Not happy with new T500

I've had my T500 for about 48 hours and I'm bummed by two things:

1) The keyboad is not the same as the one on my trusty T41p. I go back and forth between the two and the T41p's keyboard is very, very solid. The T500's is better than a couple of old Dell Lattitudes I have around the house, but that's not saying much.

2) There is noticeable play in the right palm rest (directly to the right of the touchpad). When I lay my hand to type there's a clicking sound. I can push down on it with my finger and can feel/hear what is probably a millimeter of give. The left palm rest is fine. Do you have this experience?

 

1) Call Lenovo service and tell them about the keyboard, they would help you out where appropriate. This is due to the new keyboard using the perforated plate design, while the T61 use the solid plate design like that of the T4x.

2) Right side has a perforated magnesium chassis for better heat dissipation of the hdd, so there might be some movement depending on hard you push on them. Also tell them about this problem when you call.

 

I fixed the flex problems you described by opening the laptop and placing 2 felt pads inside the computer. See pic below. Opening the computer is easy. You just need a small screwdriver. I still have a very small amount of flex on the right side, under the P key area. A third felt pad under the P key area should fix the flex in this area.

First remove 4 screws for the palm rest.
Then remove 1 screw for the keyboard.

Here are the instructions.
http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-71313


http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-71315

 

I got mine for a couple of weeks. The same feeling about the keyboard, not as solid as T42 has, which I love very much. I've got used to it. The key stroke is still the best.

The same problem with the right palm rest. But I won't try anything with it till my warrantee expires.

I guess, that's how Lenovo gets the price down while keeping the indispensible qualities.

 

By sending it in to Lenovo, I was able to get the keyboard replaced on my T400, and it feels more solid now. However, I have yet to open my laptop up and confirm that they actually put a solid-backplate keyboard so it could all be a placebo effect.

 

When I first got my laptop in May 2009 I called Lenova and complained about the keyboard. They sent me a replacement. It was identical to the one I had and actually felt worse/more flexible than the original one. I sent back the replacement keyboard and fixed the flex problem myself, as described in my previous post. Some folks have been able to get a different/better keyboard replacement by specifying the exact part number they want, and Lenova complied. But I think it all depends on who answers the phone at Lenova.

 

Sort of yes on two. meaning the plastic moves a mm or so but feels rock solid when it hits whatever is below it. I can make a tapping sound if bounce my palm up and down on it.

Doesn't bother me and I hadn't noticed it until I read this.

BTW your palms are not supposed to ever touch that area. Your hands should be 'hovering' over the keyboard with palms above the palm rests and your fingers on the home keys.

 

Thanks, typing teacher.

I really used the new computer a lot yesterday and stopped noticing the palm rest play. I'll probably put a little bit of felt under it down the road. I'm still using my T41p and like its keyboard better, but I'm getting used to the T500's.

 

The T4x keyboards are probably the best of any recent ThinkPads. Maybe it's just a little bit of they can't all be that good.

 

T4x keyboard had used some of the best keyboard around... they were also very expensive to produce at that era, along with much of the parts used in Thinkpads, which resulted in the high price tag.

You will never get that same typing experience on the T500 perforated keyboard for the fact that the design dampens a lot of the keys springness that people enjoy in the older T4x keyboard. In addition, the bubble cap mechanism on the perforated keyboard is smaller as compared to the T4x keyboard.

 

I am really quite pleased with my T500, having had it for a couple of months. The keyboard is much better than my previous HP notebooks, though some of the left-hand keys are a bit "thuddy" as far a sound goes. There is the play mentioned in the OP, but I've gotten used to it and don't really notice it. I guess there are compromises made to keep it affordable for a lot of us. One of the best things about my T500 is the low temperature it generates. My HP would keep you toasty in winter.

Bill

 

i doubt that the money saved from these weight saving keyboards are going to make Lenovo rich..... as most of the cost in the keyboard production is actually in the key mechanisms.

 

I got the USB Thinkpad Keyboard, T400S layout. It feels much more like T4x to me, though the finishing is not quite the same.