Special IBM Model M Keycaps

[Mattr567]

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?

[seebart]

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.

[ohaimark]

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.

[alh84001]

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]

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.

[Mattr567]

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

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.

Gotta have that light symmetry man

[seebart]

Ahh much better but it's also got the german "ß" on B and I see some Nordic also.

[alh84001]

but it's also got the german "ß" on B

The only acceptable place to put it

@Mattr567 why no love for the orange numpad Enter? I think it would go well with an industrial case.

[micrex22]

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.

[cml]

Ahh much better but it's also got the german "ß" on B and I see some Nordic also.

I think it looks like a beta on the kaycap.

What a nice keyboard anyway.

[y11971alex]

My guess: keyboard for Old English.

[Muirium]

Beware the untold majicks of elven runes…

Spoiler:

[Mattr567]

but it's also got the german "ß" on B

The only acceptable place to put it

@Mattr567 why no love for the orange numpad Enter? I think it would go well with an industrial case.

I thought it looked out of place.

Beware the untold majicks of elven runes…

Spoiler:

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]

Hah. It is definitely most likely for typesetting

Agreed, of course this is another one for our wiki. Your keyboard, your job Mattr567!

[daedalus]

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.

[Mattr567]

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.

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.

[Ray]

4 pins PS/2 is very normal. 2 pins are unused, if it isn't made for keyboard AND mouse.

[daedalus]

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.

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.

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.

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.

[Mattr567]

That makes sense. The keyboard is a '93 IBM made one so it fit's into the timeline.

[Ander]

That makes sense. The keyboard is a '93 IBM made one so it fit's into the timeline.

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?

[Darkshado]

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.

[Mattr567]

That makes sense. The keyboard is a '93 IBM made one so it fit's into the timeline.

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?

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.

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.

Since I have sold this Model M but kept the caps for ellipse F77 GB :^)

[clickykeyboards]

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)—

For the record, another industrial model M keyboard with blue-logo would be the Model M-13 06H4173 with trackpoint.

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.

http://www.clickykeyboard.com/2006/06h4173/06h4173-005.jpg

06h4173-005.jpg (27.41 KiB) Viewed 8626 times

http://www.clickykeyboard.com/2006/06h4173/06h4173-009.jpg

06h4173-009.jpg (24.29 KiB) Viewed 8626 times

http://www.clickykeyboard.com/2006/06h4173/06h4173-007.jpg

06h4173-007.jpg (23.13 KiB) Viewed 8626 times

http://www.clickykeyboard.com/2006/06h4173/06h4173-008.jpg

06h4173-008.jpg (30.57 KiB) Viewed 8626 times

[depletedvespene]

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.

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.

[Darkshado]

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.

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.

FTFY

[depletedvespene]

Damn. Yes, you're right. Serves me right for skiffing my coppee earlier today.


I'm feeling specially depleted today.