I only use buckling spring keyboards on my vintage PCs. I have a Model F on my PC and AT, an XT model M on my XT, and everything else uses PS/2 model Ms. I had a black one with the track point for a while, but I felt it was inferior to the ones from the 80s so I sold it.

I couldn't get a good angle, so I went with an 'artsy' shot 😎

Also, the camera on my phone makes everything look purple, but it's black I swear!

Bought this guy from Unicomp about a year and a half ago. It's the classic 104 USB version. I have no idea how to change the keycaps. Do you just pull straight up on them? I've been too afraid to try.

Yes! I got the industrial model M recently. Have a few more normal Ms but only one really works well, the others are in need of new rivets/screws.

I have a Model F, and a Model M Space Saver that I love. I wish I could find some more as that's my wife's #1 favorite and my 2nd favorite keyboard to use.

jwt27 wrote:

Yes! I got the industrial model M recently. Have a few more normal Ms but only one really works well, the others are in need of […]
Show full quote

Yes! I got the industrial model M recently. Have a few more normal Ms but only one really works well, the others are in need of new rivets/screws.

Is that a PC-TRAC trackball I see with a "scroll wheel"? Where can I get one of those. My 286 and 486 have Microspeed serial PC-TRAC but I've always wanted to find a more modern variant for my main modern PC.

That's right. It's the L-TRAC, basically a PC-TRAC with laser sensor, scroll wheel and USB: http://clearlysuperiortech.com/cst2545-5wproductpage.html

They come up on Massdrop occasionally with $50 discount, that's where I got mine from.
EDIT: looks like it's available right now, only 4 days left: https://www.massdrop.com/buy/cst-lasertrac-trackball

I have one clicky keyboard (which came with my first PC, an IBM ValuePoint), it has some novel value I guess, but otherwise it's just annoying, takes up far too much space and is very uncomfortable to use for any lengthy period of time. So now if I even use that machine I generally do so with a rubber dome keyboard. If it wasn't part of that system it would have gone in the bin with the other ones I had around ten years ago - please note, the ones I did throw out were broken anyway, I only wish I'd taken the keycaps off first.

I uses a Unicomp 122 keyboard. It's nice, but my newer system boots so fast I can't get into the bios with it half the time.
I have about a 1 second opening at best to get into the bios with it. It has some neet delay on it were the caps/num/scroll lock keys flicker, without it there would be no problem.

I've got a couple of M's myself. First, the one I use on my main rig:

Paid $30 for this off of eBay some time ago. Also found this dilapidated M from the dump recently:

Yes, it does work! It's also a perfect match for my PS/2 model 30 that's in similar need of repair.

Sutekh94 wrote:

Paid $30 for this off of eBay some time ago. Also found this dilapidated M from the dump recently: […]
Show full quote

Paid $30 for this off of eBay some time ago. Also found this dilapidated M from the dump recently:

Yes, it does work! It's also a perfect match for my PS/2 model 30 that's in similar need of repair.

I believe you can purchase brand new regular keys directly from Unicomp.

Also, does anybody know if I need a special type of keycap puller for buckling springs? I used two paper clips when I first got my Unicomp, they did the job but I just wanna be safe about removing keycaps.

AlphaDangerDen wrote:

Also, does anybody know if I need a special type of keycap puller for buckling springs? I used two paper clips when I first got my Unicomp, they did the job but I just wanna be safe about removing keycaps.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrc0LpiyxeM

Will delete post if photos are too large, hopefully I did this right 🤣. Really need to clean this keyboard.

Edit: whole album on Imgur here, super high-res: http://imgur.com/a/10i6c

Is that a special model for children to learn how to play Halo? 😜

Oh, and believe me, that's not dirty. I could show you a keyboard that would make you sick to your stomach, but as it isn't a clicking one - or it isn't supposed to be, but it does sort of crunch - I won't unless provoked.

Typing this message on a Model M produced in 1990 - boltmodded too - i5 @ 3.3GHz with a 25 year old keyboard, eff yeah 😁
My retro system (P120) has another Model M attached.

I used to have 3 but one of them actually didn't survive a severe case of computer rage (was one of the really old ones with the aluminium IBM logo badges).
Still have quite a few keycaps, stamps and springs for spare at my parents' place.
Never paid more than $5 for any of them.

HighTreason you mean this one? Owned by scamp the organizer of the Breakpoint demoscene parties 😁
http://cl.jroo.me/z3/P/i/k/d/a.aaa.jpg

HighTreason wrote:

Is that a special model for children to learn how to play Halo? 😜

Oh, and believe me, that's not dirty. I could show you a keyboard that would make you sick to your stomach, but as it isn't a clicking one - or it isn't supposed to be, but it does sort of crunch - I won't unless provoked.

Pictures don't do it justice 🤣, the sides of the keycaps are glossy so they attract crap tons of dust, but the tops are textured so they look fine.

All the kids are into Cherries nowadays, usually MX Blues.

I have been looking at the EnduraPro, but I hear its TrackPoint isn't like the ones on ThinkPads.

calvin wrote:

All the kids are into Cherries nowadays, usually MX Blues.

I have been looking at the EnduraPro, but I hear its TrackPoint isn't like the ones on ThinkPads.

I almost bought a $160 custom keyboard from WASDkeyboards with MX Greens before I bought my Unicomp. I knew about Unicomp then but didn't know that they were local, so I did my research and almost immediately purchased my keyboard from Unicomp instead, super glad I did 😀

Edit: I have a ThinkPad T400 with a trackpoint device and I love it, but I'm not sure if the one on the EnduraPro is like the ThinkPads, hopefully someone who owns one will say if it is or not.

What's the retail price of Unicomp buckling spring keyboards these days?

shock__ wrote:

What's the retail price of Unicomp buckling spring keyboards these days?

Seems they mostly range from $80 - $110, without shipping.

Their website is: http://www.pckeyboard.com/

Their site could use a makeover 🤣, but still a great company, nonetheless.

shock__ wrote:

What's the retail price of Unicomp buckling spring keyboards these days?

like 100 ish
But you can get them on ebay for much less, new even. I got my 122key model M for 65$