Today I give you an article written for one reason, and one reason only.  Today I received my brand new, but actually not new at all and in fact manufactured in 1996, IBM Model M keyboard, manufactured by Lexmark, and merrily typed up this article.  It is physcially large, loud, and totally awesome.  Here is a simple review for your click-keyboard pleasure.

Why such an old keyboard?

My previous keyboard was a Microsoft Comfort Curve keyboard.  It featured quiet keys and a slightly curved key layout.  It was a nice keyboard with some simple multimedia functionality.  I did not care much for the curved layout as it made it very difficult to track the keys, but overall the keyboard served its function.  So why replace it?

To understand why I would pay for such an old keyboard, you must consider two things about using your computer.  The first revolves around keyboard technology.  Modern keyboards often use a dome switch under the keys.  Without getting into the details, scissor switches tend to be quiet and much cheaper to manufacture.  Remove the key off a keyboard and you can see the dome switch underneath.  I know that does not sound so bad, but the biggest problem with this design is that the keys give very little feedback on keypresses.

The second reason is corny, but dig deep inside that nerdy computer user that you wish you were and ask yourself, do I want to feel like one of those hackers from a cheesy 80s hacker movie, like Matthew Broderick’s War Games?  If you answer “Yes, I want to be, or at least feel, that awesome when I use my computer to type up the most boring Word document ever,” then you are looking for the tactile and aural feedback of a buckling-spring keyboard, like the Model M.

The Model M, Examined

The first thing you will notice about the Model M keyboard is its weight.  This thing was designed for industrial use, and from what I have read (but do not quote me on this as I cannot find the source again) have a mean time between failure of 10 million clicks!  To support this kind of abuse, the Model M is built out of thick plastic and a heavy steel chassis. 

The physical design of the keyboard is what you would expect from the most basic of keyboards, lacking any multimedia functionality and even missing the Windows key (which I may begin to miss…).  The keyboard is also physically large, much larger than my Comfort Curve in width, height, and depth.  It is so large, in fact, that it dominates my desk, leaving very little room for my mouse.  It’s a sacrifice I am willing to make.  The keyboard features a PS/2 port cable.  Sorry laptop users, no cheap click-clack typing for you, as the only way to connect it will be to get a a PS/2 to USB adapter.

Now the bread and butter of this keyboard- the tactile and aural feedback.  What is tactile feedback?  When you push a key, you want to KNOW you hit the key.  Buckling-spring keyboards like the Model M push back against your keypresses, giving you reassurance that you correctly hit the key, a mistake easily made on lower quality keyboards.  Aural feedback is that satisfying “click-clack” you get for every key press.  This is the coolest feature.  It brings me back to the glory days on the old Apple Macintosh computers we used in grade school…  It makes the entire typing experience feel new again.  Unfortunately, while this sound may be satisfying to you, those around you may find themselves insanely annoyed by you typing away.  For example, while my roommate said he felt like he was in a 90s movie while I typed, he also shortly thereafter closed the door.  Heh.

The End

So that is it, pretty basic  review here.  Hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed typing it on my Model M.  In case you are wondering, these keyboards can be had on eBay for about $25 for the newer, less desirable models, one of which I have.  Apparently the older Model Ms have higher quality plastics and replaceable cords, features which I have no desire for.