ensure the keyboard is in full working order and enjoy it for the decades to come! :)
Thanks it just replaced my Keyboard at work. Even my college kinda likes the sound. Reminds him of the "old" days. :)

Edit: I was thinking to open it up and check the PCB and the Rest for part-numbers. Anything I could mess up in the process? (I've never open an Model M).

There are some slight greyish discoloration on the badge, anything I can do about it?

User avatar
Chyros

09 Aug 2019, 07:02

No, it's pretty hard to mess up anything in there, but you'll need a 5.5 mm nut driver. I'd be very interested to see the inside myself!

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Akephal

09 Aug 2019, 23:51

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Chyros

09 Aug 2019, 23:55

Interesting. It looks like your keyboard does use mostly younger parts - grey plate, no crystal, apparently coloured plastic for the case, but it does have the yellow wires.

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depletedvespene

10 Aug 2019, 00:27

Those pictures do point out to the case being older stock than the rest of the parts for the keyboard. Seems that this keyboard is in great condition, too. :)

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inmbolmie

18 Aug 2019, 21:31

For sure there are more black square badge ISO model Ms around.
ABBFD40A-4C17-4593-82FC-73EA234D4C87.jpeg
ABBFD40A-4C17-4593-82FC-73EA234D4C87.jpeg (110.26 KiB) Viewed 4275 times
I recently got this one, Spanish ISO, and firstly I wasn’t sure about its legitimacy, but it came with older parts, like a black coiled sdl cable, rainbow colored plate and yellow wires. Also weights slightly more than my regular beige square badge model M , so I have no reason now to doubt about it. Not sure about the controller board as I have no photos at hand. The external tag is missing but I’m sure it has the internal one. Can check it later if anyone is interested.

The strange thing about this one is that the previous owner assured me that the keyboard was originally paired with an IBM 5160 (?), but cannot be 100% sure about this.

User avatar
depletedvespene

18 Aug 2019, 21:37

inmbolmie wrote:
18 Aug 2019, 21:31
For sure there are more black square badge ISO model Ms around.

ABBFD40A-4C17-4593-82FC-73EA234D4C87.jpeg

I recently got this one, Spanish ISO, and firstly
……
¡Envidiaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

inmbolmie wrote:
18 Aug 2019, 21:31
The strange thing about this one is that the previous owner assured me that the keyboard was originally paired with an IBM 5160 (?), but cannot be 100% sure about this.
Not that usual, but not far fetched, either.

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