IBM Model A - what is that

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guidemetothelight

10 May 2022, 10:29

Hey Guys,

i recently came across a Listing on Ebay that includes an IBM Model A Keyboard, i never heard about this and i cant seem to find any Information regarding that Board.
Anybody has any experiences with it / any info about it ? Google doesnt spew out anything.
Here a Pics that may help with identification.
https://imgur.com/a/0PUwoxr

NathanA

10 May 2022, 11:18

If you do a bit of searching around, it appears to line up with the "IBM Basic II" keyboards. They appear to be rubber domes, but ones that they had Lexmark build for them while they were still Lexmark, instead of some of the other OEMs that they started sourcing their cheaper keyboards from after Lexmark folded and turned into Unicomp. Unicomp continued to make buckling spring boards for IBM (& others) but IBM started getting a lot of their rubber domes from the likes of Chicony et al.

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Weezer

10 May 2022, 13:09

Lexmark has not folded or turned into unicomp.

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guidemetothelight

10 May 2022, 14:07

So Rubber dome it is .... if somebody wants to take a look , here is the listing
https://www.ebay-kleinanzeigen.de/s-anz ... 8-225-1532

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sharktastica

10 May 2022, 15:04

Aye, a rubber dome keyboard from what I can tell. The IBM Basic II Keyboard was the replacement for the Model M-based IBM Basic Keyboards (IBM Enhanced Keyboard with Quiet Touch, eg P/N 71G4644). Nothing remarkable about these to be honest.
NathanA wrote:
10 May 2022, 11:18
They appear to be rubber domes, but ones that they had Lexmark build for them while they were still Lexmark
Judging by the FCC ID, these seem to be made by Siam United Hi (SUH) Tech Ltd. SUH made keyboards for other companies or perhaps in general like here and here. For whatever reason, I guess IBM used Lexmark as a proxy of sorts (or perhaps Lexmark was acting as a US-based supplier of these and IBM wanted some?). Not 100% sure and there's not much easily found info on them from my quick Google search. Anyway, it's amusing these are made by SUH for Lexmark for IBM.

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paperWasp

10 May 2022, 23:02

Doesn't look bad but Thai made rubber domes would make me wary. Several keyboards from that era made in Thailand (Dell, Microsoft, ?) suffered from stuck keys if not pressed in their very centre. A very annoying problem tbh. Wonder if these IBM Model A suffered from the same problem or the quality control was better.

NathanA

12 May 2022, 04:26

Weezer wrote:
10 May 2022, 13:09
Lexmark has not folded or turned into unicomp.
Oof; you're right: I really screwed that sentence up royally. That's what I get for dashing off thoughtless responses at ~2am in the morning. :(
sharktastica wrote:
10 May 2022, 15:04
NathanA wrote:
10 May 2022, 11:18
They appear to be rubber domes, but ones that they had Lexmark build for them while they were still Lexmark
Judging by the FCC ID, these seem to be made by Siam United Hi (SUH) Tech Ltd. SUH made keyboards for other companies or perhaps in general like here and here.
Fascinating & thanks for that additional info. The "birth certificates" on the various pictures of "Model A" boards I've seen look identical to all of the Lexmark-printed ones I've seen on various Models M(/M2) & (refurbished) Models F -- complete with the "Manufactured for IBM by Lexmark" text -- which gave an air of first-party-ness to them. But yes the "Assembled in Thailand" bit is something of a red flag.

EDIT: Well apparently my memory is also failing me, because I've been trying to find photo evidence of a Basic II with a classic Lexmark birth cert on the back, and every example I've managed to unearth is distinctly different from any M/M2/F I've ever seen that was handled directly by Lexmark (& what I thought I remember seeing on other examples of so-called "Model A"). Though they do bear the "Manufactured for IBM by Lexmark" text.

Shorle

15 May 2022, 15:08

I was curious about the Model A as well, how it holds up against other better rubbber domes etc. In the end I had to accept that I am too parsimonious to have another rubber dome board lying around and taking up my space, especially when overpriced like in this listing.

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