Hello, --- On Sun, 10/24/10, Nate Raymond <[email protected]> wrote:
> If you read some of the comparative reviews on > geekhack.org, you'll find reports that while the plastic > cosmetics have undergone some cost cutting, the actual > typing experience isn't significantly different going from a > classic IBM Model M to a Unicomp: > > http://geekhack.org/showwiki.php?title=Island:6550 Yes, as noted above, the typing experience is not -significantly- different. It is, however, -noticeably- different. As mentioned in this thread: http://geekhack.org/showwiki.php?title=Island:6189 "Whaddya know, it [Unicomp] is lighter than a IBM Model M like most Geekhackers believe." And Geekhackers ought to know, certainly. :) So while it's not a glaring difference, and buckling springs do have some randomness to them re the exact force required to make them buckle, (as mentioned in the thread) the difference is there. > "My conclusion upfront: I think that Wikipedia entry is > bogus. The Model M's changes in quality components over the > years is minor at best and won't affect typical usage. > Unicomp has done some minor cost cutting that affects > cosmetics more than functionality." I did acknowledge the similarities in my original post: >Yes, Lexmark built -basically- the same keyboard, but the pressure to >shave >pennies was much greater when Lexmark started manufacturing >keyboards circa >1993 vs. when IBM first started doing so in the early 80's >(a time when IBM >could charge whatever they liked for their keyboards). However, as acknowledged above, Unicomp -has- done some minor cost cutting that affects both cosmetics and functionality. One more than the other, certainly, but there -is- a difference, and one that a potential purchaser should be aware of before they place an order. You hit the nail on the head with your original post when you said: "Unicomp acquired the rights to make modern IBM Model M style buckling spring keyboards..." And that's correct: you're getting an Model M -style- keyboard from them, not a keyboard identical to what you typed on 20 years ago. If the keyboards that Unicomp offered replicated the old Model M's exactly, old Model M keyboards in general (and Space Savers in particular) would not be going for the Silly Money they frequently go for on eBay (depending on the variant and condition, of course). However, the reason why those prices are attained is because people who are gaga about keyboards (naming no names) know that the only way to completely replicate the Model M experience....is to purchase an old Model M. :) Anyway, the point to my posting was not to talk anyone who is looking for a new keyboard out of purchasing a Unicomp keyboard. In terms of build quality in the 21st century, the Unicomp offerings are about as good as you're going to get where new keyboards are concerned. However, even with Unicomp's generous return policy, you're still going to be out ~$25 in getting a 5-pound Unicomp shipped to you and then shipping it back because you realize that it's -almost,- but not quite, like owning the same keyboard you had two decades ago. Unfortunately, that desire to faithfully recreate the Good Old Days is exactly what prompts some folks to spring for a Unicomp. I went through the same sort of scenario with the grey and blue logo IBM units. Sure, the blue logo units are -almost- as good as the grey logo ones, but once you have hands-on familiarity with a grey logo keyboard, it's hard to convince yourself to go back to a blue logo unit. True, there's not a great deal of difference between the two, but the difference is perceptible if you own and type on both: it's "very, very good" vs. "great." After all, Unicomp themselves do not want a purchaser to be unhappy with what they've bought from them; that's why they have such a generous return policy. It's just that, if you're distinctly pining for an old-school keyboard, the ~$25 you spend on S+H for obtaining and then returning a Unicomp because it wasn't exactly what you had in mind could be $25 you'd have available for an 80's-90's vintage Model M if that's what you have your heart set on. Besides which, purchasers of the Unicomp units are not allowed to take place in the Special Initiation Ceremony, wherein a massive goblet of wine is passed around a table while Model M owners chant "One of us! One of us!." I believe that's a privilege reserved exclusively for new owners of the grey/blue logoed IBM units, but someone correct me if I'm wrong on that. ¬_¬ Best, James Fraser -- ----- You received this message because you are a member of the Vintage Macs group. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/lists/vintagemacs.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To leave this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/vintage-macs Support for older Macs: http://lowendmac.com/services/
