the ASUS keyboard: which model has the best?

I am considering buying a 14- to 15.4-inch notebook from ASUS, but I just have one reservation:

I've been spending my time over at the Lenovo forum for a long time now, mulling over the R- and T-series ThinkPads, the only reasons being their build quality and "legendary" keyboards. Having read many positive reviews of various ASUS models, I am pretty sure my first concern is covered. But what about their keyboards? Which of ASUS’s notebooks have keyboards that produce the same deep keystrokes, tactile touch, and desktop-like travel like those on the T60s?

As I am planning to use this notebook for the next 4-5 years, keyboard comfort is a must, for me.

Thanks in advance for your responses!

 

In my opinion the best for 15.4" would have to be the V1JP, it is solid and has a spillproof keyboard feature. It does have a tactile touch/feeling to it.

There's of course a lot more to the V1JP, you can read the reviews, here and here

As for 14" laptops, maybe you will want to wait for the V2? When do you want to purchase the laptop? You may want to consider the W3J aswell.

 

but the v1jp has the fn button (instead of ctrl) on the bottom left hand corner that to me is a killer (esp if i copy+paste a lot, oh and of course, CS a lot )

 

You'll learn to adjust. Took me just a few a days to get used to it with the copy-pasting as well as well as the CS crouching : )

 

Most ASUS laptops, if not all, usually have nice keyboards that are on par with Lenovo's. To make your notebook keyboard last longer, i would recommend using an external keyboard when on desk

 

If you want the best keyboards stick with thinkpads. Asus notebooks are great but I don't rate the keyboard I'm using that highly, maybe a 7/10 whereas I will give thinkpads a 10/10.

 

I'd have to say that the W series notebooks have very study keyboards... virtually no flex at all. I can't comment on the V series because I've never owned one... but I've heard great things about them too

 

Is there a correlation between the price of the notebook and the quality of its keyboard? For example, would a W- or V-series notebook be sturdier than an A8J? Or are their keyboards produced in pretty much the same way using the same materials, etc.?

 

Given that the cost of a replacement notebook keyboard on Asus's Estore is about $20 (for a W3V), I don't think that the overall price of a notebook is a large factor in the quality of the keyboard - at least for Asus. Most of the keyboards made by a manufacturer are likely produced in the same way, with the same materials. The design may change to accommodate chassis limitations (size, dimensions, travel) but that's about all I can think of. If you look up replacement Thinkpad keyboards, I think you'll find they're a lot more expensive than Asus ones, but I'm not sure if that's because there's a brand name markup or whether it is because they actually have substantially more complex design and materials.

 

Would any of you know of any brick-and-mortar stores that sell the A8Js/p? Perhaps visiting one and actually trying out the keyboard might inform my decision...

 

The a8j has the exact same keyboard as the w3j. So no. As a matter of fact most asus notebooks of the same size use the same keyboards and they havent changed design in years.

I can say there are exceptions like the g1 g2 seem to have a unique keyboard.