Beginner’s guide to mechanical keyboards

Re:Beginner’s guide to mechanical keyboards by visarga on Friday April 30, 2021 @02:45AM (#26990485)

I just want the keyboard to have those nice color keycaps and the tactile sensation to remind me of old IBM keyboards I used to have as a child.

Those were the days when simply using a computer or touching a keyboard was a rush, computers were rare and everything was so mysterious. Now they are commodities without much poetry in them. So I want the poetry back.

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Re:Beginner’s guide to mechanical keyboards by skjoldr on Friday April 30, 2021 @05:07AM (#26991270)

You can buy a Unicomp keyboard which is the IBM Model M that's still being manufactured by the former Lexmark employees on the original equipment.

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Re:Beginner’s guide to mechanical keyboards by TheRealDunkirk on Friday April 30, 2021 @07:39AM (#26992147)

I have 2 WASD's (blue and green), a Poker2, an OLD Razer Black Widow, and a few others. I always said that when Unicomp made a tenkeyless version, it would be a day-1 purchase. Two days ago, I just noticed that they started shipping in February. I bought one on the spot.

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Re:Beginner’s guide to mechanical keyboards by intrasight on Friday April 30, 2021 @12:29PM (#26995624)

That's great news! I'm here typing on my 36 year old IBM type m because I've tried the rest, including WASD, and found them wanting.

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Re:Beginner’s guide to mechanical keyboards by michael1999 on Friday April 30, 2021 @05:00PM (#26999249)

How is it? How's the noise compared to blues? I need something quieter for zoom.

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Re:Beginner’s guide to mechanical keyboards by bitwize on Friday April 30, 2021 @03:28AM (#26990702)

Note that the IBM Model M is actually a "membranical" design. Beneath the famous buckling spring is a bit of metal that strikes a contact membrane to close the circuit and register a keypress.

That said, it's nothing like the rubber dome pieces of crap we associate with membrane keyboards; its durability and keyfeel are still legendary. The membranical design may have contributed to its durability by making it less susceptible to dust and dirt.

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Re:Beginner’s guide to mechanical keyboards by nvoid on Friday April 30, 2021 @05:23AM (#26991349)

I still love the patent name for it: "Catastrophically buckling compression column switch and actuator". Still wondering what is catastrophic about it.

https://patents.google.com/patent/US3699296A/en

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Re:Beginner’s guide to mechanical keyboards by rjsw on Friday April 30, 2021 @09:32AM (#26993230)

> Still wondering what is catastrophic about it.

The behaviour is described by catastrophe theory [1].

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catastrophe_theory

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Re:Beginner’s guide to mechanical keyboards by andreareina on Friday April 30, 2021 @03:33AM (#26990717)

Topre caps are also a rubber dome design.

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Re:Beginner’s guide to mechanical keyboards by formerly_proven on Friday April 30, 2021 @04:01AM (#26990864)

Rose-tinted glasses: the reason the Model M is a membrane keyboard is because it was heavily cost-reduced / cheapened down from prior designs.

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Re:Beginner’s guide to mechanical keyboards by KozmoNau7 on Friday April 30, 2021 @04:14AM (#26990937)

As far as I know, the Model F is the real built-like-a-tank keyboard that almost makes a Model M seem flimsy by comparison.

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Re:Beginner’s guide to mechanical keyboards by sbierwagen on Friday April 30, 2021 @04:24AM (#26991002)

Note you can buy new Model F reproductions: https://www.modelfkeyboards.com/store/

They're not cheap.

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Re:Beginner’s guide to mechanical keyboards by john_alan on Friday April 30, 2021 @02:56AM (#26990546)

Totally agree. I had an IBM 386DX. That’s how it made me feel.

Curly cable keyboard and everything

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