Thinkpad T400 keyboard in Thinkpad T61?

Hi folks. I have a Thinkpad T61 14.1" widescreen, and I want to replace the keyboard in it. I was wondering if one of the Thinkpad T400 keyboards with the enlarged Esc and Delete, and red lines on the trackpoint buttons will fit into a T61?

 

The T400 keyboards will fit, but usually many T61 owners opt to keep the T61 keyboards based on the stiffer back plate. T400 keyboards use the perforated designs which some consider increases the flex in some areas.

 

Enlarged Esc and Delete buttons keyboard is the one used starting from T400s, and is incompatible with the T400, T61, they are of the different design.

 

Ah I guess I should read a bit more carefully! I just read the title T400 keyboard to T61 which does fit, but if they meant the T400s then that would be different as you mentioned lead_org.

 

I nearly misread the title too, until i saw the word 'enlarged' ESC and DEL buttons.

If for some reasons a person was to use a perforated T400/T keyboard in a T61, he would have a very bad typing experience due to the lack of structural support for the keyboard.

 

Same here! The keyboard on the T61 has excellent feedback and rigidity, as a test I temporarily used a R400 perforated keyboard on the T61 (which is basically the same as T400) and it felt like a completely different system, it was mushy and lacked tactility. It's amazing how a simple device such as a keyboard can transform the whole user experience of a notebook.

 

Didn't Lenovo update the T400 keyboard to get rid of the perforations and increase its rigidity? They sent me one for free, I assumed that it replaced the original T400 keyboard.

If you can find a non-perforated T400 keyboard, it should work fine. As a comparison, it feels the same as the keyboard in a T61p that I tried.

 

Yes they did. Supposedly Lenovo changed the T400 style keyboard back to the way the T61's were (without the perforations).

I've never used a T400 keyboard, but the T61 has a fantastic keyboard.
I also beleive the newer T410, etc. also use the solid backplated keyboards as well. However, I have heard that some users have still be reporting flex, even with the "new" deign.

 

Lenovo still kept the perforated keyboard on the shipped thinkpads, but if customers complain to the warranty support about keyboard issues, then they would send out the solid back plate keyboard.

 

I have experienced three scenarios with the T500 (same keyboard as for T400/T61):

1) Lenovo added a supporting plate below the keyboard to later versions of T500 to fix the keyboard flex. The keyboard was still perforated.

2) The T500 which I am currently using came without the supporting plate but with a solid backplated keyboard. This keyboard was however not retrofitted by the first owner. The solid plated keyboard came directly from the factory.

3) T500 without supporting plate and with perforated keyboard. This is obviously the configuration which started the whole keyboard flex discussion.

 

I'd say it addressed the problem, but I wouldn't go so far as to say that it fixed it. I had one of the T500s with the "fixed" chassis and there was still considerable flex compared to my other ThinkPads. As expected, switching to a nice T6x Chicony solved the problem.

 

No, the nonperforated version is the old T61 keyboard. They did update the chassis with a few pieces of metal bracing to eliminate flex from the perforated keyboard, though.

 

I've got a T400 with the backplate. Up till yesterday I was using the perforated NMB T400 keyboard (the NMB units are much better even with the perforated ones). I'm typing this from the new spare T60/T61 NMB keyboard that was in the closet.

Others said the T60/61 keyboards would be much better compared to the T400 one even with the backplate. And they were 100% right. There's no comparison, it feels rock solid again like my T41 and T60.