NOT an IBM Model M - Key Tronic E03601 Ergo Force keyboard
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- Опубліковано 22 сер 2024
- One of the better rubber dome keyboards, with "Ergo Force Technology" variable weighting, but not an IBM Model M even though it looks similar at first glance. Fun Fact: The first Das Keyboard was identical to this except with a black paint job: • Das Keyboard mk.1 revi...
I've had a Model M for three and a half years now, and I did not realize that the top ledge was for pencils.
It's funny, I use that ledge for pencils, but I didn't know that was its intended purpose.
Love that clicky sound those old IBM keyboards make.
The Key Tronic keycaps are laser etched, using a relatively primitive "charring" type etching that is pretty much just made out of simple vectors.
The Model M keycaps look like they are dye sublimated, which allows the print to look more like normal printed fonts. But I believe some Model M's used laser etched keycaps similar to the Key Tronic too at some stage.
My old work had these at the front desk on some POS (point of sale) computers, and they were decent enough, about the best rubber domes I usually see these days when thrifting are Lenovo, and if you can pick them up for $5 a pop or less, then they are worth grabbing as a spare keyboard, or for when you are building a system for someone, as they have a decent typing feel, and don't look cheap like most OEM boards do these days.
I just found the same KeyTronic Keyboard but I guess to know - This Keyboard really had mechanical switches?
Back in the 90s I was part of a project team looking at replacing all of the PCs the company I worked for were using. I got invited for a look around both the IBM plant at Greenock and the Compaq plant at Erskine just a few miles away. Both pretty impressive facilities but unfortunately both plants are now history. IBM still has a contact centre in the town but the manufacturing plant is long gone.
Thanks for the good information. I picked up an XT version of this at a yard sale today. At first glance it looked like a Model M but closer inspection made it pretty clear it was not. It actually feels pretty nice for a rubber dome. It has a left exit coil cord, small, same sized, Enter and Backspace keys, no windows key (Of course, it has a 1989 build date on it)
While the Keytronic keyboards aren't mechanical, they do have a great typing feel and generally are easy to type on, especially compared to modern "chiclet" style keyboards. At home, when I was in middle and high school, my computer had a Keytronic keyboard attached, as well as a Microsoft Intellimouse 1.2A PS/2, which is also a very good mouse. I later found out that the Keytronic keyboards were available in black, which would look better today with modern PC's and monitors.
A hall effect keyboard's switches have no moving parts except for the magnets, IIRC. Those are still considered "mechanical". Optoelectric switches are "mechanical". I just don't understand it.
They do indeed have badge clips.
What was that all about? :D
@@rkan2 Not entirely sure what you're asking, but the ending has the guy saying "they have badge clips" and for whatever reason my gay ass resonated with that cute dude and I said that in response. So that's that.
@@rkan2 absolutely no idea
Kinda unessaery to put in a video
It's from Nurse Blake, in case you're wondering: ua-cam.com/video/wSduNc8ocTk/v-deo.html
We have these in the Physics Department at my University. I was disappointed when I first realized that they weren't model M's. They clearly copied the IBM design. That being said they do have a pretty nice feel - one can get used to them easily enough.
The station I currently work for has a black version of this keyboard on the computer responsible for controlling our TVU cell back pack system we use for most of our live shots. It's nice enough, Fore rubber dome boards it's really good.
i love my 88 model m i found it at my work cannot believe it was in a factory attic for over 20 years in a plastic bag covered in pigeon doo amazing condition all white never yellowed or smoked on only missing F11 and plus equal key caps
Love the font on the KeyTronic one. Awesome
Made in the United Kingdom...a rarity these days.
It was a rarity back in 1996, too.
@@vwestlife My Model M from '90 was made in the UK too, at what point did they switch production facilities?
They continued to make Model M's in Scotland right until the end in 1999.
How do you take these apart? I have a broken one and am too scared by the clips.
Badge clips? We don't need no stinkin' badge clips!
Nice video Kevin
And sold out on eBay in 3, 2....
1
My dad had this model or earlier Keytronics keyboard or the IBM Model M in the early 90s. I vividly remember looking at the keyboard to learn how to play games at the time.
Keytronic also made an exact clone of the Model M, without the big-ass Enter key and small Backspace. I have 2 or 3 of them. The only difference is the addition of the Windows and Properties keys.
They actually have a very good feel for a RD switch. Not as good as buckling springs, but still very tactile and responsive.
I think Keytronic recently exited the keyboard business. You can't buy these new from Keytronic any more, even though the documentation is still on their awful website.
What model is it?
@@matthew-ph6xo I don't know offhand. But this is the best current RD clone of the Model M: smile.amazon.com/dp/B08F3WBFP1/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_N3XBGA1N7HA03S0GW14P?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
And if you want a REAL Model M, get this: www.pckeyboard.com/page/product/NEW_M
Being an old guy, let me inform everyone of the truth. The Keyboard above actually IS the true IBM design, from the 1960's IBM Selectric II Correctable IBM typewriter, the one with the ball printing head. And it became the defacto IBM keyboard in the early 1980's from most manufacturers. It became widely available with various plugs as the Keytronics KT800USB....which I still use today, and have bought several backup ones on EBay, new. The huge difference is the LARGE L shaped ENTER key, which is so much easier to use then the thin horizontal ENTER key on the model M.
I've got one of these and I absolutely love it. It was my daily driver until I got my NEC APC-H412. Still the best plain ass rubber dome probably ever made.
Actually the earlier KeyTronic (pre -96) keyboards looked almost the same as the model m. I have a 1994 one that looks very much like a model m except for the width but also the curled cable is on the left side as well. And no windows keys btw.
Typing this text on the one I've been using for 20 years every day at work.
We used these keyboards for spares in my job until the PCs we used started coming in with USB only and no PS2 connector. They worked pretty well,
Windows key visible from thumbnail. I'd never mistake that for a Model M ;) I'm absolutely in love with the typeface. Those keycaps look amazing. I'm missing the darker shaded keys though. It looks a bit "pale" for an 80's/90's keyboard.. Nice find!
Your Model M needs a clean.
Just saw this video and realized I have one. Although mine is an E03602. It has an AT style non-color-coded connector and a DTK Computer badge on the front. Also doesn't seem to have Ergo Force unfortunately.
Got one today for 5 bucks, its a later model kt2001 with different profile and look but mechanicaly the same, definitely best rubber dome i've ever used, one neat thing is that all keycaps have same profile so you can configure it for other layouts easily.
I have that exact same Keytronic keyboard even the same model number, but mine is yellowed. And yep I mistook it for a Model M when I got it from a pile of office keyboards at a surplus store and I immediately noticed that it wasn't one when I looked at the Keytronic label at the back, but I still got it because it was the keyboard the felt the best compared to IBM/Lenovo Office and Multimedia keyboards. Though I should have gotten one of those too since they had the convenient media keys since all of the keyboards on the pile costed about $2 a piece. And the only difference to the one you showed is that it has a coiled cable. I never noticed the key weight difference of ones like the Num lock and I only notice it on the keys with stabilizers like the Space Bar, Enter, Shift.
Looks a lot like a Model M.. Thanks for the demo of this keyboard! I've noticed Key Tronic Keyboards on Amazon and instead I bought a Unicomp Model M.. I'm happy with the Unicomp.. Even though it cost about $100 it's a really good keyboard.. I wanted to get a Model M so I got a Model M.. Even though it's not I.B.M. :) The Key Tronic looks really good though! Yeah I would buy one as long as the price is right :) Thanks as always for the in depth cool video!
Fran-Labs reference !? A thumbs up from me !
Thin lazered abs key caps. It's funny they gave us foam and foil and then popularized rubber domes. Their keyboard were built well though.
i have an updated 103 key, it is the best rubber dome keyboard i have ever seen, they are really good quality
9:25 "Access Program" "Access Main Security" "Access Main Program Grid"
They have badge clips!
I have one of these that I use as my primary keyboard. It has some minor variations (no cord channels, different lock light layout). I didn't know about the "ergo force" aspect, and mine doesn't advertise it, but I can definitely feel a difference now. I also type with 2 fingers, so thanks for that. :|
I have 2 of the keyboards one was a quantext by microsystems the other one is a omnitech then a dfi they all have the same layout with different labels
Topre also has that "feature" I think 50-70 grams of force. From the home row to the outer keys the escape key is 85 grams I think too.
I had a keytronic from 1992 similar to this one. Mine obviously didn't have the windows keys on it.
keytronic also sold that same keyboard with the larger backpsace key and backslash key in teh correct place. I never liked the L shaped enter key.. that is from PC XT style. AT style put backslash above the enter key. I used to use the AT style Keytronics keyboard back in the mid to late 90's. Really loved that keyboard. Before that I used the fujitsu.
Hand lettering can actually have good letter spacing, you're actually _supposed_ to adjust based on the surrounding letters.
Though, as someone who trained in hand lettering, I at least rarely bothered. It slowed you down for little to no use.
mmm yes, badge clips
I really like the Keytronic keyboards except for the large enter key. I wish Keytronic wouldn't use that large L-shaped enter key. They're relatively inexpensive and pretty good for a non-mechanical keyboard.
I have a Compaq keyboard that looks nearly identical to one of the Unicomp model Ms (the Ultra Classic). Although the Unicomp design is probably the copycat in this case.
BADGE CLIPS
The idea of different zones of the keyboard could be nice for cheaper gaming keyboard.
I have a Logitech gaming rubber done keyboards and I do say it is quite nice for being a rubber dome. It is also a lot more expensive than the cheap garbage (4-5 HP keyboards)
Good old Zune theme...
Does your board have a cutout for the XT/AT switch thing? Is that to switch protocol? If so, is it only for certain models?
Badge clips!
I have an NMB RT8756C+ that has a good sound to it, but not as good as the IBM model m.
Sounds very much like a mid 90s apple keyboard
Does this model support PS/2 to USB adapters?
Second. But anyways hope it sounds like a model m will be looking forward to the typing test.
I already did a video about it.
I really like your videos about me, I need Russian subtitles, be sure to add them
I don't speak Russian.
i believe das keyboard rebadged this as their first product
Read the description. :-)
Wait... They just let you rifle through the electronics at the recycling centre? They don't let you do that at mine.
At mine im not "allowed to" but when i go to drop some stuff off, ill stick some stuff back in my car lol.
@@bookshelffury My recycling centre is operated by the Bottle Depot, a government contracted recycling chain. Once you hand it in, everything's behind the counter, and the public isn't allowed in.
@@bookshelffury I don't think i'm suppose to at mine either, but when I'm dropping off stuff, I always take a look in the electronics bin to see what I can grab, and the guy who usually works my drop local drop off, just turns the other cheek, as he'd rather see someone get use out of the stuff then it being sent for recycle, or landfill waste, as it's ran by the county, and he's not making money on it.
Aw :( that sucks. Mines like a warehouse out behind the building where the sign in counter is. Sign in, drive out back, and unload your stuff in the bay. No ones really looking so ill take a look around. Its ran by the garbage company Waste Management.
@@bookshelffury All we have to do at mine is have a car/truck with an in date South Carolina tag, and if they ask for ID prove we are a county resident, but like i said the guy who runs mine cares less as he's seen me many times before dropping off stuff over the years.
"Shif t"
I have the same board, hate it
Boring need better content.
Boring need better comment.