If you've never used a Model M, they're beasts. Great mechanical feel (they have buckling spring technology). And they're heavy enough to not slide around on your desk.
You could march into battle with an IBM Model M. I don’t think you could take on more than one local thug with the Unicomp version.
It sounds like Unicomp designed the newer keyboards to have better PCB designs, but had firmware issues with key rollover on the mini (is that yours?) and may have fixed it: https://www.reddit.com/r/modelm/comments/13o0jkr/raspberry_p...
The microcontroller they had been stuck on for ages became unavailable so they started producing models with Rpi2040's, which can run QMK. If you still have it kicking around, maybe it is one of the QMK supported keyboards or they've released a fixed firmware for it?
Unfortunately the Model M and derivatives have long been eclipsed by the market. Better electronics/firmware, mechanical switches with choices in travel, force, noise level, and tactile feel... designs with lower profiles, different grid arrangement and almost every key count/layout imaginable...
But FWIW, I have multiple Model M classic keyboards (from 1992), and also other Unicomp full-size keyboards, and I've never had this issue with them.
I also know the story that the market has "better" options than the Model M. Maybe it's just nostalgia but I've never found anything with the same feel as a buckling spring. The Model M just feels nice to me.
https://www.modelfkeyboards.com/product/classic-style-f122-m...
(I just realized that "flexible" above might be interpreted positively, like "applicable in more situations". No, I mean "flexible" as in "may not be satisfactorily used as a bridge over a pothole in case of emergency", which the original would be able to pull off and still be used to write a blog post about the experience afterward.)
That reminds me that once as a kid I got a free Apple II+ and the main board was really dusty. So, like any enterprising kid I unconnected and unscrewed it, washed it in the sink with soap and water, and then set it in the oven at 250F to dry for a few hours. It worked great! I wonder how many modern consumer products could take that same abuse?
be careful of what soap you use though, dishwasher soap is too harsh. Manufactures are using deionized water and if any soap it is specific to electronics. Your house water isn't pure enough to do this often but once ever few years and you will normally get away with it.
LCDs are definitely not sealed enough, many capacitors are electrolytic, and fiberglass is not impermeable to water (in fact, water-logged fiberglass is an issue for boats in areas where weather causes freeze-thaw cycles.)
Your dishwasher is full of mineral deposits, food waste particles, and likely quite a bit of mold. Getting rid of all of that would involve dissolving deposits with vinegar or citric acid, then running some lye or similarly aggressive treatment to get the mold and organic waste out. That's a lot of hassle.
You can't put "soap" in a dishwasher unless you want a giant bubble factory. So now you're looking at trying to find a specialty cleaner.
Most people's water is not nearly pure enough for the keyboard to not have issues afterward. You MIGHT get away with it if you thoroughly blasted it with compressed air and then dunked it in distilled water.
That's a huge amount of hassle.
Unless something has been spilled on the keyboard, just periodically brush out debris and then hit it with compressed air...
I have not personally done this, but google "ibm model m dishwasher" and you'll see lots of anecdotes.
Should work perfectly in the morning.
As another commenter said, there are more modern keyboards available but the feel (and yes the nostalgia) of the M is yet to be beat in my mind for daily use. Although a few of the current ones come close...
> If you've never used a Model M, they're beasts.
I jokingly call it the preppers keyboard as it can double as a clubbing weapon when SHTF.
You could hear a former typist from the other side of the building even on a rubber dome keyboard.
Also most keyboards from the era were “similar” since the switches were somewhat of a standard. It wasn’t until the PC market took off and went nuts that cost cutting and other developments began - especially in the portable/laptop area.
The Model M wasn't nearly as impressive, or durable, as the Model F that preceded it and which was included with the IBM PC. Those keyboards had metal housings, unlike the plastic housings of the Model M.
The user might not have the power to do anything about the open office, but most likely has the power to switch keyboards to something less audible.
[1] https://charleslabs.fr/en/project-Breaking+Passwords+with+a+...