Keyboard Sites & pages
This is a list of all the websites and webpages that I have discovered and believe to be interesting, entertaining, a good or reputable source of information, or a community any keyboard enthusiast would be happy to get involved in. Of course, I am ultimately not responsible for any information from these websites.
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| ClickyKeyboards | ClickyKeyboards is an American bolt-modder, restorer and seller of IBM Model M and occasionally Model F keyboards. Being around since 2004, the website is also host to lots of technical and archival information regarding Model Ms. |
| deskthority | deskthority is an active mechanical keyboard forum, usually leaning towards vintage 'mechanical' and non-mainstream keyboards. |
| dw's IBM keyboard page | dw's page of their IBM Model F and Model M keyboard collection with lots of good photos. |
| eTypewriters | eTypewriters is a seller of IBM typewriters and hosts photos of most major IBM typewriters from 1930 to 1993. |
| farah.cl | Miguel Farah (aka, depletedvespene) is an r/ModelM and deskthority user who was written several in-depth and insightful articles regarding keyboard layouts and keycaps. |
| geekhack's old IBM Wiki page | This is a Wayback Machine archive of geekhack's IBM keyboards wiki page as it was in 2010, before geekhack's old wiki was destroyed due to some unfortunate events. It's one of the earliest highly-detailed accounts of IBM keyboards and notable for its historical importance of modern keyboard documenting. A great deal of information on the page is still accurate. |
| IBM introduces "Pointing Stick" | A 1990 video demonstrating early pointing stick technologies, including prototypes of the future IBM TrackPoint and J-mice later used by other companies. |
| IBM LPFK on a Serial Port | A description of the IBM 6094-020 LPFK and its serial-based protocol by Michael B. Brutman. |
| IBM Manufacturing Systems - Keyboard Assembly | A video demonstrating the assembly process for a Model F/XT keyboard in the IBM UK plant circa 1983/1984, complete with a run-down of all the IBM systems involved in the operation. |
| IBM POS systems/keyboards software & utilities public directory | IBM's publicly-hosted directory containing software and user guides helpful when using IBM POS systems or keyboards. |
| ibmfiles | ibmfiles hosts a wide range of information regarding IBM products including keyboards. It is presently the main source of background information on the IBM ThinkPad UltraNav SK-8835 and SK-8845 keyboards. |
| Interception Acceleration | InterAccel can provide QuakeLive-like mouse acceleration across the entirety of Windows and can be used to boost the performance of older TrackPoint implementations. |
| Interview with Unicomp VP Development | Eric's Tech 22-minute interview with Unicomp's Vice President of Development Don Bowman. |
| kbdbabel | kbdbabel hosts an open-source keyboard protocol translator project, featuring many vintage keyboard connector diagrams and schematics useful for personal projects. |
| Keyboard Layout Editor | The Keyboard Layout Editor is a web app that allows you to visualise keyboard layouts with a high degree of customisation. A number of presets are available to get you started, and you can save your work to a GitHub account for future editing and save them as an image file if you want to use your layout elsewhere. |
| Keyboard Layout Info | Describes and visualises the 200+ keyboard layouts available on Microsoft Windows. |
| keyboard research - History of computer keyboards | Ide's long-standing website dedicated to keyboard history and research. Main features include history content, reviews on specific keyboards/part numbers and some ThinkPad-related topics. |
| kishy.ca | kishy is a retro-computing enthusiast widely known for introducing the IBM 4704 Model F keyboards to the vintage keyboard community and is the namesake of "kishsaver". |
| Model F Labs | Model F Labs is an ongoing crowdfunded project to faithfully recreate and sell the Model 200 and Model 300 keyboards from the IBM 4700 Finance Communication System's 4704 terminal. Ran by Joe Strandberg, aka, deskthority user Ellipse, their F62 and F77 keyboards are the first Model F capacitive buckling springs keyboards to be produced since 1996. |
| Model M Restoration Megaguide | r/ModelM user BittenEite's exhaustive photo-intensive guide on restoring Model M buckling springs keyboards via screw or bolt modding. |
| OverNumpad Model M Controller | The OverNumpad Controller is r/ModelM and deskthority wiki user purdeaandrei's open-source replacement for the controller PCBs found in fourth generation Model Ms such as P/N 42H1292 and its modern Unicomp derivatives such as the Unicomp Classic, UltraClassic/SpaceSaver M, PC 122 and New Model M keyboards. |
| Power Consumption of IBM Model M Keyboards | An investigation into the PS/2 Model M's power consumption by Scott W. Vincent, containing a comparison between Model Ms from IBM, Lexmark and Unicomp and several other manufacturers' keyboards. |
| r/ModelM | r/ModelM is a fast-growing subreddit specifically for vintage IBM keyboards. Content includes unboxings, reviews, how-to guides, Imgur photo albums, photo contests, and more. |
| Soarer's Converter thread | This is the original geekhack thread providing information, documentation and download links for Soarer's Converter, the widely-used USB converter for XT, AT and terminal keyboards by geekhack and deskthority user Soarer. |
| Telcontar.net | Daniel Beardsmore's website on computer keyboard history and technologies. |
| The BucklingSpring | The BucklingSpring is a website ran by German deskthority user darkcruix that predominantly hosts the Model F Technical Manual Project, a self-written technical manual for capacitive buckling springs keyboards in the style of a classic IBM manual. |
| Unicomp | Unicomp is a keyboard manufacturer based out of Lexington, Kentucky and is the successor to Lexmark's keyboard manufacturing operations. They have continued to produce the Model M buckling springs and Quiet Touch keyboards since 1996, producing various designs based on former IBM and Lexmark keyboards and even introducing their own new models. |
| Unicomp Mini M membrane matrix information thread | r/ModelM thread regarding the development of our understanding on the Unicomp Mini Model M matrix. |
| Unicomp Mini Model M QMK firmware folder | r/ModelM user whiskerbiskit's write up on setting up a QMK controller for the Unicomp Mini Model M. Included are the matrix definitions needed and instructions on how to get the controller working. |
