The Best Keyboard That You Probably Shouldn't Buy - IBM Model F 'AT' Review

I had no real intentions on getting another buckling spring keyboard following the sublime Model F Labs Classic F104, but this was just too good of deal to pass up, and I figured it'd be fun to compare the two side by side. What I have here is an actual IBM Model F 'AT'; widely considered to be the best of the original Model F designs. Does it hold up today?

Released in 1984, the IBM Personal Computer 'AT' keyboard (as it's officially known) is believed to have been the last Model F design before it was phased out by the cheaper Model M starting in 1985. It succeeded the Model F 'XT' and aimed to address some of the most common complaints of that keyboard's design; namely the cluttered and cramped layout.

The Model F 'XT' vs. the 'AT' (the ANSI-like modifiers on this AT are a user modification)

The AT separated the numpad from the main set of keys, condensing it down into an almost proto-ANSI layout. It also introduced full width shift keys, a big-ass enter key, and ditched most of the awkward stepped keycaps that littered the XT. IBM also added lock lights and switched to an all plastic outer casing, replacing the plastic and metal case of the XT.

However, the biggest innovation of the keyboard was arguably it's protocol. The AT protocol would go on to be used by virtually every keyboard under the sun until it was superseded by USB in the late 90s. The PS/2 keyboard standard is actually identical to the AT standard, just with a smaller connector than the giant 5-pin DIN plugs that the AT and most other keyboards of the 1980s used. As a result, you can use the Model F AT on a modern computer with simple adaptors - the only Model F capable of such a feat.

Because of all these design changes and it's relatively short window of availability, the Model F AT is possibly the most desirable consumer Model F variant. Decently conditioned units can fetch anywhere from $400 - $600 on the used market - though these keyboards were just common enough to where the occasional basement bargain does still show up.

That hefty initial investment will get you something like this. Aside from all the dirt, it's not a bad looking thing. But the condition of the keyboard probably isn't the first thing that will catch the untrained eye. What the hell is up with that layout?

Even with it's improvements over XT, I'd imagine the AT layout is pretty odd looking for most people who've been long accustomed to standard ANSI. The ten function keys are positioned along the left of the main key cluster with the numpad to the right. The main cluster also has alt and caps lock positioned on the left and right of the space bar respectively, and the control key placed above left shift - a bit like an HHKB. There is also no nav cluster, so if you're a prolific user of those keys or F11 and F12; you're going to want to look into some form of remapping.

Compared to the heavily Model M inspired Classic F104.

The number of keys and layout almost puts the Model F AT into a tenkeyless category, but it's still takes up just as much desk space as a full sized ANSI keyboard like the Model M. The body is just over 18 inches wide and 8 inches deep, with 1.5 inches of lift in the back. It's not quite as wide or as angled the Model M, but it sure as hell weighs a lot more at 5.65 pounds - making it the second heaviest keyboard I've ever reviewed at this point.

And that's despite IBM switching to an all-plastic body for this keyboard, ditching the metal back cover the XT had. The AT is still built like a brick shithouse. It's case is made out of thick, rigid plastic that barely creaks and it has a deck with so little flex, you could use it as the key structural member of a railway bridge.

It also doesn't yellow, which makes me think the case is made out of PVC like vintage Model Ms were. But this plastic has more of a tendency to crack than bend, so perhaps the chemistry is somewhat different. Whatever the case is, try not to drop it.

Speaking of plastics that don't yellow, check out these keycaps. They're IBM's classic single piece design, molded in none other than PBT with dye sublimated legends. These keycaps are absolutely gorgeous and they still look and feel like they just came out of the factory. The legends are also razor sharp and very easy to read. It's no wonder these keycaps were so highly regarded, and why the Model F Labs project went to such great lengths to recreate them.

The flip out feet are a weird style, but pretty common on keyboards of this vintage. You turn a knob on the side to extend them and they lock into place under spring pressure. The Datacomp DFK515 I reviewed back in September of last year had similar feet, but the ones on the Model F AT feel much more robust and they add a good inch of lift to the keyboard's relatively shallow default typing angle.

The cable is also massive in true AT-era computing fashion. It's 6 mm thick with a 2 foot long coiled section and an overall length of roughly 6 feet. The black coating also seems to have aged relatively well compared to other keyboards from the era. It still has a nice shine to it and it isn't too sticky.

With all that tied together, the Model F AT is a gorgeous looking keyboard. It has a more rounded design than the Model M, and I think the single horizontal row of keys of the AT layout gives the keyboard a more minimalist look than the busier looking ANSI layout. I also love the big metal IBM badge and the old school green lock lights. This thing would look very striking paired alongside all-white or beige peripherals. It's clearly vintage, but still pretty slick.

That's all well and good, but you're not buying a vintage Model F because they look nice. They have a reputation for typing great - and the AT lives up to the hype.

If you're familiar with the membrane buckling spring switches of the Model M, the capacitive buckling springs will feel like you just had weights removed from your fingers. They're lighter actuating, with noticeably more pronounced tactility. The keys lead in with a good amount of pre-travel distance at roughly 2.5 mm and they actuate at around 60 - 65 grams of force versus the 70 - 75 grams of the Model M. Typing on this keyboard is just a flat out joy.

I'm not overly surprised by any of this to be totally honest. After having used the Model F Labs Classic F104 for the past few months, the OG IBM Model F almost feels exactly the same, albeit noticeably heavier in key feel than the reproduction. That actually prompted me to remeasure the actuation force for my review of that keyboard. Still, Joe got the feel of the new keyboards very close to the originals - but he thankfully didn't try to replicate the feel of the space bar.

The space bar on the AT is a bizarre creature and it's not just because it's as wide as the strait of Gibraltar. This space bar is ridiculously stiff. I measured somewhere between 130 to 150 grams of actuation force which is just insane. I'd to think that it was a deliberate choice IBM made so you don't accidentally trigger it, but it's also stabilized unlike any other space bar I've ever seen, so maybe not.

If you're not used to it, this space bar can really kill your flow while typing quickly and it can get seriously fatiguing after jamming your thumb into it over and over again. Going back to the Classic F104 after the stint with the AT, I have to remind myself I don't need to mash the space bar with the force of the Incredible Hulk, or I might just put my thumb through the goddamn desk.

The AT layout is also a little inconvenient. I think most users won't have too bad of a time with it, but the lack of Windows keys, the weird shuffling of the control and alt keys and lack of a proper nav cluster really throws my muscle memory off. Still, if you plan on using the AT primarily for typing, it's not a huge issue. As a gaming keyboard it's actually fairly competent too, thanks to the precise actuation and the inherent n-key rollover of the capacitive design. You just have to do a lot of remapping.

Then of course; the noise.

It's no secret that the Model F keyboards are comically loud, and the AT is no exception, but it's a little bit of an outlier. The all-plastic casing actually gives the Model F AT a more baritone sound than the metal bodied keyboards like the XT and the reproductions. As such, I find it sits somewhere between the Classic F104 and the Model M in terms of sheer racket. It still has that characteristic "pinginess" associated with capacitive buckling springs, but it's a little more subdued. I quite like it.

So apart from the dated layout, the overly stiff spacebar and the need to buy some form of adaptor in order to run it on a modern computer; the Model F AT is a damn fine keyboard. If you look at it like an oversized TKL board, the oddities of it's design are fairly easy to get used to and the typing feel is just sublime. So, what's the catch?

Why? Just why?

Well, this is still a four decade old keyboard. It's quite rare to find a vintage Model F that doesn't need some form of maintenance before you'd feel comfortable parking it at your desk. Usually, they're just dirty - and mine was no exception to that. But sometimes important stuff like the internal foam or the PCB goes bad, and you have to be able to fix it.

Thankfully, this is a pretty easy keyboard to tear into and freshen up... once you get past the nerve wracking opening of the case. There are only four screws in the back like a Model M, but instead of it just clamshelling open without any resistance, IBM had the "brilliant" idea to use clips across the entire width of the front. I did my research, and it's actually safe to just gently coax both halves apart in similar fashion. The sounds this thing made whist doing so are extremely unsettling, but it survived. Once you get a look at how thick the plastic behind these clips are, it's easy to see why.

Underneath the case is the Model F's distinctive cadmium plated backplate mated to the steel barrel plate. Unlike a Model M, this assembly isn't joined together by a bunch of stupid plastic rivets and it can be separated with just basic hand tools. On top of that, every barrel is it's own separate piece, which not only allows you to replace them but it also opens up a whole world of modding potential for this keyboard.

There, I fixed it. Mostly.

IBM actually included a whole bunch of blank pads on the capacitive PCB, and they all work. If you have remapping software, some spare hammers and stabilizer inserts (if needed); you can reconfigure the layout of this keyboard to match whatever your needs may be.

The most popular and easiest of these is the basic ANSI mod, which replaces the big-ass enter key, single unit backspace, and backslash key with those from a modern ANSI layout. Optionally, you can even replace the modifier keys with some in the "correct" position. A few users have even gone to the extent of adding new barrels and a shorter space bar to accommodate dual modifiers. USB conversions are also a popular and very useful mod, especially Soarer's.

Despite all that potential, I actually don't think this keyboard is particularly worth it nowadays. The reason being? Model F Labs LLC.

I mentioned earlier that the going rate for a good conditioned Model F AT is around $400 to $600 on the used market. That's for a forty year old keyboard that needs cleaning at minimum, has god-knows however many more unseen issues, and is missing features that are commonplace even on the crappiest ANSI boards. And while mods can certainly make the AT easier to live with, they're still just forcing it to conform to standards that didn't even exist when this thing was first conceptualized. Like trying to put a GPS in the dash of an old car, it's never going to be completely perfect.

In my opinion, the Classic F104 renders the case for a fully converted Model F AT as a feasible daily driver obsolete. It has a full metal casing, all new components, a far more familiar layout, USB, modern key mapping and macro software, even the capability to run a freaking solenoid for chrissakes. 

This isn't a plug for Model F Labs though. I did have plenty of teething issues with that keyboard, which I covered in it's review. But the Classic F104 is at least backed by a one-year warranty and the closest thing to an actual support network for a keyboard of it's type. You just can't say the same about the AT - especially straight out of the box.

Alternatively, I'm also going to recommend some flavor of blue or white Alps SKCM keyboards. Blue is generally considered the better of the two and costs a hell of a lot of money, but white is apparently still pretty damn nice and you can find them both in ANSI layouts. The blue Alps I've experienced type at least just as well as the AT's capacitive bucking springs, and are better sounding to boot.

Either option can be had for roughly the same - if not less money than the going rate for a Model F AT. Even though I still think this keyboard is fantastic and I absolutely understand why they're so desirable, I just could not see myself buying one of these when equally capable alternatives exist. You've have to really want the layout, and the slightly weightier key feel to justify one of these for serious daily use. 

The IBM Model F AT is a museum piece. A pretty darn usable one in this day and age, but a museum piece nonetheless.

What's Good

• Among the best feeling keyboards ever made.
• Robust PBT keycaps with razor sharp dye sublimed lettering.
• Built extremely well - thick plastic casing and heavy metal deck.
• More reliable and easier to repair than a Model M.

What's Crap

• Antiquated layout.
• Ridiculously stiff space bar.
• Requires an adapter for use on modern systems.
• Questionable value for regular use.

Verdict

While it's arguably the best of the original IBM Model F variants, it's now more of a collector's piece than something you'd want to seriously consider using over modern reproductions.