Hall of Fame #2: IBM Model M Keyboard

My desktop. The monitor's size is 23", to give a sense of scale.

Here it is, the grand-daddy of all keyboards. You should still recognize it, even if it looks a little cartoonishly big. If the clip art on your computer is old enough, and if there is an icon of a keyboard, it probably looks like this. Just like the "three box" approach is used to generate rough sketches of a generic car, the beige rectangular slab is used to generate a rough sketch of a keyboard.

The Model M is the exemplar of beige rectangular slabs. And what's wrong with beige? I wish I could get new monitors in beige. I wish that Antec sold brand new cases in beige. Beige will represent quality to me for a long time to come.

This design first saw the light of day in 1985, smack dab in the middle of IBM's glory days in the PC market. By the mid-90s, IBM had been overtaken by Compaq, and it would eventually slip to a measly fourth place by the turn of the millennium. IBM exited the PC market altogether in 2005. Their original base had long since abandoned them, and the new computers were basically conventional, with no unique features.

Actually, even the original IBM PC was not very unique. It used largely off-the-shelf equipment and it was not a proprietary design; all vendors could make accessories, software, and add-ons for it. This was the true revelation that let the original 1981 PC immediately gobble up a big chunk of the market. IBM's main claim to the design was the BIOS, and the fact that they got Microsoft to work with them on it. But during the rest of the decade, IBM would clutch at straws and try to get a bigger piece of the unexpectedly big pie. They failed at every measure.

When Microsoft saw the IBM ship of state sinking, they dumped them, and let IBM go it alone with their disastrous OS/2. In the meantime, Microsoft launched Windows. The other great rationalization of the market was that Intel, which originally invented the microprocessor in 1971, had used their 8086 as original equipment in the 1981 PC, and this was the springboard for their iron-fisted x86 domination of the CPU market. Between Windows and Intel, there was a de facto standard put into place; by 1987, "Wintel" was 85% of the marketplace for home computers, and it would go well above 90% in the 1990s.

IBM was known for great keyboards at least as early as the excellent Selectric typewriter from 1961. And in the 1980s, it was still desirable to produce a keyboard that produced the same kind of tactile feedback as a typewriter. That's the design philosophy of the Model M. And people loved it. The keyboard was actually one of the main selling points of the IBM PC. When IBM made their uninspired PC, Jr. it was a terrible flop, in no small part because it had a crummy, cheaper keyboard.

But let me finally get to the point- why is this keyboard so legendary that you still see it in use on aficionado desktops worldwide, long after the original IBM PCs and monitors have become worm food?

Behold the reasons!

• Technology. The IBM Model M uses buckling springs, which functions just like it sounds. There is a spring inside each key, and when pressed, it will be forced downwards and at an angle until it "buckles", in which case the hammer underneath will strike an electrical contact that registers the keystroke. The spring is not strictly necessary for this process, and is universally absent from modern keyboards (except Unicomp, which makes legacy Model Ms and some updated versions). The effect of the spring is to provide tactile feedback; it feels "clicky" and robust.

• Build quality. This is a solid product that will last for decades and some. The 1990 keyboard that you see in the picture was not nearly the most expensive one available, but it's in cream puff condition. The hardware is all tough, heavy, and mechanical; it simply won't break in normal use, ever.  The IBM Model M weighs over 5 lb and it's absolutely the last thing on your desktop that is likely to slide about. Its footprint is huge and so it's a poor choice for tiny desks, but if you are a serious typist, you absolutely must make the space for a keyboard this good. The heft of this keyboard is sufficient that you could use it to beat someone to death. Or you could probably split a tinny-ass Macbook LCD screen in half with one wallop.

• Ease of longevity. Not only was it made to last, it's made to be easy to keep going. If you have dirty keycaps, all of them are removable and can be cleaned with soapy water. The base can be cleaned. The top of the case can be cleaned. Each part of the keyboard is designed for disassembly. Even the screws and nuts are decently robust; certainly, they're a far cry from the "mystery metal" 10,000/$1 pieces of Chinese hardware we have seen flood all newer appliances.

• Place of assembly. I don't mean to keep banging on about it, but the fact that this keyboard was made in the USA means something to me. That tells me it was produced in a factory where the workers could earn enough of a living to own their homes at some point, and have health insurance, and raise kids. 

• Value. Yes, I'm aware that the Chinese can make keyboards that are cheap enough to sneak into the Dollar Store. They can still make a keyboard for an on-shelf price of $5, which is probably less than a big American company like IBM would spend simply on the employee insurance per keyboard. But quality still matters, and cheap keyboards are a false economy for all the headaches with sticky, rubbery keys. You will still spend $20 at minimum for a rugged keyboard that will cope well with demanding typists. And at that price, you're getting very close to the used IBM Model M anyway, which can be found on ebay for as low as $25. And if you do buy a keyboard with all the bells and whistles anyway, it's highly probable you'll be spending closer to $100, which is enough to get you a brand new Unicomp Model M with all the quality and strength of the original IBM design. Actually, given how satisfying, reliable, and long-lasting the Model M has been for many people (including me), it truly is a bargain that no other manufacturer can touch.

Other notes:

1. I cannot afford a brand-new Unicomp, but somebody has to buy them new or else the market will simply vanish. We can't go on the old IBM/Lexmark batch forever. So if you are considering a new high-end keyboard, give 'em a shot.
2. If you think desktops are outdated, go soak your head. And then leave a comment telling me how much you spent on your laptop and what it can do compared to my homemade $600 desktop.
3. A clumsy ex-girlfriend once spilled a glass of water on my keyboard. It immediately malfunctioned and I assumed that it was toast, that there sure would be fatal short circuits. Actually, I tilted it to the side, the water drained out, and I hung it over the sink to dry. When it was dry, it worked perfectly fine again. I find that absolutely astonishing for a 22-year-old piece of equipment.
4. This piece of hardware was appreciated when new, but it meets the Hall of Fame criterion of under-appreciation by today's standards because few people still know about it. And it remains relevant! Buy one today, it's still the best!