# IBM Model M keyboard

39 Hacker News commenters recommended IBM Model M keyboard and 10 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 8 of 13 months; owners who said how long report a median of 18 years (7 owners). It meets the Hacker Approved badge rule.

**Verdict:** People recommend it for its tactile buckling-spring feel and long life. The common caveat is stiff keys that take real force to press.

## Why people recommend it

- Lasts decades and keeps working (6 comments): "had none of those problems, it works as well now as the day I bought it" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48351600)) "rock solid, reliable, and sensibly priced considering their quality" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48350729)) "The plastic chassis is sturdy and doesn't need any sort of filing." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48351406))
- Satisfying tactile, clicky feel (3 comments): "the keypad got to be a bit too much" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48770077)) "Some would call buckling spring style (which inm keyboard use) surperiour to all the mx style switches" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47722140)) "which I loved the feel of" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47081649))
- Strong reputation and nostalgia (4 comments): "How many other 40+ year old keyboard models do people still regularly use today? The Model-M reputation earned more than a click." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48763736)) "you used to be able to beat people to death with IBM hardware, including Thinkpad laptops and model M keyboards" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47251381)) "beat people to death with IBM hardware, including Thinkpad laptops and model M keyboards" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47251226))
- Layout praised as default (3 comments): "This works especially well on an IBM Model M because there's nothing in the vicinity of either the left or right ctrl" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48587916)) "the Model M layout is what I consider the "default" and there is very little reason to deviate from it" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48487743)) "the full-size keyboard has a slightly nicer feel to it than the 10-key-less version" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48351250))

## What people warn about

- Stiff keys need heavy force (4 comments): "stiff mechanical boards with long travel and my fingers get a workout" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48369363)) "a chunky Buckling Spring mechanism is a very unique and "fun" feel, but that doesn't mean it's actually good to do a lot of typing on" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48758706)) "A model M requires so much force a cockatiel can walk on it and not press a key" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47733029))
- Quality problems on some units (3 comments): "The controller on the keyboard died after about a year." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48352501)) "Unicomp was outright broken, a single file mapped to every key" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47830335)) "Problems with quality, problems with output." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48351330))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [Magic Keyboard mechanical keyboard](https://hackerapproved.com/p/mechanical-magic-keyboard.md): 55 recommend
- [Keychron keyboard](https://hackerapproved.com/p/keychron-keyboard.md): 29 recommend
- [Filco Majestouch TKL](https://hackerapproved.com/p/filco-mechanical-keyboard.md): 15 recommend
- [Truly Modular Keyboard](https://hackerapproved.com/p/a-truly-modular-keyboard.md): 10 recommend
- [Altar II mechanical keyboard](https://hackerapproved.com/p/altar-ii-mechanical-keyboard.md): 8 recommend

## Where to get it

- [See price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Unicomp+Model+M+keyboard&tag=hackerapprove-20) (affiliate link)
- [Official site](https://www.pckeyboard.com/page/SFNT)

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "IBM Model M keyboard", https://hackerapproved.com/p/ibm-model-m-keyboard/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).