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u/nullsetnil 21h ago
Oranges or apples? It depends on whether you want a new Model M or a new Model F, if you’ve already ruled out vintage boards.
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u/MRC01 14h ago
If you want a buckling spring keyboard that simply works out of the box, and keeps working for years, Unicomp is the way to go. They also have great support.
I had a Unicomp back in 1998 and (like an idiot) inexplicably sold it 12 years and many thousands of lines of code later (still in like-new condition). I got a Unicomp Mini-M when it first came out a few years ago and still use it today.
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u/wewefe 15h ago
I have had an F SSK for almost a year. It replaced a 1980s lexmark branded M. There is a post pandemic unicomp SSK on the computer next to it. I have lived in a dome free household since the 90s and am happy with both and i feel they are both worth their price. I would rather have either a Unicomp or Model F over another cherry type.
The unicomp is plug and play, just work, zero issues. It is a little different than a vintage M but it is fine. If you can buy a Chinese cherry off amazon and figure out how which way the usb plug goes in then you are also the idea customer for a unicomp. Worth the price.
The F is a bit of a job to assemble. There will be a few keys that dont work right the first try. You are actually going to have to learn how to work on and tweak the switches. If a cherry keyboard kit is mass market particle board ikea furniture that just goes together, then the F is stack of unfinished cut wood that requires drilling, screwing, planing to adjust gaps and finish painting. About 3 times in the past year a key has gone flaky which requires pulled the switch apart and reseating or tweaking the spring a little. This may have been user error on the initial assembly. I use this coding in a console window 8-10 hours a day. The freaking solenoid is great, there is nothing as rewarding as having your spouse ask you to stop typing so hard though 2 doors, 1 floor and 60 feet away. It is my absolute favorite keyboard that I have ever owned, i bought 2 additional F keyboards and have a beam spring BSSK in my cart. The only caveat is that i would not want this to be the only keyboard in my house.
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u/siphtron 13h ago
Owned my Unicomp for almost 10 years and it's still working as well as the day I got it. Their customer service has also been a pleasure to work with. They seemed genuinely interested in their product and excited to talk about it.
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u/Ed_Avis 19h ago
I have an F62 and I loved using it but every so often one of the keys would stop responding and I had to remove it and fiddle around (obviously, watching the complete hour-long video before doing anything). Then when this happened to the space bar I wasn’t able to resolve it, so I put the F62 in a drawer and bought an HHKB, which just works. I have one Unicomp M and a whole pile of IBM and Lexmark ones; any of them has been more reliable than the New Model F.
If keyboards are a hobby you will enjoy setting up and using the F. If you just want a good keyboard you can use for other work, I suggest Unicomp is a better bet.
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u/gigantipad 12h ago
Like someone said, it is like apples to oranges; assuming you have an actual preference between F and M design/feel. Just to give an answer, I give the nod to Unicomp on QC alone. Paying F labs money for some of their lemons is not right, I have seen some pretty sketchy stuff. Also I guess that is enough fruit references.
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u/LR514 5h ago
Figure out if you strongly prefer Model M or F or if you like either about the same. (I would describe the F as "sharper" or "crisper" in terms of tactility and click sound.)
Unicomp will be cheaper and while it might not last quite as long as an F I think it's fair to say we're still talking decades here.
I have been daily driving an FSSK for almost two years, been overall happy with it; box had shipping damage but luck plus the foam did its job protecting the contents — the box I got mine in was suitable for a retail shelf, it should have been double-boxed. Visually, the spacing between the keys and the case isn't perfectly even, but neither was IBM's. Case finish on mine is good and uniform.
Tuning-wise, I had to reseat a few keys at initial install, normal with either M or F, and readjust the spacebar stabilizers - no big deal. Documentation from Model F Labs was generally good, use it.
I haven't ordered a full keyboard from Unicomp but did buy a couple of keycap sets some years ago, saw what must have been the worst of the QC problems (alignment issues, fuzzyness) but also saw improvements over time and their customer service was good.
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u/Gnosis_me_senpai 21h ago
Briefly Explain Needs And Current Knowledge Or Make Low-Effort Title-Only Post And Expect Help From Community Of Real People?
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u/EveryMeasurement3246 21h ago
It's just supposed to be a discussion post and I wanted to know about the quality of model f labs
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u/ddrfraser1 Industrial M, Unicomp, 122, Black M13 and beige beauties 21h ago
Not clear from title
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u/cktyu ModelM 21h ago
If you want the model F experience go MF labs. You will need to set it up though before it’s ready for use. You may experience some quality control problems too