Anyone have a unicomp keyboard?

Wowee these keyboards look amazing. I really want to get one soon and I was wondering if anyone here has any experience with them? I'm shocked I haven't known that a company bought the rights and molds, etc to remake the IBM model M keyboard. I think the best part about it is that it's still made locally in Lexington Kentucky. As soon as I can I'm going to order one for myself. Just thought I'd like to share the company with you guys in case there's anyone out there like me who was wishing for this but never knew it actually existed.

Unicomp website http://www.pckeyboard.com/

IBM Model-M keyboard. - The best keyboard ever made.

Man, mechanical keyboards are still expensive, eh.

Will be getting this bad boy for Christmas from my wife.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823830001

Standard keyboards forever!

Edit: Should also note I am aware that the keyboard is blank and that's one of things I liked about. My goal with this also is that I will be able to swap to a Dvorak layout and get screwed up by looking at the keyboard.

@psylah: Some of those are still cheaper than what you can buy from Steelseries/Razer/etc.

@TyCobb: I've got one of those (the pro with the lettering, though, not the blank Ultimate), and it's the greatest god damn thing I own. Seriously, every time I go to do a write up on a non-mechanical keyboard now, I want to throw up. The Das makes me never want to stop typing.

Get more click in your clack, motherfucker. Everyone should buy one of these.

Right now on Monoprice you can get a basic keyboard with Cherry Blue switches (the ones with tactile and audible click for maximum clack) for like 40 bucks (normally about 60 on Monoprice, and generally about 100 elsewhere).

http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=109&cp_id=10909&cs_id=1090901&p_id=9433&seq=1&format=2&cpncd=decdeals122

@Mirado said:

@TyCobb: I've got one of those (the pro with the lettering, though, not the blank Ultimate), and it's the greatest god damn thing I own. Seriously, every time I go to do a write up on a non-mechanical keyboard now, I want to throw up. The Das makes me never want to stop typing.

Get more click in your clack, motherfucker. Everyone should buy one of these.

You don't even need a clicky mechanical keyboard to notice how terrible rubber dome keyboards are. Even with non-clicky switches you start to know the difference. I used to have a clicky keyboard (IE: with Cherry MX Blue switches), but I just recently acquired a Filco Majestouch with MX Red switches (which are super duper light non-clicky switches) for my main desktop and I actually like it a lot better. Though I still use my clicky keyboard with blues for my Mac setup because I like typing essays and stuff on those switches, just not playing games. I was driving my dad insane playing Starcraft with my old keyboard because it sounded like a machine gun. My Filco is almost silent in comparison.

As for Unicomps, I've heard good things about them. Just keep in mind they are extra loud and require a bit more force to use. I was gonna get one but it would have been over $200 including shipping and customs fees so I decided against it (which looking back isn't that much because I paid like $170 altogether for this Filco).

@BBAlpert said:

Right now on Monoprice you can get a basic keyboard with Cherry Blue switches (the ones with tactile and audible click for maximum clack) for like 40 bucks (normally about 60 on Monoprice, and generally about 100 elsewhere).

http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=109&cp_id=10909&cs_id=1090901&p_id=9433&seq=1&format=2&cpncd=decdeals122

Do you own one? How's the build of the keyboard? I'd like to get something like that for work.

@Ben_H said:

You don't even need a clicky mechanical keyboard to notice how terrible rubber dome keyboards are. Even with non-clicky switches you start to know the difference. I used to have a clicky keyboard (IE: with Cherry MX Blue switches), but I just recently acquired a Filco Majestouch with MX Red switches (which are super duper light non-clicky switches) for my main desktop and I actually like it a lot better. Though I still use my clicky keyboard with blues for my Mac setup because I like typing essays and stuff on those switches, just not playing games. I was driving my dad insane playing Starcraft with my old keyboard because it sounded like a machine gun. My Filco is almost silent in comparison.

I'll give you that the Blue's aren't the best for gaming (especially on the audio front), but as I find myself typing way more then I do gaming anymore, I'm more then happy with the trade.

Plus, I've moved out, so I can click and clack all I like! :D

@Mirado said:

@Ben_H said:

You don't even need a clicky mechanical keyboard to notice how terrible rubber dome keyboards are. Even with non-clicky switches you start to know the difference. I used to have a clicky keyboard (IE: with Cherry MX Blue switches), but I just recently acquired a Filco Majestouch with MX Red switches (which are super duper light non-clicky switches) for my main desktop and I actually like it a lot better. Though I still use my clicky keyboard with blues for my Mac setup because I like typing essays and stuff on those switches, just not playing games. I was driving my dad insane playing Starcraft with my old keyboard because it sounded like a machine gun. My Filco is almost silent in comparison.

I'll give you that the Blue's aren't the best for gaming (especially on the audio front), but as I find myself typing way more then I do gaming anymore, I'm more then happy with the trade.

Plus, I've moved out, so I can click and clack all I like! :D

Yeah, though it is all down to preference. Some people hate how light Reds are, but I love it. I still use blues for typing assignments and stuff because it is easy to keep a tempo with the click.

What about the Das Keyboard? That gets a lot of praise.

I bought a Razer BlackWidow a few years ago: Still really love it, mechanical keyboards just are more comfortable to write on than mushy standard keyboards.

@Jams said:

@BBAlpert said:

Right now on Monoprice you can get a basic keyboard with Cherry Blue switches (the ones with tactile and audible click for maximum clack) for like 40 bucks (normally about 60 on Monoprice, and generally about 100 elsewhere).

http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=109&cp_id=10909&cs_id=1090901&p_id=9433&seq=1&format=2&cpncd=decdeals122

Do you own one? How's the build of the keyboard? I'd like to get something like that for work.

I don't think that'd be a good keyboard for work unless your office is very noisy already or you hate your coworkers and want to subject them to "clickiticlackicliclickclickclackaclitticlackclackclickclickiclick" all day (or however much of your day you spend typing). I don't know how noisy this specific keyboard is, but it uses one of the types of keys that is designed to make noise.

@BBAlpert said:

@Jams said:

@BBAlpert said:

Right now on Monoprice you can get a basic keyboard with Cherry Blue switches (the ones with tactile and audible click for maximum clack) for like 40 bucks (normally about 60 on Monoprice, and generally about 100 elsewhere).

http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=109&cp_id=10909&cs_id=1090901&p_id=9433&seq=1&format=2&cpncd=decdeals122

Do you own one? How's the build of the keyboard? I'd like to get something like that for work.

I don't think that'd be a good keyboard for work unless your office is very noisy already or you hate your coworkers and want to subject them to "clickiticlackicliclickclickclackaclitticlackclackclickclickiclick" all day (or however much of your day you spend typing). I don't know how noisy this specific keyboard is, but it uses one of the types of keys that is designed to make noise.

They'll think I'm doing work!

Unicomp's the only company still making a buckling spring board, to my knowledge. Buckling Springs are unique to IBM's boards, and Unicomp produced successors. If you want those springs, then you have no choice unless you can find an old Model M. As someone using a Das Keyboard with Cherry MX Blues I've no complaints with this thing. There are also some boards with Alps (or ALPS) switches, but they're another kettle of fish entirely. Mechanical boards of any kind are hard to dislike. I haven't played with an M or a Unicomp made keyboard, but if you can get your hands on one, and you want it? Do it.

I vaguely remember the M, but remember liking it when I had my 386. My grandmother on the other hand loved it when they started to make non-mechanical keyboards. We would go to computer shows when those were a thing and she would always hunt for them. I find it kind of funny nowadays because she was such a speedy typer that I am rather shocked that she was drawn away from mechanicals. She just really hated the sound of them and if I recall they weren't making them silent yet.

I am a programmer from Europe, and I am owner three of these Unicomp M keyboards. All of them are the same with the only acceptable layout for me - the classic / standard one. I really love this buckling spring feel and I can never use any non-mechanical keyboards in the future for sure. These buckling keys are loud a bit, but this is not a problem for me. My only problem is the quality of these keyboards. I must say it's just simply horrible. For now after a year - two of three of my keyboards are almost junk, but at least seriously damaged - without gaming at all, just writing text.

The problem must be somewhere inside, these unicomp keyboards have some very very weak plastic parts inside, some kind of little holders which can break very easily. After these holders break the stability of the keyboard is just lost. I can hear these little parts traveling under the cover when I am moving the keyboard. At the moment some of the my keys are clicking and working, some of them clicking but now working, some not clicking but working, and there are some which are not clicking and working either. If I push the keyboard on random point some of the not properly keys start to work again but some of the good ones just stop. Very frustrating.

If you are owner of this brand here are my advices: never remove any keys ever, do not hit hard the keys generally when you are typing (I think for gaming unicomp is bad idea), do not want to paint the keys, do not want to change anything, do not try to mod or do not want to clean either - only with vacuum cleaner maybe.. I've changed (painted) some keys and needed to take them out (with a regular keycap puller), and I am almost sure this is the reason why they went broke. As I noticed the problem always starts around the numpad, the minus and the big plus.

I don't have one.