please explain this one to me...

can somebody please give me just 1 - ONE ! - good, SANE reason for this:



and of course - is the N. American version of z61 going to have this retarded keyboard too ?

 

Ya, that seems odd, a longer space bar seems like it would have been more useful or anything else that is not a repeat key. Oh well, maybe they did it so people would post it up in forums in hopes to get a little publicity

 

weird. is that an asus laptop?

 

Yea its the z61a, the new m3 I think.

http://vipforums.asus.com/4583/agenda_files/Z61A/index.html

 

Yup... well... here's one reason... good or not, depends on your opinion.

The reason for placing an 'extra' pipe/backslash down there is because there are some countries where the keyboards happen to have the key in that location and not above the enter key as you are used to. In fact, US keyboards used to be the same way... and many people learned to type with the key in that position.

XT Keyboard

In any case, I would say that in the majority of cases, people tend to use the right side of their space bar, not the left... so it's not a big detriment to lose a little space there.

Basically, if you don't know why they might have a pipe key there... you haven't been computing long enough.

 

Dang, that look like a cross between one of the Toshiba line and Asus M6 series...

 

Does any one else think that it would be hard to sell the z61a while the z63a is the same price?

 

I don't think it should... even if the 61 comes with that stupid kbrd. I take it over the 63/w3 without any hesitation - but of course, the way things are these days, people buying all sorts of stupid and/or badly designed things ie.*cough* glossy screens *cough* it probably will

 

that's definitely not a good reason.
- we don't live in one of those countries
- even if, then there should be just one of them
- while 'many' (hehe) people might have learned to type on the old PCXT kbrd., this -Enh101-c.html- has been the standard since 1986... now I might be wrong, but I believe that there are not a lot of people that have last used a computer in ~1984, so I don't think we have to all of the sudden start designing keyboards for them

as for that link, it says right there how bad that layout was, and then you just need to look at the very next page ...AT84-c.html
Using a bad keyboard frm 20+ years ago -let's just say you have no case (err, how about we start using steam engines again )

I don't know how did you decide on that- but regardless; personally, I hit the space with my left thumb about 99.9 % of the time... and not exactly on the right side

well I've "been computing" since about the time of that XT kbrd. (and never used one) but nice try

 

Computers became household items since the early 80's, so for almost 25 years now. I've been Computing since 85', 20 years now and I have never seen that key in that position. I'm not sure what you consider "long enough", but 80% of the time seems like it would be "long enough" in most cases.

 

uh, yeh. definitely. the 61 looks like it should be one of asus' bargain big laptops, the 63 on a different level. but that's just from looking at the touchpad/keyboard. kind of looks like a el-cheapo plastic laptop to me.

 

I think you read too many reviews from people with super hi expectation of the z63a. For the money its an awesome deal and an unbelivable notebook. ANyone that choses the z61 over the z63 is just plain misinformed. Before you condemn a notebook from reading a few less then perect reviews i would say try it your self. I had one for a few weeks and loved every bit of it excpet the screen is too big. I am used to a 12" at home. verheat:

 

Well, the M3 was ALWAYS a popular unit and was 14" regular ratio is under represented right now. Also, the new model will finally have a card reader...... so.. I don't think it'll do bad, just like the V6v and the Z70v....... it's mostly a matter of screen ratio and panel type...... so the Z61a should do well if they ever manage to ship them.

 

Not a bad design! it was popular especiallly witht he sxga option when it came out.
But the xga screen? I dunno....I cant see these two notebook competing at the same price.

 

jaydee,

Considering that you posted a picture that was NOT of the North American model, and I was posting in response to that, I'd say the point was still made. The only valid point you have remaining is that there should only be one of them.

With respect to the enhanced-101 keyboard, while it may have been introduced in 1986, I don't think it was in popular use till several years later. For many years, the 83/84 key XT/AT had the standard keyboard as it was one of the biggest sellers IBM had at the time.

As for hitting the space bar using the right side... yup, at best it's a guess. I figure most people will use their dominant hand to hit the spacebar. I'm actually a lefty for some things and a righty for others, but I think on a keyboard I pretty much use my right thumb the entire time.


To Archmaster/jaydee
I'd probably guess that if you have been computing that long, that you HAVE used the keyboards, and perhaps extensively - but since it has been so long, you've forgotten. Otherwise, I guess I should qualify the statement: It's not the # of years that counts, but the actual amount of computing experience you have remembered.

 

is that another 'guess' stated as a fact on your part or is there something you 'd like to share with us, such as a picture of the actual N.American model ?

if you did then I'd suggest paying more attention because I never said that was a N.A. model - I was asking if that's the keyboard that we will get here... so no point

the reason for asking- I've never seen any other kbrd. on M3N and now z61, and if you look at it, it is the US layout except for that one extra backslash key

Too much guessing. And wow (!), now you know better than us as to what we have or have not used, not to mention what we remember or not. Amazing...

 

oh really. how so ? z63 is fugly. period. not to mention that I hate just about everything about it's design. z61 on the other hand should be almost perfect, assuming it doesn't come with that stupid kbrd. I can't comment on the build quality obviously, but still. It's beautiful, great size, has a matte XGA screen (!) which is what I want, great battery life and so on. So I guess I'm misinformed because I know what I want and like... sheesh

that's just weird if you ask me, but whatever works for you

 

Z63 fugly? I beg to differ. I think it looks quite slick. Granted, this is just from pics taken by users at various forums as I have yet to recieve the laptop myself, I still think that it is hardly an "ugly" laptop.

 

.... That is why the Z61a will sell just fine... because people are so polarized over the screens that go on to criticize the design of one over the other....

 

Ok,

I retract that statement. You were asking whether the North American version was going to ship with this keyboard, from which I read the implication that you believed this wasn't the one.

Clearly, many keyboards are like the US layout with the exception of a few keys. I tried to provide some justification as to why they might put a key there. Obviously, it hasn't been seen as credible because you haven't seen that kind of keyboard yourself. I'm saying that I'm pretty sure you have, because I can't imagine computing back then without having seen those keyboards - they were pretty much ubiquitous back in the day. Hence, the 'guess' with respect to your memory.

Of course, you could just continue thinking it's absolutely insane and retarded that they did this.