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    M17 illuminated keyboard-not as bright as it should be?

    Discussion in 'Alienware' started by EviLCorsaiR, Jun 11, 2009.

  1. EviLCorsaiR

    EviLCorsaiR Asura

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    I was just looking at pictures of the M17 online and I noticed the illuminated keyboards on them seem much brighter than mine is. Does anyone else have this sort of issue? The illumination is also very uneven. I've got some keys which are hardly illuminated and some which are very bright. My green backlighting seems to be the brightest, with blue only a little dimmer, but it's still not as bright as it should be, I'm sure. And the red is terrible, very dim and very uneven.

    Has anyone else had this problem? I don't have a camera handy to take pictures of it but I'm sure of it. Presumably I'd need to get a new keyboard sent to me by Alienware.
     
    EviLCorsaiR, Jun 11, 2009
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  2. sneakyFspy

    sneakyFspy Notebook Consultant

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    New keyboard wont change a thing. It's a known motherboard issue that Flextronics and Alienware have conspired to keep under wraps. You won't get very far on this issue, like countless other customers I've talked to before who just learned to live with it, while awaiting the proverbial software fix which does not exist.
     
    sneakyFspy, Jun 11, 2009
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  3. EviLCorsaiR

    EviLCorsaiR Asura

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    Kay, fair enough. It's not exactly an issue that turns my gaming laptop into a brick, so I'm not too bothered.
     
    EviLCorsaiR, Jun 11, 2009
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  4. KegLeg73

    KegLeg73 Company Representative

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    Yeah evil mine is the same as well. I t is no big deal.
     
    KegLeg73, Jun 11, 2009
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  5. Rob41

    Rob41 Team Pirate Control

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    Red would be my first choice but it's so dim. Even at night it's not really usable.

    It looks like they have a better ill. keyboard design for the M17X judging by the pics and videos from E3.
     
    Rob41, Jun 11, 2009
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  6. K-TRON

    K-TRON Hi, I'm Jimmy Diesel ^_^

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    The pictures you see online are gimmicks. They enhance the contrast so to make their product look like it is really bright.
    The inside of the M17 keyboard are three rows of LED strips, with an LED about every 5/8" of an inch along the strip.
    Combined all three rows suck 247Mah of current. They are not exactly bright. If you wanted, you could make it brighter, by adding an addition three rows of LED's

    I have an extra M17 keyboard. If you so desire, I could strip the LED strips from it so that you can add them to yours. Just send me a PM if you are interested.

    K-TRON
     
    K-TRON, Jun 11, 2009
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  7. Rob41

    Rob41 Team Pirate Control

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    I may have to get another keyboard to tinker with and see what I can come up with K-TRON.
     
    Rob41, Jun 11, 2009
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  8. EviLCorsaiR

    EviLCorsaiR Asura

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    Great. Now my touchpad isn't working, even if I disconnect my mouse...anyone know how to fix that?

    Oh, and K-TRON, thanks for the offer, but no thanks.
     
    EviLCorsaiR, Jun 11, 2009
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  9. Rob41

    Rob41 Team Pirate Control

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    Did you press fn+f5?
     
    Rob41, Jun 11, 2009
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  10. tanamerra

    tanamerra Notebook Consultant

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    The keyboard illumination on my old style M17X was much brighter than current M17. Wonder about the new M17X?
     
    tanamerra, Jun 11, 2009
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  11. EviLCorsaiR

    EviLCorsaiR Asura

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    I didn't press that, but I just have, and it's back on. Thanks mate.
     
    EviLCorsaiR, Jun 11, 2009
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  12. Rob41

    Rob41 Team Pirate Control

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    Cool. It's nice when it's the easy things. :)
     
    Rob41, Jun 11, 2009
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  13. Inkjammer

    Inkjammer Notebook Deity

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    Just to chime in: the same exists on their desktop cases. Their AlienFX is very poorly lit in many areas on the case, but you'd think by looking at Alienware's advertising if you stood next to the case for too long you'd get cancer.

    It's very bad, particularly on the front of the Alienware desktop cases.
     
    Inkjammer, Jun 11, 2009
    #13