IBM 83-key questions (repair and color)

[Sridhar Ayengar]

Jim Leonard wrote:
> My best-condition 83-key keyboard suddenly developed a bum spacebar, 
> right in the middle of writing some documentation.  Before I unscrew the 
> two screws on back to open it up and take a look, can anyone tell me if 
> this is a common condition and if it's relatively easy to fix?  I've 
> *never* had a buckling-spring keyboard develop a bad key (maybe I 
> haven't had enough frustrating debugging sessions yet ;-) so I'm at a 
> slight loss as to how to start repairing it.  Was there a tech ref for 
> the keyboard at one point, perhaps?
> 
> Slightly OT, here's an 83-key that is *gray* (several pictures):
> 
> http://www.clickykeyboards.com/index.cfm/fa/items.main/parentcat/11066/subcatid/0/id/171727 
> 
> I've never seen a gray variant -- was it official?  If so, what system 
> was it intended for use with?  I've seen "skinny" IBM keyboards that 
> were intended for use with the PS/2 model 25, but I've never seen a gray 
> 83-key before...

Yup...  official.  Industrial AT.

Peace...  Sridhar