Popping out keys on the Thinkpad keyboards

Just in case:

Kids, don't try it at home.

One praise I've seen quite a few times regarding the quality of IBM keyboards goes pretty much "the keys don't have sharp edges underneath them and they don't make you feel as if you could accidentally pop one out with your fingernail".

Can you imagine my surprise when I actually did pop out the J key accidentally with my fingernail?

It appears that most of the keys are incredibly easy to pop out on the T42 keyboard (at least on the Thai keyboard, don't know what happens on the Chinese ones). I've seen an X keyboard and the keys were dreadfully easy to pop out as well. All you need to do is stick your fingernail below the key (from the bottom side) and pull up.

So while other laptops may give you the feeling that you could do that, on IBM's laptops you definitely can.

The interesting thing is that when they pop out, they don't get damaged and you can just install them right back into place. You just place it where it belongs and push down until they click.

Me and my friend basically rearranged all the keys on a spare Thinkpad-X keyboard that we had, just for fun. Not a single one of the keys got damaged.

When you see how thin the pieces of plastic that hold the mechanism together, it just makes you appreciate the fine craftsmanship and build quality.

 

On A30 I use flat screw driver to stick it under ANY key to lift the keyboard up when I take it off the laptop to take it apart for tinkering around with it. Just tried to stick my finger nail under and lift the "J" key, first off it is REALLY hard to get the nail under it (and I am talking flip the finger upside down and TRY to insert it under), and when I succeeded I can almost lift the laptop with it and the key is not "popping up". What is it you'r talking about?

 

I guess the T keyboards are different from the A keyboards.

Now lately I have been paying attention that some keys won't go off as easily as others, but they all will, if you just apply more force, in the right direction, so as not to break anything.

 

Well, my desktop keyboards can loose keys too if I apply some force to it, should I practice it? I think any keyboard made the way so you can rearrange keys around. I use Dvorak layout, so it is easier for me to just rearrange keys if they pop up, but everyone else type on regular one, so I never touch any keyboard and just learned to touch type and for some reason any keyboard I typed on don't loose the keys, ever.

The point is, nothing is welded on keyboards, they must be flexible and stable, not force (or long nales) proof.

 

They must be flexible, yes, but on some keyboards it's almost impossible to remove a key without breaking it. Not so on the Thinkpad keyboard.

In any case I'm not doing it anymore. The reason behind is is that some keys, when you force them out, have a tendency to pop together with the three-part mechanism that holds them in place. Now this three-part mechanism is very gentle, as I mentioned, and it's not impossible that at some point it will break. And even if it won't, putting it back to place is annoying as hell (had to do it twice), and with my clumsy hands it's better that I don't do it at all.

 

You can get Thinkpad keyboard on eBay for very cheap these days, mine cost around 20 bux, I have 3 of them at home, stupid habbit collecting , but still using 4 years old one, the most used keys are glossy already, waiting till they get holes , they are that good.

 

My employer just gave me a Thinkpad. It was made in China. It is a couple of years old and well used. It was real dirty, so I wanted to clean it before using it. I got one of those screen cleaning wipes and swiped across the keyboard with it just once. When I did that 2 keys just popped out. When I tried to push them back on, another one popped out, and also the little rubber cone thing under one of the keys came off. I am horrified. I always thought IBM had great keyboards until now. To think that some of them are this fragile is a real surprise to me. As to them going back on easily, well, it didn't work for me.

 

I had a CHICONY keyboard (made in China) and when I was wiping the keyboard, the 'J' key popped off. I couldn't reattach it so I called IBM Warranty and they sent me a new keyboard in 3 business days.

I have since bought two additional keyboards off of eBay after hearing about how good they are. They have been put to use a lot and get glossy after a month's use (probably from typing fast resulting in sweaty fingers), but the keys have yet to come off.

Based on what you said though, I think you swiped across the keyboard a bit too hard, especially if the rubber cone comes off as well; that is what I did at first too. Since then I've learned to put more pressure down towards the keys and gently swiped across the keyboard.

 

can you guys link me to ebay for keyboards (T60)?

i want to collect em too