Interesting Model M Find

JP! · 12 Jul 2017, 18:42

I just scored this nice little cache of Model M's as well as an HP 85 portable computer. They were found in a building that was being refurbished. Good thing they didn't get tossed. One of the Model M's has some interesting key cap legends. I wish I had some more history behind this find to document.

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I imagine these legends were used with some special purpose application.

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One of the M's has came with a neat modification which prevents the cable from being disconnected.

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HP 85 Portable I got for cheap. Looks like a gigantic calculator.

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ohaimark · 12 Jul 2017, 18:45

Nice. What's the part number of the weird M?

taylorswiftttttt · 12 Jul 2017, 18:58

removed

JP! · 12 Jul 2017, 19:12

ohaimark wrote: ↑Nice. What's the part number of the weird M?

It's a standard M part #. This is the picture of the back.

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JP! · 12 Jul 2017, 19:14

taylorswiftttttt wrote: ↑Dude where do you find this stuff

I can't tell you guys all my secrets

//gainsborough · 12 Jul 2017, 19:38

It blows my mind how you can find all this stuff! Congrats, man!

Scottex · 12 Jul 2017, 22:25

All these M's and your main board is a Rosewill cherry blue

JP! · 12 Jul 2017, 22:57

Oh, the current keyboard I am using at work is a model M. My current desk at home is pretty small but that hopefully will change soon. Eventually I do plan to downsize my duplicate boards. Also I will rotate boards from time to time.

Mattr567 · 13 Jul 2017, 02:11

JP! wrote: ↑
ohaimark wrote: ↑Nice. What's the part number of the weird M?
It's a standard M part #. This is the picture of the back.

004.JPG

Yeah special keycap Model M's dont really have special part numbers. My green sublegend board has the same part numbers as yours, just the bog standard part number.

I actually resold that M and kept its sick keycaps for my F77

JP! · 13 Jul 2017, 03:25

Mattr567 wrote: ↑
JP! wrote: ↑
ohaimark wrote: ↑Nice. What's the part number of the weird M?
It's a standard M part #. This is the picture of the back.

004.JPG
Yeah special keycap Model M's dont really have special part numbers. My green sublegend board has the same part numbers as yours, just the bog standard part number.

I actually resold that M and kept its sick keycaps for my F77

I was hoping to have some special part number, but I still like it because of its uniqueness. I could always borrow the clear re-legendable key caps for my F107 or F77

DustGod · 20 Jul 2017, 13:19

I love how the Model M is the best known single keyboard model yet every once in a while a previously unreported wacky one shows up!

seebart · 20 Jul 2017, 13:34

DustGod wrote: ↑I love how the Model M is the best known single keyboard model yet every once in a while a previously unreported wacky one shows up!

That's right, with the Model M you can always count on new varaints showing up out of nowhere with funky keycaps and or otherwise.

terrycherry · 24 Jul 2017, 08:03

I'm interesting in the HP88 portable keyboard.
Could you pull out some keycap?

Findecanor · 24 Jul 2017, 09:45

Do be careful with the HP85. I once had a HP machine from the same era and it had Cherry M11 switches that were really brittle. Incredibly thick keycaps though.

terrycherry · 25 Jul 2017, 13:17

Findecanor wrote: ↑Do be careful with the HP85. I once had a HP machine from the same era and it had Cherry M11 switches that were really brittle. Incredibly thick keycaps though.

It's not easy to find a Cherry M11. Could I have the chance to see yours?

JP! · 25 Jul 2017, 13:34

terrycherry wrote: ↑I'm interesting in the HP88 portable keyboard.
Could you pull out some keycap?

I didn't have a chance last night to pull one of the keys but here is a picture of the same model which sold of eBay that happens to be missing a key. Some of the keys on mine, at the top row are sticky and do don't successfully return to their starting positions.

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terrycherry · 25 Jul 2017, 13:40

Thanks bro! It's the Hi-Tek module switch if you can see on the back of the keyboard PCB.
And it has the rare latching switch on it.
I have some experience to fix the switch. If you have some problem, pm me.

JP! · 17 Feb 2018, 19:35

Old topic but I found something I thought was neat. I deciphered the legends on the top row of this keyboard. It turns out that these represented the major cities of Indiana, perhaps by population at the time.

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Dingster · 17 Feb 2018, 19:47

JP! wrote: ↑Old topic but I found something I thought was neat. I deciphered the legends on the top row of this keyboard. It turns out that these represented the major cities of Indiana, perhaps by population at the time.

1.JPG

Oh man thats so cool. Great find