I own a couple of Model M's and I've used them for a while but you are absolutely correct. The Model M was succeeded by Cherry and Alps keyboards, which are in

I own a couple of Model M's and I've used them for a while but you are absolutely correct. The Model M was succeeded by Cherry and Alps keyboards, which are in my opinion superior. The Cherry and Alps keyboards in their turn were succeeded by the rubber dome keyboards which most people use today. Unfortunately rubber dome keyboards although fantastically quiet and cheap, do not type nearly as nice as the Cherry/Alps or buckling spring keyboards. If you're looking for the feeling described by those Model M lovers, definitely do check out keyboards marketed as being 'mechanical'. Thanks to a recent revival of enthousiasm for good keyboards under gamers and tech geeks many brands have started producing them, and it's now possible to get them at very reasonable prices. Just as my personal recommendation: if you want one that will last you a lifetime, get a Filco (they're quite expensive), and replace the keycaps with PBT ones (it's a better plastic for this purpose, also what the Model M uses). It's what I've been using for the past 5 years. You can put off the replacing of the keycaps for 2-3 years, longer if you don't mind slippery keys, PBT ones don't wear like that.