Sites, Pages & Resources
This is a list of active or archived websites, web pages, YouTubers or other web-based resources (usually) related to IBM and family and/or their keyboards that I have discovered and consider to be a combination of noteworthy, interesting, entertaining, reputable source of information or a community of interest for enthusiasts. I however do not provide warranty or responsibility for using them or their content.
ClickyKeyboards
ClickyKeyboards is an American Model M bolt-modding and restoration business owned by Brandon Ermita that provides such services and sells restored keyboards. ClickyKeyboards is well established and has been in the business since 2004. Their website is also host to many examples of various Model M keyboard variants.
deskthority
deskthority is a keyboard enthusiast forum founded in 2011 by webwit that is known for leaning towards vintage, non-mainstream and otherwise unique keyboards. Since 2021, it is owned by OneCommerce Group.
dw's IBM keyboard page
dw_junon is a geekhack member who hosts a page of their Model F and Model M keyboard collection with lots of good photos.
eTypewriters
eTypewriters was a seller of IBM typewriters that hosted photos of most major IBM typewriters from 1930 to 1993. As of late 2023, their website appears to be offline but it can still be viewed on the Wayback Machine.
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".
Laptop Pics
Laptop Pics is a website authored by Jack documenting various vintage and rare portable computers including laptops, luggables, ultraportables, and PDAs (including from IBM and family). They have also contributed to Admiral Shark's Keyboards via photo donations and help with research.
Laptop Retrospective
Laptop Retrospective is a Canadian website and YouTuber who primarily posts about ThinkPad products and retrospectives. They also have a YouTube series called Think Design Stories where they interview notable former and current IBM and family design and managerial personnel including David Hill, Luis Hernandez, Tom Hardy and Ted Selker.
MacDat
MacDat is a website authored by 3lectr1c primarily documenting vintage Apple Macintosh and non-Apple laptop computers (including from IBM and family). They have also contributed to Admiral Shark's Keyboards via photo donations.
Model F Labs
Model F Labs is a project run by Joe Strandberg (aka, deskthority and geekhack user Ellipse) to crowdfund various Model B and Model F reproductions such as recreations of the IBM 4704 Display Station's Model 200 and Model 300 keyboards as the F62 and F77 respectively. Those two keyboards are believed to be the first capacitive buckling spring based keyboards 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.
The BucklingSpring
The BucklingSpring was a website ran by German deskthority user darkcruix that predominantly hosted the Model F Technical Manual Project, a self-written technical manual for capacitive buckling springs keyboards in the style of a classic IBM manual. As of early 2023, the website appears to be offline but it can still be viewed on the Wayback Machine.
ThereminGoat's Switches
ThereminGoat's Switches hosts long-form reviews and documentation associated with all things keyboard switches. Predominantly focusing on modern, MX-style switches, articles have both technical details and contextual points which relate the switches to each other and the eras in which they were released.
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.
