Who else is replacing their T400/T500 keyboard?

I got my T400 yesterday, and overall I'm pleased. However, the keyboard is something of a disappointment compared to my old T40, especially since it's always been a ThinkPad strong suit.

I ordered a replacement T60/61 keyboard. Has anyone else gone this route? I wonder if there's going to be a run on the old keyboards. (I bought mine at Upgrade Bay for about $58 shipped; part number 39T0958.)

 

did you shop around and is this the best price you found?

 

wow, does the new keyboard really bother you that much? i saw some ppl saying it's hard to notice the difference under normal use, and you have to really type hard enough to feel the flex.

 

I think the fact that the review mentions keyboard flex makes new T400 owners start pressing on the keyboard as hard as they can the second they get it out of the box. I wonder how many people would even think about it if the review hadn't mentioned it and the topic did not keep popping up in threads.

 

I've never owned any other thinkpads, so I don't have any previous gens to compare my T400 against but I think its fine. 60 bucks seems like an awful lot to drop for something thats not broken.

 

Yes, I shopped around, at least briefly, and that seemed to be a good price. One place in Canada (ITXchange) had a refurbished one for $30.

I didn't expect the new keyboard would bother me much. However, I have a laptop-style Enermax keyboard connected my desktop, and going back and forth between that and the T400, it was all too obvious that the ThinkPad keyboard was "mushy." $60 doesn't seem like much to pay to have a better typing experience, but it's obviously a personal decision.

 

I played around with my Dell Inspiron 9300 Laptop (17inch beast) and I know some people will be disappointed, but the dell keyboard felt sturdier and had less flex than my T400 keyboard, especially around the top corners (page up/page down and the like). I must say though, that the keyboard on my dell seems to be built very well, it's one solid piece of metal unlike the machined T400 keyboard.

Even with all that being said, it comes down to a personal preference. The T400 keyboard doesn't bother me. In fact, most laptop keyboards have not bothered me (except for a sony vaio keyboard).

All in all the T400 w/LED is a great machine. After the keyboard change for some people, those people might love it that much more!

 

Can you please tell me if the replacment keyboard installs ok. I was just about to purchase a T400 and have been on the fence because of the bad keyboard review. Afterall, you buy a IBM or Lenovo laptop because of its superior keyboard. Somebody made a bad mistake as far as I'm concerned. Please let me know how it works out. Would also be interested in hearing any other good or bad points about your new laptop. Should I go with Vista or XP. Thanks, Patrick

 

I will as soon as it arrives.

 

I second that!

 

People who say what's the big deal never give keyboards enough thought--you're two primary "ïnteractions" with a computer are the keyboard and monitor.

A bad keyboard or bad monitor can ruin the experience. In 20+ years of using computers I have never bought a keyboard without typing on one first.

The first thinkpad I ever bought was only after asking some guy at the library if I could try his--my reaction...wow, great keyboard.

I'm afraid I would be so disappointed in the new keyboard it would ruin the entire thinkpad experience

 

i think it's more about learning how to adapt to changes.. that's life right there. If you can't adapt then.. you can't survive. Sometimes the initial feeling or your "test" trial of the keyboard can be rough at first but it might be better in the end.

For example: a chair that's ergonomically designed can feel weird and uncomfortable when you first sit on it... but once your body has adjust to the perfect position, it will benefit in the end in all possible ways.

However, gerryf19 i do understand... everyone has those knit pick things that you just HAVE to have your way or else it just won't feel right.

 

I've heard replacing the keyboard to the T60/T61 still has some flex issues. Can anyone confirm? I guess if it helps even 50% it's worth it. I want the new T400!!!

LED backlighting > all other issues

 

Swapping my T60 Chicony keyboard in either the T400 or T500 reduced the flex down to the level that my T60 has.

 

That's all I needed to hear

 

Well, the new (or really the old--i.e., T6x) keyboard arrived today. I took the T400's keyboard out and compared the two. What was striking was the difference in torsional rigidity; the T6x keyboard is 4-5 times as resistant to twisting as the T400's.

I'm now typing on the T6x keyboard, and it's a huge improvement. It now feels solid, just like my previous ThinkPad did.

Whether to replace your keyboard is a personal decision, and if the new keyboard isn't bothering you, then there's no reason to. If it doesn't seem up to snuff, though, I would highly recommend the change.

By the way, I think the statement on the Lenovo blog "I have seen some data from our ThinkPad Engineering team that shows that the keyboards still have the same strength as the previous generation" is clearly false. I guess they need to say that for marketing reasons, but anyone examining the two side-by-side would see the difference immediately.

 

I wanna replace mine now.

Where do I find a t61 keyboard, and how much work does it take to take the old out and put a new in?

 

I got mine at Upgrade Bay for $58 shipped:

http://www.upgradebay.com/c1_itemdetail.asp?itemid=168713627


It's easy to replace the keyboard. You just remove 5 screws from the back, pop the old keyboard out, and put the new one in. There's a single tiny connector that hooks to the motherboard. It takes less than five minutes for the whole thing.

 

I do agree that everyones experience will differ, but for my part: The flex is there, but I would never have noticed if I hadn't read various posts here talking about it. Seems fine to me.

 

The the t400 is my first Thinkpad and I'm not impressed with the keyboard.
But I didn't buy it because of the keyboard, so it's not like I'm disappointed.

Like really, my stepdad's VAIO has a sturdier keyboard, it feels like its made out of STEEL.

 

You need to type on my T41p then... maybe you'll say it's made of tungsten carbide .

 

lol yea
Tungsten would also make it like FIREPROOF, has the like highest melting point or something...

 

Do you happen to know if the T400/T500 have the same keyboard as the X200 (i.e. can a T60 keyboard be installed into an X200 unit?).

The reason I am asking, is not because of flex concerns but simply because I am importing an X200 to a country where X200 are far from being launched and thus there are no spare part localized keyboards available. The local Lenovo/IBM (yes IBM actually handles some of the spare part for Thinkpads here) support could not answer my question because they themselves are not familiar with T400/T500/X200 at all.

As there are T60/T61 localized keyboards available and I was hoping I could use them instead.

 

i doubt it. i know the x61 has a smaller board than the t61. if the x200 is folllowing suit, then it should also be smaller.

 

The jury is still out on this. In Andrew's review here at NBR, he says the following:

Indeed, the keyboard on the X200 is exactly the same as that you'll get on the T-series, so it's entirely comfortable for typing with no adjustments necessary for smaller keys you often find on ultraportables.

A post at Lenovoblogs says that the T400 and X200 have identical keyboards.

http://lenovoblogs.com/designmatters/?p=228#comment-67593

However, just because the keyboard appears to be the same (when assembled) as the T-series does not necessarily mean that a T-series keyboard will fit in the chassis.

 

I will not be replacing the keyboard in my T400. I am completely satisfied and love typing on it. I have not been able to observe any flex after one week of use. I am a first time Thinkpad owner though.

 

I second that, I am a first time thinkpad owner, I had HP dv1000 before.

 

First time thinkpad users can hardly notice the flex until they start applying pressure at it......previous thinkpad owners would likely to notice it because the older generation keyboards are rock solid.

 

Yes indeed, subliminal autosuggestion can be a strong influence.

 

Did the price jump to $85 recently??


Can you find this on the lenovo site?

-Sean

 

the only sure way to get the NMB keyboard is direct from IBM, and that is where i got mine.

1. go to the IBM parts ordering page:

http://www-304.ibm.com/shop/america...rts_r&catalogId=-840&storeId=260785&langId=-1

2. enter in 42T3143 (this is the part number for the newer version of the NMB keyboard)

the price is $49.50 as of now, which is cheaper than elsewhere

enjoy!