Let me tell you about how I learned that Unicomp used to make rubber dome model M's... (lemmy.world)

submitted 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) by wjrii@lemmy.world to c/mechanicalkeyboards@lemmy.ml

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...It was about ten minutes after I saw that my "ridiculous low-ball" Ebay bid for a branded battlecruiser had won. That said, it is way snappier (and louder) than any rubber dome I've ever used. It's not a bad board at all, really, though the terminal scan code set it was flashed with means the converter is more or less mandatory, despite the board having a PS/2 connector.

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[-] Shadow@lemmy.ca 8 points 1 month ago

Their logo looks like the Enterprise

[-] wjrii@lemmy.world 4 points 1 month ago

Holy shit, you're right. Very TNG era.

[-] blindbunny@lemmy.ml 4 points 1 month ago

n rollover?

[-] wjrii@lemmy.world 6 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

It's electrically identical to a regular Model M, so almost certainly not. In looking into it, they changed three things:

dense little rubber domes in each key's barrel instead of the buckling-spring assemblies
keycaps with stems that are mostly solid to actuate the domes. I put in a spare buckling spring keycap to see if it worked, and while nowhere near well enough to rely on, it snapped right in, and if you push hard enough it'll actuate.
removed a thin sheet of rubber that cushioned the membrane from the plastic flippers attached the buckling springs.

That's it. Same controllers, same membranes, even the same cases.

[-] blindbunny@lemmy.ml 3 points 1 month ago

I always wanted a mech version but after I released it has no rollover I lost interest. Thanks for sharing though. You're right I didn't even know these were real.

[-] wjrii@lemmy.world 4 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

If you want it badly enough, there’s the pricy “New Model F” capacitive buckling spring boards, and they have all three Model M layouts.

[-] blindbunny@lemmy.ml 4 points 1 month ago

Ugh why did you tell me about this? You're working for them aren't you, you esoteric keyboard shill 😜

[-] wjrii@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago

lol, I have a lot of keyboards, many homemade, but I don’t think I’ve spent over a hundred bucks or so on any single one of them, and most are closer to half that. No Model F of any kind here, much less a new one.

[-] Mandarbmax@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago

Ya, they aren't as special as the buckling springs ones, but dome model Ms still are kick ass keyboards and I'm glad to see this one is in a loving home doing what it does best!

[-] ProdigalFrog@slrpnk.net 1 points 1 week ago

I used one of these for a while, and weirdly it's the only keyboard I've ever used that gave me finger pain.

[-] wjrii@lemmy.world 2 points 1 week ago

I can imagine. It's a different kind of typing experience.

[-] ProdigalFrog@slrpnk.net 1 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

I suspect it was due to how much force is required to finally overcome the membrane, which caused a sharp and semi forceful drop as I bottomed out, and there's not much squish or dampening to soften it. I think I'm a somewhat heavy typer though, so that likely compounded it.

[-] wjrii@lemmy.world 2 points 1 week ago

Yeah, if you were using one of these rubber dome M's, then the tactile event is firm and has quite the drop-off. I like it better than the average dome, but it's not fuckin' around.

[-] ProdigalFrog@slrpnk.net 1 points 1 week ago

Lmfao, that's an excellent way of putting it 😂

this post was submitted on 04 Feb 2025

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