I want to buy a Model M, and the New Model M comes with everything I’m looking for, such as:
- USB support out of the box
- Meta keys
- No hunt for the correct model
But the price is steep:
- $125.00 New Model M
- $24.00 2x Customization fee: RP2040 controller for New Model M outside of the USA1
- $101.56 Fedex International
- Subtotal: $250.56
- $50.11 Import sales tax 20 %
- $0 Customs fee (Goods code 8471606000 and 8473302000)
- Total: $300.67
Keyboardco appears to be a former(?) European supplier since they don’t ship the New Model M to Europe, so the shipping costs are here to stay. I could probably get an IBM Model M for cheaper, albeit with more work and additional equipment for modding, but I dunno. What do you think?
1Unicomp is not allowed to ship the RP2040 controller built into the New Model M outside of the USA according to support.
UPDATE: I’m now the proud owner of an IBM Model M keyboard :)
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If you can find an original Model M locally and confirm it's functional (and not too many plastic rivets are broken), it's a fine keyboard. That's as long as you can live without Windows keys. I mapped capslock to winkey and was happy with that.
A compatible USB controller is easy enough to find.
I have both an OG model M and a unicomp model M mini. They both feel great and seem to have zero issues. My first model M was a 1987 and I used a string of pigtail adapters to get it from AT to USB and while it didn't start working until my OS started booting, it was my favorite of all time. It got lost after we went work from home during COVID and they had a moving company pack our desks up. There is not a day I don't miss that keyboard.
With all that said, I don't have any experience with the rp2040 controlled unicomps. If you can get an actual model M on the cheap, I say go with that. If not, unicomps are a fine product in my experience.
I found a Model M for 105€ on a local auction website. I'll go check it out.
The only thing I can tell you is that if you get a keyboard with a bad membrane, it CAN be fixed but it's a huge pain in the ass since you need to replace all the little plastic tabs on the chassis with tiny bolts.
