A timeline of IBM keyboard history
This page is considered work-in-progress and should be treated as such. The design and layout of this page are subject to tweaks, and a lot of content (events) are still to be added and fleshed out. If you have any feedback or suggestions for the design and/or particular events, feel free to contact me and let me know your thoughts.
The IBM and family keyboard timeline is an illustrated overview of some of the most important events affecting IBM, Lexmark, Unicomp, Lenovo and Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions keyboards. This includes notable keyboard releases and withdrawals, corporate history like company founding, divestures and change in OEMs, and patents. Due to their relationship and impact on the keyboards around them, host devices such as personal computers, terminals, consoles and typewriters also appear throughout the timeline. 143 events have been recorded for the "show all" versions of the timeline.
IBM begins developing the IBM System/23 Datamaster, and with it, the first Model F-based keyboard assembly.
After concluding the IBM System/23 Datamaster's development, IBM begins work on the IBM Personal Computer. This includes its keyboard, which was derived from the then-still-unreleased Model F-based IBM System/23 Datamaster Keyboard Assembly.
[1] IBM announces the OPTIONS by IBM brand to offer "hundreds of peripheral add-ons, add-ins and system enhancements for both IBM and non-IBM industry standard systems, to satisfy a wide variety of personal computing needs." Upon launch, the brand included a version of the Model M PS/2 Enhanced Keyboard and Model M13 TrackPoint II Keyboard.
[ASK] Soarer's Converter firmware debuts when Soarer starts a geekhack thread on the subject. Originally for Teensy-based microcontroller units, it makes using IBM PC/XT and terminal compatible keyboards much easier than before. When eventually paired with Pro Micros and custom solutions such as orihalcon's and tinkerBOY's cables became available, it became the most popular of such firmware. It will go on to win "best input device mod" in Deskthority Awards 2012.
[ASK] Unicomp renames the Model M-based SpaceSaver PC to its current name Ultra Classic.
[ASK] Lenovo makes the Precision Keyboard the standard keyboard design for Lenovo ThinkPads going forward, starting with the xx30 generation. Precision (also known as the "chiclet-style" or 6-row keyboard) is a derivative of AccuType Keyboard that was previously tested on some specific ThinkPads before now mostly laying to rest the 7-row keyboard classic ThinkPad layout across the board.
- Brandon @ clickykeyboards.com - photo used with attribution [accessed 2024-04-21]. License/note: https://deskthority.net/wiki/Help:Contents#Copyright.