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 acquires Electromatic Typewriters, Inc. to gain a head start with their typewriter ambitions, gaining Electromatic's patents, production facilities and tooling. IBM will invest $1 million in redesigning their product and improve support infrastructure for them.
[1] IBM introduces its first family of electric typewriters. IBM invested heavily in the technology acquired from Electromatic, introducing the IBM Model 01 Electric Typewriter (pictured) from it. 01 would be joined by 02 through 10 within a decade's time.
[2] The IBM Model A electric typewriter family is introduced.
[3] The IBM Model B electric typewriter family is introduced.
The IBM 7150 Console Typewriter & Operating Keyboard (pictured) and 7900 Inquiry Station Typewriter Keyboard are introduced. They are the earliest known forms of IBM printer-keyboards, which are considered to be IBM's second generation of keyboards.
[4] The IBM Model C electric typewriter family is introduced.
[5] IBM introduces the first Selectric electric typewriters, largely replacing the IBM Electric series. It uses whiffletree digital-to-analogue converters to translate key strokes into typed characters from its 88-character "golfball" typing element. Its styling and key feel would become a standard IBM would later try to emulate with later electronic keyboard designs. Selectric will spawn two follow-ups and specialised variants such as the Selectric Composer and various printer-keyboards.
IBM renames its Electric Typewriter Division to Office Products Division (OPD). This change was made to reflect how this division's products were increasingly beyond the scope of just typewriters.
[6] The IBM Model D electric typewriter family is introduced. This is IBM's last non-Selectric typewriter.
[7] IBM announces the 3210 and 3215 (pictured) Console Printer-Keyboards. They are large auxiliary I/O terminals for IBM System/370 mainframes. 3210 uses a Selectric-based printer and is available as either a table-top or pedestal mounted unit, whereas 3215 uses a much faster dot-matrix printer but is only available as a table-top unit.
[8] IBM unveils the Selectric II electric typewriter. Compared to Selectric I, a dual pitch option is added to allow the user to switch between 10-pitch mode for "correspondence" and 12-pitch mode for "business forms and reports". Selectric IIs are also generally larger. As with its predecessor, specialised variants and printer-keyboards based on Selectric II will later be introduced.
[9] IBM introduces the first IBM Electronic Typewriter generation, with models 50 (pictured) and 60. They are IBM's first electronic typewriters, granting them some internal processing capacity via electronics rather than relying on electrically-powered mechanical elements like an IBM Selectric. This generation of the design mates a Selectric-style but new 96-character "golfball" typing element with a Card Punch-like keyboard assembly with magnetic reed sensors for keystroke sensing.
[10] IBM introduces the Selectric III electric typewriter. Selectric III replaces Selectric I's and II's spherical-style keycaps with cylindrical-style keycaps and the 88-character "golfball" typing element with a 96-character one, innovations first introduced with the IBM Electronic Typewriter series 2 years prior. It also features a lighted margin scale.
[11] IBM announces the second generation IBM Electronic Typewriter series with models 65 and 85 (pictured), replacing models 50, 60, 75 and 175. This generation of the design mates a Selectric-style typing element with a Model F-based keyboard assembly.
[12] IBM announces the Wheelwriter 3, Wheelwriter 5, and Quietwriter 7 electronic typewriters under the moniker IBM Selectric System/2000. Via their keyboard assembly designs, the IBM Model M (then-only membrane buckling spring) keyboard family debuts as IBM's sixth generation of keyboards.
[13] IBM introduces the Actionwriter 1 compact electronic typewriter, designed to offer similar functionality as the IBM Personal Typewriter but more easily available and with some electronics-centric enhancements. Actionwriter 1 differs from Wheelwriters as it is made via a joint venture between IBM and Triumph-Adler, with IBM producing the typewriter's cover set and Model M-based keyboard assembly and Triumph-Adler producing the rest of the innards and incorporating their print wheel technology.
[14] IBM introduces the 6770 Wheelwriter System and 6780 Quietwriter System electronic typewriters, both available in a Function Pack 20 (System/20) and Function Pack 40 (System/40) version. Both used a unique Movable Keyboard, a Model M-based keyboard with an AT-style physical layout, a removable 80-character LCD and sits in an adjustable cradle.
- Mr. Haelscheir - donated photo.
- Flygvapenmuseum - File:IBM Model A typewriter (1).jpg [accessed 2024-08-01]. License/note: CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped).
- Norsk Teknisk Museum - File:IBM Model B typewriter (1).jpg [accessed 2024-08-01]. License/note: CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped).
- Tekniska museet - File:IBM Model C Executive (1).jpg [accessed 2024-08-01]. License/note: CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped).
- Steve Lodefink via Wikimedia - File:IBM Selectric I (4).jpg [accessed 2025-03-30]. License/note: CC BY 2.0 (cropped).
- Norsk Teknisk Museum - File:IBM Model D Executive (1) (cropped).jpg [accessed 2024-08-01]. License/note: CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped).
- IBM - IBM 3215 Console Printer-Keyboard Component Description (#GA24-3550-1) [accessed 2022-09-04].
- Hannes Grobe @ Wikimedia - File:IBM Selectric II typewriter hg.jpg [accessed 2025-03-30]. License/note: CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped & rotated).
- Flygvapenmuseum via Wikimedia - File:IBM Electronic Typewriter 50 (1).jpg [accessed 2025-04-03]. License/note: CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped).
- Museum of Transport and Technology via Wikimedia - File:IBM Correcting Selectric III Electric Typewriter model 670X (1).jpg [accessed 2025-04-06]. License/note: CC BY 4.0 (cropped).
- zrrion - donated photo.
- Hattiesburg American - Archives: The Blitz is On… IBM [accessed 2021-06-17].
- Martini @ Wikimedia - File:IBM TypeWriter 6715.JPG [accessed 2025-04-18]. License/note: CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped & rotated).
- Recycled Goods, Inc. - IBM 6770 Wheelwriter System/40 Typewriter F.P. 40 - Word Processor *NO RIBBON* [accessed 2023-02-26]. License/note: used under fair dealing.
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