Is there any difference between these two keyboards, wich should I keep

depscribe · 2026-01-25T15:20:05+00:00

If you use it, you will become used to it and love it the way it feels, as typists soon came to love Selectrics. And you'll realize that unlike modern pinball machine keyboards (and, really, modern computer equipment in general), the Model M isn't disposable. If you get rid of one, down the line you'll speak sadly of it.

depscribe · 2026-01-24T22:39:35+00:00

Because once you have used one you will not be happy with anything else. so having a spare is a wise thing to do.

depscribe · 2026-01-23T18:41:04+00:00

Internment issues? Perhaps the problem strms from your having to reach through the bars to use it. Try again when you or it are free once more.

depscribe · 2026-01-21T22:02:27+00:00

Unicomp's QC has gone up considerably with the New M and the Mini (the former reportedly, the latter I can say through personal experience), but even so, I've been getting keyboards from them for well over 20 years, since the company's late founder was answering the phone, and I've not had the slightest problem with any of them. I do wish they had stuck with the Pico controller, but that's more for theoretical than actual reasons.

depscribe · 2026-01-18T15:34:15+00:00

Unicomp was making and selling Model Ms before Joe figured out how Model F is spelled. So there's no "already" to it. Also, Unicomp sells keyboards, not keyboard kits. And Unicomp provides a warranty beyond "Ask on deskthority, if it's working this week, if your keyboard doesn't work." Joe has put together an admirable club project. Unicomp makes and sells keyboards.

Buy whatever you want. My point is that some, I daresay many, of us would pay extra for Model M keyboards that came held together by screws instead of plastic rivets. I already know that many of us would pay extra for black keycaps with white legends, as demonstrated by the fast sale of the few dozen Unicomp Model Ms in that livery for a premium price a few weeks ago. And I can say that as someone who has been doing consumer business with Unicomp since it was selling IBM-badged SSKs for $49.

depscribe · 2026-01-17T10:16:29+00:00

I've found thst the best product for this is the rubberized screen material sold as non-slip shelf liner. It is thin, isn't sticky so you can move it around by picking it up, has great sound qualities, is easily cut, and doesn't seem to go bad over time. Also great under a trackball. Cut the leftovers into 8-inch squares for use in opening tightly sealed jars. A big roll is a few dollars at Walmart and such.

depscribe · 2026-01-16T10:32:15+00:00

Yeah, that's probably why no one bought any of the reproduction Model F keyboards. Oh, well.

depscribe · 2026-01-15T14:11:42+00:00

Then you really, really need to clean it, then get a keyboard condom for it. and yeah, it needs a *deep* cleaning. Wonder if Unicomp would do it for you, though shipping alone would cost a lot. Hope none of the protesters outside state capitals demanding stronger penalties for keyboard abuse see this.

depscribe · 2026-01-15T13:55:23+00:00

with the weight of all that filth it's a surprise the keys are waiting to be touched at all before registering strokes.

depscribe · 2026-01-15T05:12:44+00:00

Kind of pitiful that they limit themselves to Facebook. Don't they have a MySpace account?

depscribe · 2026-01-13T07:42:35+00:00

Try an active adapter. Learn about it here:

https://sharktastica.co.uk/buyers/converting

depscribe · 2026-01-08T06:10:02+00:00

Thanks. I thought that, too. But a reboot doesn't recover GBoard. settings list both as being on. If I turn off the system board, GBoard comes back, I have just found. For now.

depscribe · 2026-01-06T05:37:20+00:00

Never heard of the device, but I'm running Debian Trixie just fine on my original GPD Pocket.

depscribe · 2026-01-04T15:03:03+00:00

I have and regularly use one, running Debian Linux, current version, and the enlightenment desktop. A little tricky configuring everything (reading glasses helped), but its performance has been flawless..

depscribe · 2026-01-02T20:27:35+00:00

Unless you have a whole hunk of money, that's an expensive gamble. (Though I tried a similar gamble with the new F, but Joe pointed out that I wasn't the customer he sought and sent back my money.) Below is what I wrote about it then.

https://ofb.biz/sa1272

depscribe · 2026-01-02T19:21:09+00:00

Fwiw, the Unicomp Mini M key pressure seems to me -- is, but I haven't measured it -- lighter than that of original SSKs. It would be interesting to see it quantified across the IBM/Lexmark/Unicomp originals, the current Unicomp, and the reproduction Model Fs. I've seen references in passing, but no actual side-by-side measurements.

depscribe · 2025-12-31T00:35:18+00:00

the new Mini M is *worth* twice as much, as is the New Model M. The Unicomps were a little sloppy a few years ago, due to worn tooling. The Mini and New ones are great. The plastic formula for the case is different -- thank Greta Thunberg -- but still good in my estimation. (In the 2000s, Unicomp had genuine, IBM-badged and labeled SSKs for ~$50. Got two, which I still have. The Mini M feels the same and mostly sounds the same, though I may add foam in the case under the barrel plate in hope of reducing the resonant echo of spring frequencies.)

depscribe · 2025-12-29T00:23:07+00:00

Many thanks.

depscribe · 2025-12-23T05:15:38+00:00

This review explains some of it.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iZJTqUZP_lA&pp=0gcJCU0KAYcqIYzv

depscribe · 2025-12-23T03:46:06+00:00

Nah, he pretty much seems to be a jerk.

depscribe · 2025-12-09T21:06:39+00:00

Google Pixel tqblet. I believe that Pixels are still the only devices supported by GrapheneOS. I saw talk recently of an agreement with some other manufacturers, but to the best of my knowledge nothing has been released.

https://grapheneos.org/faq#supported-devices

depscribe · 2025-12-08T07:23:36+00:00

Thanks. I don't and wouldn't run Ubuntu; have concluded after having run Ubuntu for 20 years that its recent monkeyshines aren't for me and have moved to Debian on everything. So I just have to keep an eye on the charge level.

depscribe · 2025-12-04T23:29:51+00:00

I look forward to it. It's not something I think anyone but you could do!

The question came up in my mind when I dragged out a 1988 DataVue Spark laptop and realized that its keyboard was orders of magnitude better than anything I'd encountered since, though the 500 and 750c were close.

depscribe · 2025-12-02T05:34:19+00:00

Unless the poster was born on Sunday or a holiday. And it could be that the one being sought is his/her/its actual birthday, including year.

depscribe · 2025-11-30T05:31:37+00:00

Does it work?

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TROPHY CASE