Re: Re: Buckling Spring keyboard available

On Tue, Jun 3, 2008 at 10:46 PM, pbrun01 <[email protected]> wrote:
> Can't speak for other areas, but here in the United States the old
> classic indestructible IBM clicky keyboards are not that tough to find.
> Shops that have used computer gear will often have one of these in the
> keyboard bin. I went looking for one of these and quickly amassed about
> 5 of them, never paying more than around $5 per keyboard.

Absolutely!  Of course, they're all PS/2 ... or worse, 5/180 DIN.

> Not sure why anyone would want to pay $70 for the "new version."
> Just my opinion...

Because they wanted a USB connector on their buckling spring keyboard?
 I know that you can get a PS/2-to-USB converter, but these only work
on computers that actually have a PS/2 bus.  My laptop doesn't, and I
couldn't get a Model M to work with it.  In theory you can get an
"active" PS/2-to-USB converter: one that actually turns the keyboard
output into the proper protocol rather than just changing the shape of
the connector.  These run from $15 to $75, and from reports I've heard
they aren't a great bet: they only work in some circumstances if they
work at all.  I'd be happy to hear about these, although my interest
is mostly academic.

So if you're using PS/2, great!  There's a cheap supply of Model Ms
for all eternity because they were built to withstand a nuclear blast.
 I own three or four myself and I love them - I got them all free as
discards from my previous workplace.  But these new Unicomps may be a
viable option for people with very new computers.  Personally I'm
unlikely to buy them until someone produces a more ergonomic keyboard
... say, something along the lines of the Kinesis Advantage (I now own
two).  Michael Craggs at ergo-canada (he sold me both Kinesis's, and
yes, this is an unpaid endorsement because their service is excellent)
assures me that low activation force is better for carpal tunnel etc.,
but I'll take the higher force keys any day despite that.  I like to
KNOW I'm hitting something.

My idea of the perfect keyboard would be the Model M15 (the Model M
with the ability to split) with straight keyboard rows and the Dvorak
layout.  And perhaps Kinesis scooping.  I just said it was my idea of
the perfect keyboard - I didn't say it was likely.

> --- In [email protected], "Giles Orr" <gilesorr@...> wrote:
>>
>> From Slashdot:
>>
>> http://jseliger.wordpress.com/2008/05/07/product-review-unicomp-
> customizer-keyboard/
>>
>> Disclaimer: I skimmed the article, haven't read it in full. It looks
>> like a thorough review. For those who don't care to read, for about
>> $70 you can have something that's very close to an old IBM Model M
>> keyboard.

-- 
Giles
http://www.gilesorr.com/
[email protected]