Unicomp's E-mail reply on making TKL (SSK) Model Ms

[green-squid]

Last week, I wrote an e-mail to Unicomp about the SSKs and fixing the equipment (after someone made a post here about a shitty key they got from unicomp.

TL;DR: We continue to move forward slowly with the tenkeyless design as we get time to focus on it. I don't have any idea when it will be available but we continue to move forward. It won't be available anytime soon though.[/color]

Here is the full thing:

Me

Message: Model M SSK

Dear Sir or Madam,

I would like to ask a question about these keyboards.

Does Unicomp have interest in bringing back the IBM Model M Space Saving Keyboard line or making a similar keyboard? Keyboard communities such as the Deskthority forum, /r/mechanicalkeyboards, the Geekhack forum and many other people have expressed great interest in a smaller version of the classic keyboard. If you wanted any input on the design, many people would love to help you out.

I heard that You, Unicomp, have had problems with aging equipment and not having enough funds to get new tooling. Are you interested in doing a fundraiser for fixing up the existing tooling and getting new tooling for a possible new model? Just like with the Space Saving Keyboard, a lot of people would love to have issues with off-place keys and not clear lettering.

This is not a complaint E-mail. I love what you are doing and I hope you continue making these great keyboards. But a lot of people have been wanting a new line of smaller, tenkeyless keyboards (The Spacesaver M does not count).

Regards,

Me

Unicomp employee Don

Thanks. We'll keep your offer in mind.

Me

Thank you for your reply sir, but I am not saying that I will be the one who funds it all, but instead, you could make a Kickstarter for it and do a bit of promotion on the keyboard forums I listed. I think you would be very successful, given the great demand for better manufacturing and a new keyboard model from the community.

Me

[note: I went all salesman on the poor guy]

Unicomp employee Don

Sorry for the confusion, sir. I wasn't trying to strap you with the funding for the project. I was merely trying to acknowledge your suggestion that there are significant engineering resources available at our request among the keyboard community. We continue to move forward slowly with the tenkeyless design as we get time to focus on it. I don't have any idea when it will be available but we continue to move forward. It won't be available anytime soon though.

________________________________________________________________

I have posted it to reddit already to mixed reception. Some agreed that unicomp doesn't seem to give a crap anymore. Somebody wisefully said that we should all get Unisavers. And that I should get one too. But I don't have that kind of money! Sorry guys.

I was also a bit of a fuckwit about that. I'm sorry. Also, /u/uaix, I saw that comment. It's all good.

[Myoth]

TL;DR: We continue to move forward slowly with the tenkeyless design as we get time to focus on it. I don't have any idea when it will be available but we continue to move forward. It won't be available anytime soon though.

"We're lazy and we're, therefore, taking our time, piss off"

[green-squid]

TL;DR: We continue to move forward slowly with the tenkeyless design as we get time to focus on it. I don't have any idea when it will be available but we continue to move forward. It won't be available anytime soon though.

"We're lazy and we're, therefore, taking our time, piss off"

Pretty much.

[scottc]

That ship has already sunk. It seems like they've already given up.

[Norman_]

Ugh. If they asked nicely, someone would probably just give them all the designs they need.

But no, they insist they're still working on it themselves. Cheap bastards. They could make a killing selling F flippers for FSSK and FEXT mods, but they don't even do stuff like that.

[green-squid]

That ship has already sunk. It seems like they've already given up.

The day they'll close shop because of things like these will be a sad day.

There will be no one left (besidses unisaver guy, but as I said, too expensive and not enough of a market for it) to make buckling keyboards for a good price (unicomp is already kind of pricy, but compared to what's out there..) and that would suck.

I really think some chinese factory could do a much better job at that task. Sorry Lexington boys and girls
, the quality has dropped and you don't want to take advice.

Now that I think about it, I am contradicting myself. I want a good keyboard but that's the unisaver and it's pricey.

[depletedvespene]

I've said it several times already: a hostile takeover of Unicomp should be in the cards (too bad it's privately owned).

[just_add_coffee]

Unicomp will be out-of-business soon; I'd guess within the next five years.

They do not invest in their business, expand their product line, or pretend to compete with other keyboard manufacturers. Marketing and quality control are non-existent. And even their website would've looked old and dated 15 years ago. Unicomp is a dying company, and the people running it give ZERO fucks.

[Elrick]

Unicomp will be out-of-business soon; I'd guess within the next five years.

They do not invest in their business, expand their product line, or pretend to compete with other keyboard manufacturers.

That's good because maybe some Chinese interest would be appropriate here in finally buying it off them, then start re-producing a BETTER buckling spring for all the Gamers, Typists and those wanting a better keyboard using this type of switch.

Gave up ever hoping that any American investor would do anything with Unicomp but alas there is no interest whatsoever, which is a pity.

[Wolf123rt]

They will NEVER make an SSK.

[green-squid]

Unicomp will be out-of-business soon; I'd guess within the next five years.

They do not invest in their business, expand their product line, or pretend to compete with other keyboard manufacturers.

That's good because maybe some Chinese interest would be appropriate here in finally buying it off them, then start re-producing a BETTER buckling spring for all the Gamers, Typists and those wanting a better keyboard using this type of switch.

Gave up ever hoping that any American investor would do anything with Unicomp but alas there is no interest whatsoever, which is a pity.

Our other option may be to flood their support e-mail address. support@pckeyboard.com

[Britney Spears]

I've come to the conclusion a long time ago that Unicomp is just trolling us long term. Every year somebody will write them an e-mail asking about the chances of them making a SSK version. And every time they'll reply with some vague promises. The community then gets all excited about that und the Unicomp guys are laughing, exchanging high-fives and congratulating themselves for another successful trolling attempt.

[andrewjoy]

Honestly I stand my statement that unicomp are the equivalent of the special kid at the back of the sunshine bus. They don't know much of anything but they are just happy to be around . I don't even think they know the current mech market exists they just think it's the hipsters with there Ms connected to there overpriced Mac and industry keeping old systems running

[Wodan]

I thought we all moved on and realized Model Ms are just for people who are too poor for Model F keyboards.

I would rather type on a burning Model F XT using my face than use a Model M. Your kids will get aids when you type on a Model M. Hitler personally developed it together with a group of fascists at INTERNATIONALE BÜROMASCHINEN in BÖBLINGEN. It was initially called the SONDERTIPPGERÄT 102.4 and was supposed to be part of the Enigma replacement called iEnigma X

[002]

Hitler personally developed it together with a group of fascists at INTERNATIONALE BÜROMASCHINEN in BÖBLINGEN. It was initially called the SONDERTIPPGERÄT 102.4 and was supposed to be part of the Enigma replacement called iEnigma X

Wow TIL!

[andrewjoy]

Your wrong , the model M is a socialist keyboard as its for poor peasants!

I hear Jeremy Corbyn uses one when he is typing up his manifesto on how he is going to appropriate everyones private property.

[Elrick]

Your wrong , the model M is a socialist keyboard as its for poor peasants!

In correct.

The Soviet Union never even seen a Model-M or even care about it mainly due to it being another example of Imperialist Evil designed to undermine freedom in the World.

Socialism was NEVER applied to any of IBM products during it's lifetime simply because it reflected the Evil Industrialists who tortured their workers for maximum profit and gain (wait on, that sounds like today) .

[green-squid]

I've come to the conclusion a long time ago that Unicomp is just trolling us long term. Every year somebody will write them an e-mail asking about the chances of them making a SSK version. And every time they'll reply with some vague promises. The community then gets all excited about that und the Unicomp guys are laughing, exchanging high-fives and congratulating themselves for another successful trolling attempt.

If that's the case, I wonder if they'll still be laughing when their manufacturig equipment is beyond repair.

[andrewjoy]

Your wrong , the model M is a socialist keyboard as its for poor peasants!

In correct.

The Soviet Union never even seen a Model-M or even care about it mainly due to it being another example of Imperialist Evil designed to undermine freedom in the World.

Socialism was NEVER applied to any of IBM products during it's lifetime simply because it reflected the Evil Industrialists who tortured their workers for maximum profit and gain (wait on, that sounds like today) .

There are examples of the socialist menace everywhere.



We need a hero, we need liberty prime.

[DustGod]

The sad thing is that they are, from an entrepreneurial point of view, sitting on a pile of money. I'm not talking only about classical membrane buckling spring switches.

[Hak Foo]

The custom Model F project shows it's technically doable; all that's needed is to handle economies of scale.

Unicomp probably does a lot of business by virtue of being on approved-vendor lists and long-term contracts. Those will be hard to capture. Meanwhile, hobbyists will be difficult to capture because they're so fragmented now-- you'd be competing with every MX-based product on the market.

[Elrick]

The custom Model F project shows it's technically doable; all that's needed is to handle economies of scale.

Only if talking about making millions which the Ellipse keyboard isn't even near that territory.

There is a market but Ellipse is alone in a population counting around 7 Billion plus hence it takes a certain special person to see this ever develop.

At Unicomp you will never get another Ellipse type person employed on their payroll and there lays the problem for them. Relying upon Accountants to deliver their business alone, will ultimately destroy them. Treading water for any business means they're on a strict downward spiral in which any serious jolt to their operation will leave them demolished.

Treading water is Unicomp's current business acumen, waiting for them to file chapter 11 would be their final contribution to the Buckling Spring world.

[green-squid]

The custom Model F project shows it's technically doable; all that's needed is to handle economies of scale.

Only if talking about making millions which the Ellipse keyboard isn't even near that territory.

There is a market but Ellipse is alone in a population counting around 7 Billion plus hence it takes a certain special person to see this ever develop.

At Unicomp you will never get another Ellipse type person employed on their payroll and there lays the problem for them. Relying upon Accountants to deliver their business alone, will ultimately destroy them. Treading water for any business means they're on a strict downward spiral in which any serious jolt to their operation will leave them demolished.

Treading water is Unicomp's current business acumen, waiting for them to file chapter 11 would be their final contribution to the Buckling Spring world.

That is very sad

[Norman_]

When they inevitably go belly up, hopefully someone in the community manages to get all the molds and patents or whatever they need.

[Elrick]

When they inevitably go belly up, hopefully someone in the community manages to get all the molds and patents or whatever they need.

Only if the banks allow the sell off publicly. Suspect the recyclers may be in there bidding for the metal molds to be melted down and resold elsewhere.

Everything will be done behind closed doors that suit the bank's recovery of any lost debt.

[green-squid]

When they inevitably go belly up, hopefully someone in the community manages to get all the molds and patents or whatever they need.

Only if the banks allow the sell off publicly. Suspect the recyclers may be in there bidding for the metal molds to be melted down and resold elsewhere.

Everything will be done behind closed doors that suit the bank's recovery of any lost debt.

NOOOOO! Goddamn recyclers..

I hope there's enough of a community in Kentucky to maybe try to save it.

[Blaise170]

NOOOOO! Goddamn recyclers..

I hope there's enough of a community in Kentucky to maybe try to save it.

There's a noticeable presence in Kentucky (I just moved from there in 2016) but not nearly enough to matter. Unicomp, if they go belly up, will probably be well over the price range of any serious collector(s). It's doable, sure, but keyboards are just a hobby, even if we sometimes joke about it being a lifestyle.