IBM Beam Spring: The Ultimate Retro Keyboard
Summary
This article provides a historical overview of beam spring keyboards, detailing how the mechanism works, its advantages and drawbacks, and the IBM 3278 terminal keyboard. It also covers how enthusiasts refurbish beam spring keyboards using modern controllers like the xwhatsit to enable USB operation and eventual restoration of old terminals. While rich in hardware history and teardown detail, its direct applicability to AI, automation, or business IT use is limited.