12/30/24 update: I have finished the Model M Style F104 and FSSK backlog for orders through the end of November 2024. All other stocked orders (including for Round 1 Beam Spring, F62/F77, compact F104/FSSK, and F15) should be going out in the next 1-2 months. F122 keyboards finished production and are currently undergoing assembly. Beam Spring keyboards were approved for mass production this month and are expected to be completed and delivered in 2025.
Original post:
When will my order ship? I hope to get out all the outstanding in stock orders over the remaining months of this year (October through December 2024). You will receive an email with a tracking number once your order is all done. In terms of the timeline from here, I cannot estimate the timeline for any specific order, so please do not email me asking for a personalized update on when your order will ship. All keyboard models are in stock, except for the F122 and Round 2 beam spring keyboards (see below for details). The compact F50 and split ortho are out of stock with no current plans to make more, though you can still order the NOS IBM classic style F50.
The F104 and FSSK container shipment has arrived and orders have started shipping!
Can I still order a new Model F or beam spring keyboard from the current stock and have it arrive soon? Yes, there is still time now to join in this month on the project and get a keyboard from the current stock, as I have ordered extras. All variations are available. The current discounted pricing is not guaranteed for the future and some keyboards have already started going up in price compared to the earlier discount as those keyboards are running out of stock, so I recommend joining the project this month and not waiting since you may be paying double or your favorite color or layout may no longer be available to order. If you are interested in skipping the line feel free to order the skip the line option mentioned below; otherwise you have to wait with everyone else in line! The project always has an order backlog, so please do not email me asking when your order will ship. The backlog is typically about a month or two for in stock items, sometimes longer.
Skip the line upgrade option still available: As always the first Classic F104 and Classic FSSK keyboards that have been going out are those who supported the project a little extra with the low serial/skip the line option, and then it will go out based on when each order was submitted, with the earliest orders going out first. There are many orders to go out so it will take a while. There is still time to send through a skip the line upgrade by placing a new order and picking free shipping at checkout to avoid additional shipping charges.
Now that Classic F104/Classic FSSK low serial orders have started shipping, just a reminder to check your junk folder in case the shipping confirmation email ends up there. This has happened a number of times from what folks have told me.
Let me know if your shipping address has changed (do not email me to say that your address is the same): Please email me if your mailing address has changed, if you have not already emailed me to confirm your latest address. I sent two email requests a couple months ago but you may not have received them. If I did not reply to your email, please assume it was not received and send me another email! If I replied to your email address change, then the change has been made and you do not need to email again, unless your address changed again.
What about the F122 and round 2 beam spring keyboards? Hopefully around year end the next container ship will be here or on its way here for the next batch, which will contain the F122 and beam spring keyboards. The factory is wrapping up assembly this month on the F122 keyboards, which have all finished production, and they are finishing up the final prototypes of each beam spring keyboard model for my review. The beam spring project has taken far longer than expected but since we may only do one production run, I want to make sure everything is correct.
Check the forums for the latest updates and photos: As a reminder, please remember to check out the Deskthority and geekhack project threads to see:
- The latest updates and photos of the container shipments
- The first photos of delivered keyboards
- The first reviews of those who have received their new Model M style keyboards
- The latest professional photos of dozens of the various combinations of case and keycap color combinations. All combinations of cases and keycap colors have been photographed, though not every set of the same keycap color has been photographed.
- Many other discussion topics which are not summarized in this smaller update, as I normally do with updates that summarize the top discussions since the prior update post.
- And more! Most questions have already been answered on the forums, which are linked below:
Read the manual fully before touching your keyboard, even if you have experience with these old style keyboards: After your new Model F keyboard arrives, I strongly recommend starting from the beginning of the setup video and the written manual, to minimize the time you need to figure things out. Do not only watch the hour-long setup video, as there have been many changes and other required steps not shown in the video. Since so many keyboards have shipped in a short timespan, there have been a higher-than-usual number of questions from folks, and almost all of the questioners show that they did not read the manual, and the solution to their issue is in the manual. Don’t be one of those people and spend hours more than you need to set things up! A fix for every potential Model F issue is described in the written manual.