Unicomp

Unicomp GA, LLC (formerly Unicomp, Inc.) is an American keyboard manufacturer based in Lexington, Kentucky. It was founded in 1996 by the late Neil Muyskens, a former IBM and Lexmark engineer^[2][2]
Lexington Herald-Leader - Neil Muyskens Obituary (1956 - 2021) [accessed 2021-10-28]., after Lexmark decided to exit the keyboard business by April of that year. Unicomp picked up the pieces of US-based Model M keyboard production and was the only remaining buckling spring Model M manufacturer in any country by 2000. Unicomp quickly found footing making keyboards for other companies, but still produces keyboards for any interested consumers. Unicomp began suffering from aged tooling by the 2010s, but after being acquired by Video Display Corporation, they have started the process of introducing new models in the 2020s. Alongside Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions (who acquired the remnants of buckling sleeve Model Ms), Unicomp remains at the helm of the Model M keyboard family. They are presently owned by Ordway Properties, LLC.

Contents

Summary

History

In August 1990, IBM Information Products Corporation was founded as a means for IBM to sell its US-based typewriter, keyboard and some printer businesses to New York-based investment firm Clayton & Dubilier. When this buyout was completed on 27th March 1991, Lexmark International^[3][3]
US Customs and Border Protection - CROSS Ruling 544887 [accessed 2024-08-11]. was formed from it and included the IBM U.S. Lexington plant and its keyboard manufacturing. IBM subsequently started marketing its products for the next five years^[4][4]
IBM - Archives: 1990s - 1991 [accessed 2024-08-11]. License/note: retrieved via Wayback Machine (2023-08-02 capture).. In December 1995, Lexmark decided to exit the keyboard market by April 1996 to focus more on printers. For the previous financial year, keyboard sales accounted for only 11% and 5% of Lexmark's revenue and gross profit. The market for high-quality/high-cost keyboards was also shrinking in the 1990s and IBM and Lexmark reworked the finer details of their business relationship and it did not include Lexmark making keyboards for them. Whilst IBM reacquired some keyboard-related assets from Lexmark, parts of the Model M keyboard family fractured^[5][5]
Clare Goldsberry @ Plastic News - LEXMARK EXITS KEYBOARDS, TARGETS PRINTERS: FIRM TO OUTSOURCE MORE MOLDING [accessed 2024-08-11]. License/note: retrieved via Wayback Machine (2022-08-10 capture). as Maxi Switch acquired assets relating to the IBM Adjustable Keyboard/Lexmark Select-Ease Keyboard (Model M15) design and took over manufacturing the IBM Retail POS Keyboard family (Models M7 through M11), and Key Tronic acquired assets relating to the IBM Space Saver Keyboard w/ TrackPoint II (Model M4-1) and IBM ThinkPad Keyboard w/ TrackPoint (Model M6-1).

Unicomp, Inc. was founded in April 1996 by the late Neil Muyskens, a former IBM and Lexmark engineer, with the goal of restarting Lexington-based keyboard production. The former IBM U.S. Lexington plant was retained by Lexmark, so Unicomp moved into 510 Henry Clay Blvd, Lexington, Kentucky 40505, USA (a former furniture factory during the 1940s). For at least some keyboard-related assets, Lexmark did not have an immediate buyer and by the time of Unicomp's founding some of it had been destroyed. The fledging Unicomp spent the rest of the 1990s reobtaining some tooling from IBM's other factories such as IBM U.K.'s Greenock plant, Key Tronic and Maxi Switch to build a robust product line^[6][6]
u/funkmon - I typed on the new Unicomp SSK. *Write-up of visit to Unicomp* [accessed 2024-08-11].. Whilst Unicomp's line as of 2000 included various familiar buckling-spring Model M variants and the buckling-sleeve Models M4 and M4-1, it notably lacked any continuations of the IBM Selectric Touch Keyboard (Models M1 and M2) and IBM 16mm Trackball Keyboard (Model M5-1), both of which production ended with IBM and Lexmark respectively. M15 technology remained firmly in Maxi Switch's hands, buckling-sleeve ThinkPad keyboards were discontinued and never had any Unicomp involvement, and point-of-sale buckling-sleeve Model M production moved away from the Americas entirely. Parts for IBM Space Saving Keyboards were acquired by Unicomp for assembling such keyboards, but the capability to produce entirely new ones was lost.

Unicomp has become known for prioritising its direct-to-company operations, who quickly found footing with companies such as Affirmative Technology Group and General Electric Healthcare (and many others in the point-of-sale and terminal/terminal emulation markets) to produce specialised versions of its keyboards for them. Despite this, they maintained a consumer-facing presence and would sell its keyboards, parts of keyboards and customised keycaps to anyone. For the first half of the 2000s, Unicomp was diversifying and modernising its keyboards with raven black colour options (2003)^[7][7]
Unicomp - EnduraPro 104 [accessed 2024-08-12]. License/note: retrieved via Wayback Machine (2004-10-11 capture). and USB options (2005)^[8][8]
Unicomp - EnduraPro 104 [accessed 2024-08-12]. License/note: retrieved via Wayback Machine (2005-10-29 capture).. During an interview Unicomp gave in January 2009, Neil Muyskens revealed the effects of the Great Recession had taken its toll on them as some of their "big customers" (banks and large retail) had stopped buying keyboards due to the economic conditions of the time and Unicomp was forced to lay off a third of its employees. He also admitted that whilst their keyboards and designs had the appreciation of enthusiasts of the time, they weren't a viable market as the "trouble with Model M is they rarely break down" and they were having a hard time attracting new purchases^[9][9]
Martin Kaste @ NPR - Old-School Keyboard Makes Comeback Of Sorts [accessed 2024-08-14]..

By the 2010s, Unicomp was noted to begin struggling with tooling degradation and declined attention to detail with key legend alignment, gaining criticism from consumers and keyboard enthusiast circles. Unicomp was acquired by Video Display Corporation (VDC) on 23rd October 2017 and was reincorporated as Unicomp GA, LLC in Georgia on 16th January 2018^[10][10]
Georgia Corporations Division - UNICOMP GA, LLC [accessed 2024-08-11].. VDC purchased Unicomp for $200,000 USD as an "opportunity to develop, market and sell Tempest keyboards for its cyber security division". At this time, Unicomp was in the process of developing a new line of keyboards^[11][11]
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission - Visual Display Corporation's Form 10-K for February 28, 2018 [accessed 2024-08-11].. This has so far materialised as the Unicomp New Model M and Unicomp Mini Model M introduced in 2020 and 2021 respectively, alongside general improvements in keycap quality and attention to detail including a commitment to make their "best effort to match the button(s) on an existing keyboard in terms of color, font representation, and character placement" (but also making it clear they cannot exactly match the characteristics of something like Model F-era keys)^[12][12]
Unicomp - 2024-04-01 Facebook Post [accessed 2024-08-14]. likely fueled by the resurgence in popularity of buckling spring keyboards.

The COVID-19 pandemic affected their suppliers and left Unicomp short-staffed at times, thus Unicomp fulfilment slowed and the Unicomp Mini Model M's original March 2020 launch^[13][13]
Unicomp - 2019-12-20 Facebook Post [accessed 2024-08-14]. was pushed back^[14][14]
/u/SharktasticA - Update from Unicomp regarding retiring of black 104/105 Classic models + status of the Mini M SSK [accessed 2024-08-14]. several times into the following year^[15][15]
Unicomp - 2021-02-24 Facebook Post [accessed 2024-08-14].. Neil Muyskens passed away on 8th March 2021^[16][16]
Lexington Herald-Leader - Neil Muyskens Obituary (1956 - 2021) [accessed 2024-08-11].. On 15th April 2022, Unicomp suspended new orders for various products due to the grounding of a container ship carrying vital parts in Chesapeake Bay, Maryland and Virginia^[17][17]
Unicomp - 2022-05-13 Facebook Post [accessed 2024-08-14].. On 1st December 2023, VDC sold Unicomp alongside Lexel Imaging Systems, Inc. to Ordway Properties, LLC in a stock deal for $365,000^[18][18]
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission - Visual Display Corporation's Form 10-K for February 29, 2024 [accessed 2024-08-14].. By 24th April 2024, Unicomp completed a factory move to 550 W 4th St #125, Lexington, Kentucky 40508, USA^[19][19]
Unicomp - 2024-04-24 Facebook Post [accessed 2024-08-11]..

Products

Unicomp's products are largely comprised of continuations of former IBM and Lexmark keyboard designs and technologies, although Unicomp has generally sold an unrelated (to IBM and family) low-cost keyboard of some kind. During the 2010s, Unicomp became known for producing black keyboards with white and grey or all-grey keycaps, becoming their signature style of sorts. From 2020, Unicomp has introduced entirely new keyboards produced with original cover set tooling and either reused previous technology or even improved it.

Keyboards

*Due to an effort to extend the life of their aged tooling, these keyboards are now only available with a limited number of SKUs and Unicomp now suggests to buyers to purchase a Unicomp New Model M instead.

**This keyboard is technically discontinued but Unicomp might consider reintroducing it if there is a demand.

***This keyboard has been affected by supplier issues for a considerable amount of time, but Unicomp currently intends to bring this keyboard back.

Keycaps

Unicomp is well known for being the main source of brand-new buckling springs keycaps. Like its predecessor Lexmark, Unicomp continues to offer a wide range of dye-sublimated keycaps for consumers that are compatible with both Model F and Model M buckling springs keyboards provided they're of the right unit size and are full-height. Unicomp does not offer XT-style stepped keycaps or any keycaps for Model M1/M2 low-profile buckling springs keyboards. Keycaps can be bought individually with custom character(s) or as a PANIC key, or as a part of the many predefined sets such as:

Unicomp also offers a high degree of customizability beyond the predefined set with additional fees. Generally, they're accepting of requests by email and can work with you to get exactly or close to what you want. As of 2020, however, white-on-black keycaps are out of the question due to high minimum order quantity costs from their suppliers^[26][26]
/u/funkmon/ - Unofficial and unplanned Unicomp Q&A on 2020-07-08 [accessed 2023-02-06]..

Technologies

Branding & labels

Unicomp typically brands its keyboards with their logo across the LED lock-light overlay sticker. However, even for self-branded keyboards, Unicomp may omit their branding entirely except for the keyboard's rear label.

Unicomp's rear labels were at first derived from Lexmark's, using very similar format for the first few years (especially for IBM-branded keyboards). They have since made various unique ones for themselves and various brand partners. For all of them, "Unicomp Model: M" is printed on the rear label inside a box containing it, an FCC logo, and the statement "FOR HOME OR OFFICE USE". Until recently, they said "Made in USA" but now Unicomp is putting "Made in Kentucky" instead. Depending on the exact keyboard and intended brand, they can have varying unique components and/or fields. Examples include:

Technical terms

On their website and through official communication, Unicomp uses terms for certain Model M parts that may seem unusual to those who are only used to hearing casual lingo. These terms were inherited from their IBM/Lexmark origin.

Services

Along with selling keyboards to consumers and other businesses, Unicomp maintains a substantial offering of servicing and individual parts for sale to support both vintage and modern Model M. All information in this section is correct for Q4 2021.

Repair service

Unicomp offers a three-tier repair service, with each tier covering a different level of repair, modification and brand. Whilst the words don't specifically state these services are just for Model M keyboards, it is understood this service does not extend to Model F keyboards.

A custom repair class is also available for $90^[30][30]
Unicomp - Repair Service [accessed 2021-11-03]. (~£66, ~78€). Due to the cost of shipping a keyboard back and forth internationally, this service may only be available in the US.

Replacement parts

Unicomp offers the vast majority of Model M parts individually for use with repairing vintage or modern Model Ms, or possibly for use with your own custom projects.

Partners

As Unicomp has primarily been a direct-to-company supplier since its birth, it has built up a portfolio of known partners over the years. Unicomp doesn't comment on who they are/were but many companies have been observed.

Affirmative Computer Products

Affirmative Technology Group is a company that designs and supports products for thin clients and terminals, usually under their "YES!" branding. Their Affirmative Computer Products division specifically targets IBM AS/400, System/3x and 3270 Information Systems^[33][33]
Twin Data - Affirmative - YEStation Thin Client Terminals [accessed 2024-08-11].. To go with their YES! Terminals and Network Stations, they offer Unicomp-made 10X-key and 122-key keyboards called "YESboards". YESboards were seen as early as December 1998^[34][34]
Affirmative Computer Products - 5250 PC and 3270 PC Keyboards [accessed 2024-06-04]. License/note: retrieved via Wayback Machine (1998-12-06 capture). and some SKUs are still available as of Q3 2024. Their core business of origianlly selling 3270 and 5250 style PC-compatible terminal emulator keyboards was something they acquired from Better On-line Solutions^[35][35]
Affirmative - About Us [accessed 2024-08-11].. YESboards will typically have an "AFFIRMATIVE" branded lock-light overlay and ACPxxxx Unicomp part number nomenclature, although Affirmative uses its own product ID nomenclature (four numbers and optionally some letters at the end). These IDs quickly indicate the keyboard's number of keys and features - for example, since there are both Quiet Touch rubber dome and buckling spring YESboards, the trailing "T" when present signifies the keyboard has buckling springs (thus the "T" likely means "enhanced tactile response"). Affirmative keyboards were all originally pearl white and later became raven black, though the same Affirmative part number was used for equivalent keyboards. Known Affirmative keyboards include:

Bed Bath & Beyond

Bed Bath & Beyond (BB&B) was an American retail store chain that specialised in "housewares, furniture, and specialty items" that filed for bankruptcy in April 2023 and closed in July 2023. The brand has since been acquired by former Overstock.com, Inc., who subsequently rebranded itself as Beyond, Inc. and BB&B now lives on as an online-only retailer^[54][54]
Wikipedia - Bed Bath & Beyond [accessed 2024-08-09].. BB&B appeared to use IBM 5250-compatible terminal emulation as their stores used to have Unicomp-made "5250/PC" style keyboards, possibly provided by Affirmative. Two part numbers of Unicomp Classic derivatives have been observed.

Better On-line Solutions

Lexmark had previously made the Better On-line Solutions Host Connected Keyboard (a Type 4 122-key Model M variant) as early as 1994.

Collegiate Products

From 1999 and into the 2000s, Unicomp produced versions of the pearl white PS/2 Customizer with Florida Gators and Kentucky Wildcats intercollegiate athletic teams styling. The Florida Gators keyboard had unique orange, blue and white keycaps, a mascot badge in the top-left, and a "FLORIDA" logo across the lock-light overlay. The Kentucky Wildcats keyboard instead had unique blue and white keycaps, a rounded-circle mascot badge in the top-left, and a "WILDCATS" logo across the lock-light overlay. For both keyboards, the white keycaps additionally had blue text.

TODO

Computer Lab International

Computer Lab International (CLI) is a brand of thin clients, terminals and terminal emulation devices (including IBM 3270 and 5250 compatibles) founded in 1984. They are notable for their 1998 ET2000 Ethernet Terminal, which is one of their most successful products^[63][63]
Computer Lab International - Introducing CLI TermPro Zero Client [accessed 2024-08-08]. and offered TN3270e, TN5250e, VT100, VT220 and XTerm emulation capabilities in one package^[64][64]
Computer Lab International - Modular Display Stations/Terminals [accessed 2024-08-08]. License/note: retrieved via Wayback Machine (2001-11-14 capture).. Unicomp started making keyboards for CLI by 2000, who had previously used clones of various IBM keyboard designs. Typically for machine upgrading, CLI gave its keyboards a single letter code; for their IBM-style keyboards, they assigned "A" for this Terminal 102 Keyboard, "I" for a Terminal 122 Keyboard (Type 3 122-key Model M), and "H" for a Point Of Sale 122 Keyboard (Type 5 122-key Model M)^[65][65]
Computer Lab International - CLI TEXT TERMINAL AND EMULATION CARD PRICING [accessed 2024-08-08]. License/note: retrieved via Wayback Machine (2006-03-14 capture)..

Decision Data

Decision Data Computer Corporation was a Pennsylvania, US-based company that produced IBM-style coax and Twinax terminals. The company had a history of producing workstations since at least the early 1980s^[69][69]
seebart - Decision Data Computer Corporation / Maxi Switch KYBD 2185041 [accessed 2021-11-02]. and in 1999 was acquired by Texas, US-based NLynx Technologies ^[70][70]
Enterprise Systems Journal - NLynx to Acquire Decision Data [accessed 2021-11-02].. Beginning in 1997, Unicomp produced keyboards with an A218xxx part number nomenclature for Decision Data. Whilst similar to IBM-brand terminal Model M keyboards, Decision Data's keyboards uniquely have a red text "ALICE" key at the top-right position of the numeric keypad used for accessing the Alice productivity suite^[71][71]
Decision Data - Decision Data’s IS-488 and LM-488C Twinax Workstations – Your Life Just Got Easier with the Best Display and Image Quality on the Market! [accessed 2023-04-14]. License/note: document archived by bitsavers.. Such keyboards also have Quiet Touch rubber dome keyswitches and an AT-style DIN plug. Today, Twin Data still offers Decision Data/NLynx 122-key keyboards^[72][72]
Twin Data - Keyboards for PCs, Thin Clients and Terminals [accessed 2021-11-02]. and NLynx-brand keyboards have been seen with a DDxxxxx part number nomenclature that's likely a reference to Decision Data.

General Electric Marquette & Healthcare

Marquette Medical Systems Inc. of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was during the late '90s the United States' largest producer of electrocardiography equipment used to monitor vital signs. They were acquired by General Electric Medical Systems in 1998^[75][75]
Los Angeles Times - GE Medical Agrees to Buy Marquette for $808 Million [accessed 2022-12-05].. Marquette had previously turned to IBM U.K. to produce an Enhanced Keyboard variant for them, however this keyboard was superseded by various Unicomp-made keyboards with at first "General Electric Marquette" branding then "General Electric Healthcare" branding. These Unicomp Customizer and Classic variants were made for either their CardioLab or Mac-Lab lines, or both (referred to as "Combolab"). GE-branded Unicomp keyboards are known for their unique sublegends and often yellow numeric keypad. At least as of 2020, they were still in production^[75][75]
/u/funkmon/ - Unofficial and unplanned Unicomp Q&A on 2020-07-08 [accessed 2023-02-06]..

IBM

Unicomp served as vendor for IBM to produce niche Model M variants even before IBM completely exited their own general Model M production. After the turn of the millennium, Unicomp-made IBM keyboards included general Model M models such as IBM PS/2 Enhanced Keyboards, IBM 3151 ASCII Display Station Keyboards and InfoWindow/InfoWindow II Display Station Typewriter Keyboards. Unicomp notably produced IBM Space Saver Keyboard w/ TrackPoint II after Key Tronic stopped producting them around 1998 to 1999 and industrial-grey Model M13s after Maxi-Switch stopped producing them. IBM-branded keyboards made by Unicomp typically retained their IBM/Lexmark/Maxi Switch style part and FRU numbers as Unicomp seldom produced newly introduced IBM keyboards except for the IBM 3494 Track Pointer Keyboard. Some remaining public IBM documentation still refers to Unicomp, including now-outdated advice that Unicomp is a vendor for the optional numeric keypad for IBM Space Saver Keyboards^[79][79]
IBM Support - Space Saver Keyboard - Accessory and care suggestions [accessed 2024-08-26]. and that Unicomp is a source of "APL keyboards for many machines"^[80][80]
IBM - APL2 User's Guide (#SC18-7021-23) [accessed 2024-08-26]..

*This keyboard was only assembled by Unicomp with pre-made parts or is a serviced IBM or Lexmark made keyboard later resold with a Unicomp rear label.

I-O Corporation

I-O Corporation (also stylised as "IO Corp") is a Utah, US-based company that amongst other things produces and OEMs IBM host-printing and host-connecting zero and thin clients^[96][96]
IO Corp - About Us [accessed 2021-11-02].. For its keyboards, I-O has been a long-time customer of Unicomp's. Typically, the keyboards I-O rebrands are 5250-layout Type 3 and 4 122-key Model M Converged Keyboards with Quiet Touch rubber dome keyswitches and a part number nomenclature of 58.0XX. As of Q3 2024, I-O still seems to offer these keyboards with its products with "True IBM 122-key 5250-style Keyboard Layout"^[97][97]
IO Corp - Host Connectivity 2677e [accessed 2024-08-26]..

NLynx Technologies

NLynx Technologies is a Texas, US-based company that is known for producing IBM 5250/twinax compatible technologies such as thin clients and emulation kits via PCI or USB to connect to IBM AS/400 and AS/36 hosts^[101][101]
Twin Data - Nlynx - AS/400 & AS/36 Connectivity Products [accessed 2023-04-07].. In 1999, NLynx acquired Decision Data^[70][70]
Enterprise Systems Journal - NLynx to Acquire Decision Data [accessed 2021-11-02].. As of Q2 2023 their former website (www.nlynx.com) now redirects to another company's (Ringdale) website. All Unicomp-made NLynx keyboards found thus far have been 122-key Model M Converged Keyboard based. NLynx keyboards can have a layout (LAY) number like 301-55xx-x, which is displayed promienently instead of a part number (though a Unicomp-style part number may be present in the keyboard's serial barcode). Due to their assocation with Decision Data, some NLynx Keyboards may retain a red text "ALICE" key at the top-right position of the numeric keypad.

RadiSys Corporation

Radisys Corporation (formerly stylised as "RadiSys") of Hillsboro, Oregon is a company that develops technology for telecommunication companies. It presently specialises in mobile network and conference technologies^[105][105]
Wikipedia - Radisys [accessed 2024-08-08]., though in the past, it also made rack-mounted servers and PC motherboards and expansion cards^[106][106]
RadiSys - Our Products [accessed 2024-08-08]. License/note: retrieved via Wayback Machine (2006-06-16 capture).. One Unicomp Customizer variant that was made for RadiSys is known.

Gallery

Further reading & resources

External

Sources

ASK. Admiral Shark's Keyboards original content. License/note: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.