Unboxing (and customizing!) a New Unicomp Model M Keyboard
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- Опубліковано 14 жов 2024
- Finally grabbed one of the newly-manufactured Model M keyboards from Unicomp, along with some additional goodies from their warehouse. So let's open it up and do some things with it!
Yes, those industrial cases were late-production leftovers. The originals had a black metallic square badge, and then a black oval badge. They are also supposed to be slightly tan, yes. Very nice project! :)
Could you please comment on the suspected difference in keyfeel? I always seem to get mixed results.
Guru has enterd the chat. :D
@@hax0rz36 I've reviewed the M series and Unicomp M in detail before, check those videos if you want to know what changed over time. That said, Unicomp's own production wasn't consistent either, with production differences over time.
@@oopsmyuniversecrashed4578 If text-to-speech sounds like honey dripping from gods beard.
Hey Chryosran, nice job on 100k!
If you use photo paper to print a logo, and instead of packing tape, you use greenhouse sheet repair tape, you get a very authentic looking logo for your projects. The photo paper gives proper shine, and the repair tape is an UV (comes in green and transparent, obvs the transparent for this) resistant, very thick tape used to quick repair greenhouses if they get tears in the plastic. It's almost one mm thick, i think .6 or .7, unsure. It's excellent for stuff like this.
The greenhouse plastic poly repair tape is probably more UV resistant than packing tape. Old packing tape is never fun to deal with.
I could have obtained a VAN LOAD of model M's during my high schools purge of their PS/2's back in the early 00's, damn.......
I’ve recently acquired mine from an old cupboard in my high school a few weeks ago, for free. Interesting how disused that cupboard must have been for it to sit for that long! There was one other similar 1990 model and a later rubber dome model which doesn’t compare, but is an interesting piece of history. A lucky find!
@@jasperhoffman5891 Nice! I still kick myself for passing on them. Then again in 2002 you could say they were at their lowest point in value, no way I could have known how AWFUL keyboards would become in quality.
I have a similar story with a huge pile of Apple II and a early Mac gear and I tossed them. Major regrets.
I came across an OG Compaq Luggable PC few years later out on the sidewalk! I did bring it inside, the thing still worked, but I had no 5 1/4 disks for boot, so it got put back onto the sidewalk. Another regret : / I am over it though and right as rain now ; )
The Model Ms that IBM made in their Greenock, Scotland factory in the mid-'90s had the same hard-wired, non-coiled cable and lock light bezel as these Unicomp Model Ms.
I've got three of these beasts. My uni was throwing them away. One is in my office where I am currently forbidden to go. Of two I have here, one is from 95, has the coiled cable and says made in the UK. The other is 96, made in Greenock and has a non-coiled cable. All fantastic to type on, but I do miss the "Windows" key :/
As well as using Ctrl + Esc you can also use the program Sharp Keys to remap keys if you want. I've remapped Num Lock to the Start button on my 1995 Model M.
mine is a 96, made in UK, so I believe its a 'real' model M? Non-coiled cable, ps2 and direct connection. Ive remapped the caps lock for win key, so the WIN+COMBo keys are easy as the original combos.
Yeah, mine is a UK made Model M too. They were made in the UK until 1999.
Some Lexmark boards made in the USA also have the hardwired non coiled cable and centered lock lights. Not really sure what the rhyme or reason was but it seems the hardwire boards also lost the multi color keycap printing for all black
I got lucky, I found a late 80s model m keyboard on the curb two years ago. I cleaned it up and it looks brand new. I was pretty amazed!
i found an english '91 and a french '99 at my uni, they were throwing them out. cleaned up and working great
@@calinguga wow, what a great find!
@@calinguga haven’t really had that opportunity yet because my school sucked lol
Like a stray kitten, gave it a good home. 👍
I've been dailying Unicomps of various kinds for almost 8 years now, from their older 104 USB, to the M5-2 replica (useful for server work with limited USB ports), and even their linux layout version (that was weird). I've found them to be suitable for use at work since since I don't mind if they get a little more wear and tear, but they do have their problems. Still perfectly serviceable keyboards, but you can totally see where tooling tolerances have slowly gone out of spec, resulting in misaligned parts.
linux layout?
Fun fact: The older ones are heavier because they are full of 20 years of dust and crumbs.
More like 35 years now
and jizz.
And metal.
@@ADubTheGrizzy Definitely would need a DEEP CLEAN! Probably a long UV light treatment.
@@ADubTheGrizzy not sure how that would get under the keycaps
Love this keyboard. Had one for a year before he tragically drowned. RIP my old friend. I think of you everyday. :(
F
F
But now I need to know how a keyboard drowned.
The Funkbot A flying glass of water.
I guess he didn’t have the Lexmark water holes then
Unicomp are good people, I've bought tons of stuff from them over the years, including a bunch of those industrial cases... one time I had an issue with a WASD button set where one of the letters was printed wayyyy off where it should have been... sent them a picture and they apologized and sent me a new set without issue
That was my experience as well. A few years back I asked them if it was normal that my num lock status was reset every time I rebooted my PC and I gave them my motherboard make and model number. About a week later I received a new keyboard in the mail that had been reprogrammed for the num lock to work properly with my motherboard. Excellent service!
That looks fantastic. Never really thought of a green/beige combo before but that works sooo well.
Unicomp told me that the new single-piece keycaps are all new tooling/new moulds, so they should in theory be better quality than the ones made from the degraded/repaired moulds they used to use. The casing is probably the same mould though.
As I understand it the Unicomps with the Windows keys are a bit better in quality as the tooling isn't quite as old and worn down. I was expecting those replacement caps to just be the outer separate part though.
I love my Unicomp classics. I think the different texture of the case plastic is because they stopped using PVC plastic for those parts, possibly due to environmental/regulatory concerns, and I wouldn't be surprised if the change in plastic affected the sound/flex/weight a bit. Unicomp has been replacing and improving their tooling too and have had a lot of improvement in the past couple years, especially in terms of the printing on the key caps and overall better fit on the keys and chassis. Also some Lexmark IBM branded model M boards did have the same centered arrangement for the lock lights as the Unicomp boards
"C:\LGR" logo in green color would be great!
I've been rocking my Unicomp Model M for around 10 years - it works just as well as the day I bought it. I'm typing this comment on it right now. I should add that mine was made in 2009 and feels like a tank - much more like the Lexmark Model Ms were. I don't know when things went downhill, but I'm glad they last forever since it doesn't sound like I'd be very happy if I had to get another one.
I'm a machinist/industrial designer. I can mill out a metal badge if you give me the overall measurements and a .dxf of the required art.
The other option is going to your local trophy maker and getting them to do a smaller plaque. They often have engraving and silkscreen capabilities.
@Barry Manilowa wouldn't that be a trademark infringement?
@@danielheinrich8046 trademark for sold products, the logo is not a consumer good and you're allowed to charge for the services of printing. Now they often try to put copyright claims on the use of their unique logo, but it's under fair use be it that selling the service of doing this for any vendor would have their suit if they ever did pursue lost in the courts
@@Dyvon.dynamo I doubt, that it falls under fair use. But then again ... I'm not a lawyer. And I won't be the one battling in court if it hits the fan anyways.
And I still doubt that it would be legal to sell machined IBM logos. Or apple logos.
@Barry Manilowa well ... Good luck.
I've been using a Unicomp keyboard for 4 years now (build date of 7/11/2016), and it is THE BEST keyboard I've ever owned! No more rubber dome keyboards on my main PC rig! I love how they make their keyboards to order rather than having a huge stockpile of them in a warehouse. I've admired buckling spring keyboards since I was a little kid. The kids at school loved to mix up the keycaps.
I have an original made in Mexico 1990 IBM Model M, and I absolutely love it. It came with one of the IBM PS/2s my high school used for typing classes and I rescued it from the dumpster. The thing is an unstoppable beast, and I absolutely love it.
The curved flow on those keys is part of what makes that keyboard awesome. And for the record, my first keyboard was a Cherry, but not the first PC keyboard I used, that I had the honor of being the Model F on a 286 PS/2.
I imagine everyone who has worked in a plastics factory is screaming "JUNE OF 1995!". Because thats what the date wheel says on the NOS industrial housing.
Those green key caps give that Model M a bit of an early '90s Acorn vibe. I like it.
When David made badge replacement on The 8bit Guy, he used metal tape (looked like aluminum) and he printed the text on laminated tape, black on transparent. Stuck the laminated tape on the aluminum tape and cut it to size. I too want to buy a label maker, it looks fun (but expensive).
I’ve had one as my daily driver for 3 years now, and I absolutely love it! I haven’t had a single problem with it thus far, and highly recommend it if you’re in the market for a new keyboard!
These guys rock. I adore my M122 (2019). If you're wondering if a Unicomp keyboard is worth it... Yes! Unless you can find a good condition early model M. Unicomp was a great company to buy from. Support these guys!
I've bought 4 keyboards from them and even been to their office a few times to pickup purchases since I'm local. Cool people and cool products!
I had them repair and refurbish a couple of old Model M boards I had, and do a Ctrl/CapsLock swap. Really impressed with their work and the turnaround time.
Boards came back shrinkwrapped and boxed like a new Unicomp, but still had the IBM feel.
Your cameras autofocus is astounding!
Honestly the aesthetic with the green keys looks pretty great, to be honest. Like that is a classy looking keyboard!
I've got a Unicomp spacesaver M for Mac and absolutely recommend it. I like it better than the apple magic keyboard, and other vintage keyboards.
I have a faint feeling that _still_ using the original tooling isn't actually a praise anymore...
It would be better if they bought new tooling, but of course it's always cheaper to just keep using what you already have
Tbh, I'd gladly donate to them to fix up their tooling. I got a Unicomp Classic M from them and there were quite a few issues with it off the bat. It's a blessing they're still making this stuff but they have some upkeep to do, I think.
@@joetheprogrammer0 I believe their "New Model M" keyboards are based on newer molds. This is a "classic" model that's based on very old ones. The new model Ms have windows keys.
I believe they are in the process of working on new tooling with the release of a new tenkeyless model.
Apparently the machines they use cost over a million dollars each. Remember that they use tooling that was basically custom built by/for IBM, the largest computer company in the world at the time. So when people say "they should just get new tooling", it's probably not as simple as going to Best Buy and buying a 3D-printer.
Saw that green in the thumbnail and thought you'd gotten your hands on an Archimedes for a second.
Speaking of UK computers, i find myself tempted to get one with the CPC 464 colors.
@@digiowl9599 Gorgeous colours - terrible keyboard. I've recently been lusting after a BBC Master computer -the spherical keyboards are absolutely lovely. The switches they're attached to however suck balls.
Ha, yup, same thing here, the moment I saw those green keys the first thing I thought of was Archimedes.
That other green board he showed absolutely made me think of the Archie.
I was thinking, that reminds me of my Acorn A3010
I have a Unicomp, and it's hands-down the best keyboard I have. I do agree with the quality control issues; mine had one bad key (it triggered a bit above the click sound). The support I got was top-notch, including internationally mailing some parts free of charge, no questions asked, to see if I could repair it and save on having to return it. Sadly, that didn't fix it, but I ended up just deciding to live with it rather than post the thing internationally --- I'd have had to pay customs duties again, which would have doubled the price! Also, I did also order some coloured keycaps and the printing on them was decidedly off-centre. Good news there: I found an IBM WheelWriter in a junk shop which had original IBM keycaps, with the awesome international typewriter symbols, so I'm just using them.
I'm really surprised that there are no clone buckling spring keys out of China yet. It's absolutely delicious to type on, making Cherry keyswitches seem scratchy and cheap in comparison. I'd completely recommend a Unicomp.
Yes, this - their customer support is great - when they shipped me the USB variant instead of the PS2 version, they just shipped me an entire replacement keyboard - and didn't ask me to send the original back. Unbelieveable.
Looks like an Acorn keyboard with that beautiful green!
The white/off white with the green accent keys, very nice! Can't wait to see what comes of the industrial shell project.
the case build quality has gotten better since their "classic" keyboard. I recently bought a "new model M" from them and it feels solid if not a little less heavy.
I used one of these every day at work and I still can't get over how awesome I think it is in the fact that it was made in this same country. Plus when I'm on the phone and typing with it I sound very busy
I have been wanting a Unicomp keyboard for a while, thank you for featuring an unboxing of one!
My Unicomp died about three years after the purchase. The feeling was also off compared to an original, so overall it was not a good experience. Its saving grace was the presence of windows keys, which has become important for system-wide shortcuts in a modern OS.
Maybe it's important in Windows, but In Modern non-microsoft OSes Linux you can just rebind the "window" or "super" key.
Yup. I specifically bought the one w/o the super key, never miss it in Linux. I run a virtual windows 10, and if I ever need it there, I bind it to capslock. Who really needs capslock, amiright?
@@TheRaker1000 right now I'm using a keyboard with a super key, but if I'm not, I usually look at whatever commands I have bound to the super key, and make them left-alt commands. alt+t opens terminal instead of super+t, and so on.
mine died after a few years too. mine was 2006ish? I liked the feel, but back in 2006 there werent a dozen options for mech kb like there is now.
@@Strawberry92fs You can do that in Windows too. I have mine rebound to num lock on my Model M.
I expected the industrial keyboard to have a NIN logo on it.
Quake edition 😋 blasts nin when you type
@@Colt45hatchback I wanna frag you like a shambler
@@CaveyMoth 🤣🤣🤣
Its your model m case I can smell
It gets me closer to the shell
clint - damn I wish I can get "insert some part or item made"
1 week later
clint - *gets what ever item he requested* XD
Wow the green keycaps are looking so neat on that! I‘m still so in love with my 1988 Model M and it always makes me happy to see one regardless :)
The different colour keys does make it standout very nicely.
That bag of keycaps sounds oh so much like a bag of lego bricks.
Hell yeah those green keys are very nice. It made your last video really stand out. In 1 second I thought it was a AliExpress copy of a Model M keyboard because of the missing IBM Logo. Now I know it’s a Unicomp and it’s based on the original, I will check if they have one available with the windows key.(Super key on Unix/Linux/OpenBSD Command key on MacOS, which I use way more nowadays then Windows). I miss the clicky sound on my daily driver. Corsair K60 Pro RGB with Cherry MV speed keys(and horrible backlighting, something where Apple keyboards stand out)
Getting a strong Acorn A3010 vibe from your shiny new green keyed Model M, as the green function keys on the A3010 look to be the same shade as the keycaps you put on yours.
Exactly what I was thinking!
Why everyone had bad experiences with the Unicomp keyboards, i brought one around 2019, the trackball black-case model and an classic Model M beige USB, and i felt pretty good, probably i never owned an original IBM Model M; knowing buying one from eBay can cost $300 which ain't gonna pay.
Yes it pays when you realize that the Unicomp will fail at some day while originals from the 80ies still work and will continue to work.
PBT caps are the nicest for sure. Green looks slick.
It looks awesome, nice technique with the LGR logo. The colour scheme reminded me of the Acorn A3010 from the early 90s.
Saw keyboard, clicked expecting Thomas, got Clint. Great review! Still rocking a few 1989 Ms'
Yes!!! I just bought my Unicomp Ultra Classic with blue keys and I am loving it. I've had no quality problems that others have been mentioning, idk
I didn't realize they sold colored keys at Unicomp. That looks really nice!
This video helped me discover that the handling of a cardboard box is good ASMR.
I ordered myself a Unicomp Model 122 key model 2 days ag. Funny you posted this.
Just got one of these as a birthday present, what are the chances
Lucky
Well you either get one for your birthday or you don't get one..... So 50%.
Happy birthday! 🥳
Computer input device for birthday present-because these are the things we live for, and that's why we watch LGR. Good times. Happy birthday to you. :)
Im asking for one for my birthday in a week! They must be in high demand
I use two Unicomp 101 classics for the last 15 years and they are great. I've worked on mainframe model F's in the early 90s and I couldn't forget how great the tactile feedback was. A good keyboard is a great investment if you are typing on your computer.
Date code on the industrial case showed a date of manufacture of June 1995. Almost picked one up but bought the Battle Cruiser 122 key in black built in January 2020. Build quality seems a bit better than what you experienced especially the feet. Maybe you got a Covid copy that was rushed out the door with limited staff? 24 function keys are awesome.
I actually kind of like having the Unicomp logo on mine. The blue color and the little red dot serve as a reminder of their IBM heritage!
I really like the logo too. It has a bit of charm to it and fits well with the rest of the keyboard's retro look.
Man... I've been really contemplating getting one of these
Same. The New Model M looks quite interesting....
the best keyboards money can buy, I own 4 Unicomps.
@@johnsouthern6089 Wouldn't the navy blue version of those switches be a better choice to imitate a Model M? Never used them, but I imagine stiffer = better
@@jpsulisz Nolcue, haven't used them but they are heavier. Might tire your fingers out.
I was a mainframe operator for 6 1/2 years and I bought one of the model F keyboards with the f13-f24 and used it every day!
Took delivery on a massive Unicomp PC 122 Battle Cruiser about a month ago. This is the Grand Admiral of All Keyboards. Have two other mechanical gaming keyboards, both with Las Vegas flashing neon RGB and Cherry switches. The Battle Cruiser is far and away my favorite of the three. Get a Unicomp buckling spring keyboard. You'll wonder why you waited.
I love that keyboard and the color combination. Green is my favorite color so I may have to imitate your keyboards.
Well... now I know what I want for Christmas. That green and beige is SICK. Don’t care if my PC setup is all black, either!
The green looks superb, really love that!
I remember some of the 70s CP/M computers and VT like terminals having orange keys. You just wanted an excuse to press those buttons! :D
orange with some dark grey left, that would be amazing
VT52's had colored keys, and even some of the software like editors referred to them by the colors. GOLD+KP5 for example. IIRC the VT100 keyboard was uniform, so if you wanted the colored keys you had to order them special.
i found my current Model M in the basement of an abandoned office building, then i had just heard of this legendary keyboard and it made me so extremely thrilled and exited to finally be able to use one. next up with this keyboard is a bolt mod since rivets are just starting to break off
A Green LGR badge would look better with the green keys.
So nice to see my neck of the woods represented on LGR!
Bought one a couple months ago for work. Its a dream to type on.
Metal badges are often available at trophy shops.
I used to get employee name badges made up with custom laser etched printing that way.
That badge actually looks pretty good for what it is.
thank you fro the tip, I went and bought an industrial grey case as well.
Kudos for getting the version without the Windows logo key.
I got the 101key (w/o the logo key) with grey/black keys/case maybe 6 months ago, and I'm loving it.
Subjectively it feels a bit sturdier than what yours looked onscreen when you twisted it.
I love the feel of these old keyboards but I can't live without backlit keys.
Reminds me of the Acorn RiscPC/Archimedes computers I use to use in school, those had either green or orange keys on the function keys
I think the ones with orange/red Fn keys were the BBC branded ones.
Just picked one of these up at a closing Bed Bath & Beyond getting rid of their office equipment for $5. I don't even know why it was there, but it was definitely well-loved. 😮
Looks like they've improved the printing and build quality a bit since the last unboxing I saw a few years ago. I use a 1987 Model M but I've been considering ordering one of the UNICOMPs with a Windows key -- I actually use it with my Mac Pro but it's annoying to not have Control, Option, and Command all at the same time.
I'm like a year late to this video but Clint seeing as you're a big fan of the green and beige combo, I'd definitely recommend taking a look at a Royal Alpha 6xx/7xx typewriter sometime, they have a lovely green and white color scheme with either Cherry M7 or M9 switches.
Wooooo, I’ve ordered that case too for my German 1992 Model M, alongside with hungarian keycaps. (I’m from Hungary) Now I have a hungarian industrial Model M, which was never a thing. (Althrough IBM manufactured hungarian boards, but not in industrial.) It looks so sexy, that every time when a new person enters my room, notices the keyboard.
This colour scheme reminds me so much of the Acorn A3010 - school days vibes!
i got the black model M and the model F, which looks like something that should belong to a early Star Trek episode from the 70's.
However i did had to repair/clean the one i use now, since i spilled a whole glass of softdrink on it, but it was actually quite easy to fix, just cleaned every key, and put the rest in the dish washer and let it dryed.
The only issue i had after, was the PCB that is lying on contacts for the key-traces contact , didn't have proper contact.
To fix that i just used multiply layers of package foam , compressed to a sandwich, so when i closed the keyboard with the screws, the foam pressed the PCB firmly to the contact points for the traces.
I miss my old Model M keyboard but it just didn't match my black monitor & mouse. Glad to see that Unicomp makes a Model M with a black bezel to match my modern PC but still have that classic feel.
I bought 3 unicomp Model-Ms back in 2010. Within a couple of years all three of them stopped working correctly (some keys being dead). It was down to corrosion in the membrane traces. Probably doens't play well with humid environments. I've since fixed two of them by replacing the membrane and bolt-modding them back together, one of which died again a few months later... Meanwhile my IBM Model-M from '96 (lexmark built) is still working absolutely fine in the same environment as my main keyboard for decades. The dead Unicomps were their USB model. My theory is their new USB keyboard controller puts too much current through the traces while scanning the keyboard matrix. Maybe the PS/2 model you got doesn't have this problem.
Current isn't enough to cause corrosion. If you ever repair one of the broken ones again, try to find a nice sealant for the edges of the membrane.
I gave up on them and bought a NOS Model M. Build quality vastly superior, feels better, and works perfectly.
I was able to get one of the 1985 IBM made Model M's manufactured in UK off of eBay for $25 because the seller thought it was broken. Turns out the circuit board was just not making contact to the ribbon from the keys - I finagled a paperclip mount and now it works perfectly.
I've been using one of those keyboards for 5 or 6 years. As a programmer I type a lot, and I find those a lot more enjoyable to type on than a cherry MX. And I'm not a big gamer so I couldn't care less about nKRO, the only gaming I do is a few hours of WoW per week-end and the keyboard is good enough for that.
I realize it's not as good as an original model M but I suck with tools and it spares me the trouble of having to bolt mod a 30 year old keyboard or getting a PS/2 to USB adapter.
FWIW Old IBM keyboard cases were made out of PVC, which doesn't yellow and has some good mechanical properties as well. Unicomps seem to be all ABS, which is easier to work with but not as good for this it seems.
I own one since around 10 days and I absolutely love it! Was definitely worth $180 (shipping included)! 😁 The feel and look is just amazing!
I ordered a custom Model M with the Ultra Classic chassis and Windows 95 keys 😊
I got a unicomp over a decade ago - very happy with it - in fact I got two as they sent me the wrong sort (usb instead of PS/2) - so delighted at that. They seem slightly better than the more modern ones - though perhaps that's just rose-tinted specs. Not a real M - but it's still a beast of a keyboard.
Cool find on the industrial case! And the Unicomp M looks great in beige and green!
As for me, I have a Unicomp Ultra Classic M -- the model with less of a "frame" around the case -- in black with gray keys and Windows keys. It's been good so far since I bought it new in early 2018. Still the best thing I've typed on regularly since the buckling-spring keyboard that came with our old 486 back in the day! (I'm not sure if Acer shipped them with their Acros 486 models, or if Dad picked it up separately when he got the computer.)
Speaking of which, my current PC _does_ have a PS/2 port on the motherboard, so if I ever find the 486's keyboard in a closet or something...
I was almost tempted until I checked the postage to Australia. $115. Crazy. Nice customisation. Cheers
Nice green keys, reminiscent of the function keys on my Acorn A3010.
I bought a Unicomp Spacesaver M for my PowerMac about 10 years ago and it was quite nice. I've purchased two since then, one in 2015, and another in 2017 to replace the '15 version after it just stopped working, and both were big disappointments. The quality seemed to go down over time. In both my last two, keys could swivel a bit on their post and they didn't always press straight down, sometimes at an angle. Eventually a year ago I buckled down and bought a real Model M for not very much and it's been a great experience since then. I want to like Unicomp, I really really really do, because I want new Model M's with Windows keys and modern support, but I need to see their game raised.
Man those green keys look really cool on that thing!
Anyway, a few suggestions for unicomp
- Update the tooling, and try to recreate the original polymer formula, make the general feel of the thing better quality
- Add a few more modern features such as N-Key Rollover
- Detatchable USB Type C / PS/2 cable
I own a Unicomp Model M (euro layout , w/ Windows keys) for, dunno, 5 or 6 years now, with some problems. If you hear a ratteling noise from the inside it means that some of those molten plastic blobs, which fix the metal plate, broke of. I repaired it by drilling tiny holes in the stumps and screwing screws into them. Perfect solution, keyboard is much more stable. In comparison to the old IBM Model M, the metal plate is around 1/4 thinner
Cool that they removed the tacky Unicomp logo, this looks much better.
He might have ordered it without the logo. They sell replacement stickers like the one on LGR's keyboard on their website.
I don’t get the big deal with the logo. I just order a used 2001 Unicomp Classic and I don’t think the logo looks that bad. Did it get worse over the years or do people really just not like logos like that on their keyboards?
My custom ultra classic did have issues with the printing on they keys not being perfect. Some were slightly fuzzy or misaligned, but it's really minor and only noticeable when you look closely, I don't consider it an issue at all. For the price of a custom layout with custom keys, I had zero complaints. But yeah, had the same fit and creaking issues, which again I had zero complaints over for the price. Especially considering I've more recently bought an old model M and that's just as creaky with wobbly keys, so it's definitely showing its age.
And here I thought I was the only one who laminated things with packing tape.
I have a Unicomp M I bought maybe 3 years ago. It never had the greatest feel, and I noticed recently when I pulled it back out that if I had it sitting on my lap or something soft like a bed, the space bar and half of the bottom row of keys (the M key in particular, oddly enough) barely work and you have to jam on them super hard to get them to activate. It seems to do a lot better if it's sitting on something hard and flat like a desk, but it really shows the poor quality. Not sure if it's due to the lack of metal bracing or what but it's a problem I don't even have with the cheap $2 keyboard that came with my computer. I just use modern mechanical boards now, won't waste money on another Unicomp unless they improve.
I had that issue with one of my custom key caps but I just moved it to scroll lock. I think its just old tooling issues. The newer one piece grey keycaps on their black models are pretty decent. If i get another one Im not getting a bunch of custom keycaps and sticking with the default grey keys.
That industrial M with the brown case-tone SCREAMS to become a C64 build. Ooh, put a mini in it? A buckling-spring C64? Need some custom caps shot, but still...
I have a unicomp pc-122 and the quality on it seems a lot better than most of the other unicomp boards I've seen. I'm not sure if its just my unit but I'm happy with it regardless. Mine was also made in 2020.
Surprised at how much of a difference the badge made. Looks smooth
i love my OG type M. it used to be my daily board but has since been swapped to a more disposable board