Special IBM Model M Keycaps
- Mattr567
- Location: Socal
- Main keyboard: Many things
- Main mouse: G502
- Favorite switch: Alps in general
- DT Pro Member: -
Got this off ebay from Orihalcon. 1993 IBM made 1391401. Was super dirty. Cleaned it up and threw on a NIB industrial case I had. The result is gorgeous
Does anyone know what these sublegends mean, or from what program/system they were used on?
Does anyone know what these sublegends mean, or from what program/system they were used on?
- seebart
- Offtopicthority Instigator
- Location: Germany
- Main keyboard: Rotation
- Main mouse: Steelseries Sensei
- Favorite switch: IBM capacitive buckling spring
- DT Pro Member: 0061
- Contact:
Nice, blue label indy. Are those those sublegends green or is that the light?
I see you prefer num lock and scroll lock at the same time.
I see you prefer num lock and scroll lock at the same time.
- ohaimark
- Kingpin
- Location: USA
- Main keyboard: Siemens G80 Lookalike
- Main mouse: Logitech G502
- Favorite switch: Blue Alps
- DT Pro Member: 1337
They're green. That's a real mishmash of symbols... But my wild guess would be a music notation keyboard.
The sharp and flat symbols wouldn't really make sense otherwise.
The sharp and flat symbols wouldn't really make sense otherwise.
- alh84001
- v.001
- Location: EU-HR-ZG
- Main keyboard: unsaver
- Main mouse: logitech m305 / apple trackpad
- Favorite switch: BS
- DT Pro Member: -
Some of the symbols are obviously for music notation (V keycap for example), but there are other international letters on it that (to my knowledge) have no use there. For example, look at the D with stroke on the W keycap. It's used in various south-slavic languages, and according to wiki in vietnamese and medieval latin. All in all, cool board, especially that enter key.
- Ratfink
- Location: North Carolina, USA
- Main keyboard: IBM Displaywriter
- Main mouse: CST L-Trac
- Favorite switch: Beam Spring
- DT Pro Member: -
Those keycaps…and it still has the audacity to call itself a 1391401?
Really cool find. My guess from the mishmash of different symbols is that it's meant for some typesetting application.
Really cool find. My guess from the mishmash of different symbols is that it's meant for some typesetting application.
- Mattr567
- Location: Socal
- Main keyboard: Many things
- Main mouse: G502
- Favorite switch: Alps in general
- DT Pro Member: -
Thanks
Yea, it must be for some specific application or for a range of applications special made for some company.
Full album (warning gore): http://imgur.com/a/2q0pY
Color accurate pictures of sublegends. They pop
Yea, it must be for some specific application or for a range of applications special made for some company.
Full album (warning gore): http://imgur.com/a/2q0pY
Color accurate pictures of sublegends. They pop
Gotta have that light symmetry manseebart wrote: ↑Nice, blue label indy. Are those those sublegends green or is that the light?
I see you prefer num lock and scroll lock at the same time.
- seebart
- Offtopicthority Instigator
- Location: Germany
- Main keyboard: Rotation
- Main mouse: Steelseries Sensei
- Favorite switch: IBM capacitive buckling spring
- DT Pro Member: 0061
- Contact:
Ahh much better but it's also got the german "ß" on B and I see some Nordic also.
- alh84001
- v.001
- Location: EU-HR-ZG
- Main keyboard: unsaver
- Main mouse: logitech m305 / apple trackpad
- Favorite switch: BS
- DT Pro Member: -
The only acceptable place to put itseebart wrote: ↑but it's also got the german "ß" on B
@Mattr567 why no love for the orange numpad Enter? I think it would go well with an industrial case.
- micrex22
- Location: Canada
- Main keyboard: UltraNav
- Favorite switch: BS
- DT Pro Member: -
If I had to take a guess, it could have been used for a program to input alternative characters into documents, like the copyright symbol for instance. One clue to its operation may be the fact that (this program) assigned a modifier to each key twice. As a result the number row became redundant and you have three (!) numbers printed on a single key at a time.
EDIT: Missed Ratfink's post, definitely most likely for typesetting.
Nothing like a fresh industrial grey chassis.
EDIT: Missed Ratfink's post, definitely most likely for typesetting.
Nothing like a fresh industrial grey chassis.
- y11971alex
- Location: Toronto, ON
- Main keyboard: MacBook Air
- Main mouse: Microsoft Sculpt Comfort
- Favorite switch: buckling springs
- DT Pro Member: 0172
My guess: keyboard for Old English.
- Mattr567
- Location: Socal
- Main keyboard: Many things
- Main mouse: G502
- Favorite switch: Alps in general
- DT Pro Member: -
I thought it looked out of place.
Hah. It is definitely most likely for typesetting, and the result is a ton of legends I can imagine ordering them: IBM: What symbols do you want? Person: ALL of them!
- seebart
- Offtopicthority Instigator
- Location: Germany
- Main keyboard: Rotation
- Main mouse: Steelseries Sensei
- Favorite switch: IBM capacitive buckling spring
- DT Pro Member: 0061
- Contact:
- daedalus
- Buckler Of Springs
- Location: Ireland
- Main keyboard: Model M SSK (home) HHKB Pro 2 (work)
- Main mouse: CST Lasertrack, Logitech MX Master
- Favorite switch: Buckling Spring, Beam Spring
- DT Pro Member: 0087
My first guess was Icelandic, but there's too many special characters. I'm going to +1 to the idea that it's for some kind of word processing/typesetting software package.
The fact that they were installed on a '1401 implies that they were ordered as a standalone kit from IBM (or perhaps someone else? Unlikely though) and installed onto a standard keyboard. Adds further credence to the idea that this is for some kind of IBM word processor.
The fact that they were installed on a '1401 implies that they were ordered as a standalone kit from IBM (or perhaps someone else? Unlikely though) and installed onto a standard keyboard. Adds further credence to the idea that this is for some kind of IBM word processor.
- Mattr567
- Location: Socal
- Main keyboard: Many things
- Main mouse: G502
- Favorite switch: Alps in general
- DT Pro Member: -
Does the fact that the included IBM PS/2 cable only has 4 pins change anything? I found it very unusual but it still works fine. The SDL side is only wired for 4 pins so it isn't damaged.daedalus wrote: ↑My first guess was Icelandic, but there's too many special characters. I'm going to +1 to the idea that it's for some kind of word processing/typesetting software package.
The fact that they were installed on a '1401 implies that they were ordered as a standalone kit from IBM (or perhaps someone else? Unlikely though) and installed onto a standard keyboard. Adds further credence to the idea that this is for some kind of IBM word processor.
- daedalus
- Buckler Of Springs
- Location: Ireland
- Main keyboard: Model M SSK (home) HHKB Pro 2 (work)
- Main mouse: CST Lasertrack, Logitech MX Master
- Favorite switch: Buckling Spring, Beam Spring
- DT Pro Member: 0087
While the PS/2 connector typically features six pins, only four are actually used (IIRC, this is true for both keyboards and mice). On the keyboards for the RS/6000 workstations, one or both of the extra pins was used to drive a speaker built into the keyboard.Mattr567 wrote: ↑Does the fact that the included IBM PS/2 cable only has 4 pins change anything? I found it very unusual but it still works fine. The SDL side is only wired for 4 pins so it isn't damaged.daedalus wrote: ↑My first guess was Icelandic, but there's too many special characters. I'm going to +1 to the idea that it's for some kind of word processing/typesetting software package.
The fact that they were installed on a '1401 implies that they were ordered as a standalone kit from IBM (or perhaps someone else? Unlikely though) and installed onto a standard keyboard. Adds further credence to the idea that this is for some kind of IBM word processor.
Originally, IBM built cables with all six pins, but at some point in the 90s, IBM (or more likely, Lexmark) moved to building PS/2 connectors with only four pins, presumably as a cost saving measure. Pretty much any of the fixed-cable Model Ms I have seen only have four pins, but the SDL cables from that period also are missing two pins.
- Ander
- Location: Vancouver, Canada
- Main keyboard: IBM Model M
- Main mouse: Microsoft Comfort Optical 3000
- Favorite switch: Love 'em all!
- DT Pro Member: -
This is a '93 Model M? But it's obviously the inner assembly from one M, put in one of Unicomp's surplus blue-logo Industrial cases (the only blue-logo Industrial anything, AFAIK)—and with the original keys replaced by the set Orihalcon sold you, as you mentioned. So where does the " '93" part come in?Mattr567 wrote: ↑That makes sense. The keyboard is a '93 IBM made one so it fit's into the timeline.
- Darkshado
- Location: Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Main keyboard: WASD V2 MX Clears (work); M, F, Matias, etc (home)
- Main mouse: Logitech G502 (work), G502 + CST L-Trac (home)
- Favorite switch: Buckling spring, SKCM Cream Dampened, MX Clear
- DT Pro Member: 0237
Bit of a necrobump here?
Judging by the OP, from the label on the original case, or the internal one on the assembly itself. OP is the one who put it in the Unicomp surplus Industrial Grey case.
Judging by the OP, from the label on the original case, or the internal one on the assembly itself. OP is the one who put it in the Unicomp surplus Industrial Grey case.
- Mattr567
- Location: Socal
- Main keyboard: Many things
- Main mouse: G502
- Favorite switch: Alps in general
- DT Pro Member: -
Ander wrote: ↑This is a '93 Model M? But it's obviously the inner assembly from one M, put in one of Unicomp's surplus blue-logo Industrial cases (the only blue-logo Industrial anything, AFAIK)—and with the original keys replaced by the set Orihalcon sold you, as you mentioned. So where does the " '93" part come in?Mattr567 wrote: ↑That makes sense. The keyboard is a '93 IBM made one so it fit's into the timeline.
Its a 1993 1391401 Model M, came with those special caps from the factory. I threw the indy case from unicomp on it, otherwise stock.Darkshado wrote: ↑Bit of a necrobump here?
Judging by the OP, from the label on the original case, or the internal one on the assembly itself. OP is the one who put it in the Unicomp surplus Industrial Grey case.
Since I have sold this Model M but kept the caps for ellipse F77 GB :^)
- clickykeyboards
- Main keyboard: 1395682
- Favorite switch: buckling spring
- DT Pro Member: 0233
- Contact:
For the record, another industrial model M keyboard with blue-logo would be the Model M-13 06H4173 with trackpoint.Ander wrote: ↑This is a '93 Model M? But it's obviously the inner assembly from one M, put in one of Unicomp's surplus blue-logo Industrial cases (the only blue-logo Industrial anything, AFAIK)—
http://clickykeyboards.com/product/1999 ... -keyboard/
Unfortunately in 1999 Unicomp used their "force sensing resistor" trackpoint in the 06H4173 versus IBM's proprietary "strain gauge" trackpoint technology in the 13H6705.
- depletedvespene
- Location: Chile
- Main keyboard: IBM Model F122
- Main mouse: Logitech G700s
- Favorite switch: buckling spring
- DT Pro Member: 0224
- Contact:
I agree. What reinforces that impression is that there are NO base latin characters with any kind of tilde (Ñ, Ö, Å, etc.), but pretty much every tilde (acute, grave, dot above AND below, etc.) is.Ratfink wrote: ↑Those keycaps…and it still has the audacity to call itself a 1391401?
Really cool find. My guess from the mishmash of different symbols is that it's meant for some typesetting application.
- Darkshado
- Location: Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Main keyboard: WASD V2 MX Clears (work); M, F, Matias, etc (home)
- Main mouse: Logitech G502 (work), G502 + CST L-Trac (home)
- Favorite switch: Buckling spring, SKCM Cream Dampened, MX Clear
- DT Pro Member: 0237
FTFYdepletedvespene wrote: ↑I agree. What reinforces that impression is that there are NO base latin characters with any kind of diacritic (Ñ, Ö, Å, etc.), but pretty much every diacritic (tilde, acute, grave, dot above AND below, etc.) is.Ratfink wrote: ↑Those keycaps…and it still has the audacity to call itself a 1391401?
Really cool find. My guess from the mishmash of different symbols is that it's meant for some typesetting application.
- depletedvespene
- Location: Chile
- Main keyboard: IBM Model F122
- Main mouse: Logitech G700s
- Favorite switch: buckling spring
- DT Pro Member: 0224
- Contact:
Damn. Yes, you're right. Serves me right for skiffing my coppee earlier today.
I'm feeling specially depleted today.
I'm feeling specially depleted today.