The Notebook Review forums were hosted by TechTarget, who shut down them down on January 31, 2022. This static read-only archive was pulled by NBR forum users between January 20 and January 31, 2022, in an effort to make sure that the valuable technical information that had been posted on the forums is preserved. For current discussions, many NBR forum users moved over to NotebookTalk.net after the shutdown.
Problems? See this thread at archive.org.

    swapping keyboard from another manuf doable?

    Discussion in 'Hardware Components and Aftermarket Upgrades' started by hirobo2, Jan 14, 2015.

  1. hirobo2

    hirobo2 Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    32
    Messages:
    119
    Likes Received:
    13
    Trophy Points:
    31
    Supposing you're fond of the way certain keyboards feel from a certain manufacturer. Is it feasible to swap your notebook's keyboard, dimensions permitting?
     
    hirobo2, Jan 14, 2015
    #1
  2. tijo

    tijo Sacred Blame

    Reputations:
    7,588
    Messages:
    10,023
    Likes Received:
    1,077
    Trophy Points:
    581
    Doubtful. Assuming that it physically fits, the connectors would have to be exactly the same and be wired exactly the same way as well which is far from guaranteed.
     
    tijo, Jan 14, 2015
    #2
  3. ajkula66

    ajkula66 Courage and Consequence

    Reputations:
    3,018
    Messages:
    3,198
    Likes Received:
    2,318
    Trophy Points:
    231
    Not to mention that laptop keyboards are mapped according to machine's BIOS and you might bump into roadblocks on that level even if the connectors match perfectly.
     
    ajkula66, Jan 14, 2015
    #3
  4. Qing Dao

    Qing Dao Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    1,600
    Messages:
    1,771
    Likes Received:
    304
    Trophy Points:
    101
    The keyboard is interfaced with the computer using either PS/2 or USB. If you go into Windows' Device Manager, it will tell you that you that you have a standard PS/2 or USB keyboard.
     
    Qing Dao, Jan 15, 2015
    #4
  5. Kent T

    Kent T Notebook Virtuoso

    Reputations:
    270
    Messages:
    2,959
    Likes Received:
    753
    Trophy Points:
    131
    On a desktop, yes. Not on a laptop. Laptop situation is different. Bios can get in the way.
     
    Kent T, Jan 18, 2015
    #5
  6. ajkula66

    ajkula66 Courage and Consequence

    Reputations:
    3,018
    Messages:
    3,198
    Likes Received:
    2,318
    Trophy Points:
    231


    That's not the point. Nor is it what I was referring to.

    The BIOS holds a specific keyboard layout that it responds to when it comes to the internal laptop keyboard. That's the reason why we haven't been able to get *20 series keyboards to work properly on *30 series ThinkPads, if you'd like an example.
     
    ajkula66, Jan 18, 2015
    #6