Will Lenovo ever abandon the thinklight for a backlit keyboard?

I recently picked up a laptop that has a backlit keyboard and WOW what an improvement over the thinklight. Its obvious at this point that the thinklight is antiquated technology and it does not illuminate a keyboard properly in low light conditions. Do you think Lenovo will soldier on with this poor excuse for a keyboard illumination solution, or will they finally make the move to a backlit keyboard? I cannot imagine the engineers at Lenovo agreeing that the thinklight is even comparable (visibility wise) to a true backlit keyboard. Or perhaps also adding a backlight keyboard in addition to the thinklight? Thoughts?

 

the backlit keyboard is not going to be hard to make given that now Lenovo has moved from the solid plate to perforated plate keyboard design. However, using the backlit will mean that the key mechanism will change slightly, which will affect its tactile response.

But i don't think Lenovo will release such keyboard within this two generations.

 

I heard the 14 and 15 inch Thinkpad EDGE (EDGES?) are getting an optional backlit keyboard. I don't know if they'll change over the "regular" Thinkpads to backlit though.

If they can keep the same excellent keyboard feel on Thinkpads while including a backlight, then it might be added. But no one really knows either way right now.

We can also look at other business laptop lines to see what the trend is. HP's Elitebooks have a LED light like the Thinkpads, while Dell has backlit keyboards in the Precisions and Latitudes. I'd say if HP switched to a backlit keyboard on the Elitebooks, then it'd give a lot of pressure for Lenovo to switch as well. But for now, anticipate HP and Lenovo sticking with LEDs.

 

Forget about backlit keyboards... the next big thing is Glow in the Dark Keyboard Stickers

 

No. Not anytime soon.

 

The only problem I had with the thinklight was that turning up the brightness of the screen lit up the keyboard more than that light ever could.

 

Personally I prefer the Thinklight to a backlit keyboard, since it doesn't light up just the keyboard but the space around it so you can use it to read documents too.

 

I think it's high time for them to do that. The thinklight looks silly and really isn't that useful.

 

If you use your laptop on the couch or in bed, then the thinklight design doesn't work while a backlit keyboard would.

 

Odd... i loved using the thinklight on my last trip.

I was sharing a room with friends and they all fell asleep when I was still trying to get some work done. So in a pitch black room, I turned on the thinklight and I was able to work perfectly fine in my bed.

I really like it.. since it lights up any papers I'm trying to read as well, something that a backlit keyboard cant do.

And maybe its true that turning the screen brightness all the way up helps more than using the light, but that eats through the battery.

I wouldnt mind having both options though

 

It's not obvious to me. I prefer the ThinkLight.

 

That'd be pretty cool actually. Maybe they can have a Thinklight, a backlit keyboard, and the Alieware lighting accents Seriously, they should put lighting on the outlines of the ports so you can plug and unplug stuff in the dark too. Sometimes I would be in the dark and fumble to plug in my headphones.

 

yes sometimes i use the thinklight to read some papers, i wish Lenovo provides more than one thinklight on the Thinkpads for that purpose.

 

I agree...that's actually more useful to me than lighting up the keyboard. It's not like I look at the keyboard when I type anyway, unless I'm hunting for a really obscure key.

 

Think of the Thinkpad as a Ductai motorcycle...

 

Dell's backlit keyboard are no pleasure to type on either. I also like the thinklight. I don't need to illuminate every key individually. If I can get my fingers placed then I can type just fine.

 

What's that?

 

I'm on the fence about it. I tried the thinklight and it's the first time I've ever used anything like that. I tested it in my room with the lights off, and it seemed to block out my screen a little because it's so bright. I had to turn up the brightness on the lcd a few notches. I'm not sure that I really like it. I'm almost certainly never going to use it though, I never use a computer in a dark room (it's bad for the eyes).

 

Adding backlight to classic ThinkPad keyboards will be difficult.

First, the backlight system must prevent light from escaping through the gaps between keys (otherwise the gaps between keys will be much brighter than the keys themselves). This is not a problem for island-style keyboards (where the gaps between keys are well-defined and completely covered), but on classic ThinkPad keyboards, the gaps are see-through, so there is definitely an engineering challenge there.

Second, the backlight system must not compromise the fluid-drain tray that sits under the keyboard. This means that the "drill holes and let the lights reach the back of the keys through the holes" approach cannot work. Instead, there must be a transparent water-tight patch under each key, which could be expensive to make.

Third, the backlight system must be easily detachable (either from the laptop proper or from the keyboard part). On many current ThinkPads, the keyboard doubles as a service access panel. Remove the keyboard, and you can easily upgrade the internal components. If the backlight system makes the keyboard difficult (or impossible) to remove, then engineers at Yamato Labs must find some other way to allow easy access to laptop internals without compromising structural strength.

These are all nontrivial problems, so I don't think we will see backlit keyboard on the classic ThinkPad laptops anytime soon.

 

That's a very thoughtful reply ckx. You really put that engineering challenge into perspective.

 

Why is a backlit keyboard so important anyways? I'd venture to guess most people that have contributed to this thread know how to type...

I guess its more of a "cool" thing than anything else?

 

I totally forgot I had a thinklight.

 

It is a little ironical: these problems are only problems because classic ThinkPads are classic ThinkPads. Mac users would never complain about the lack of keyboard liquid drainage or poor user serviceability; they take such limitations as given.

We ThinkPad users, however, simply expects every ThinkPad, generation after generation, to meet the same high standard. Low heat, low noise, low weight, high structural strength, high shock resistance, high spill resistance, ease of service and repair, standardized accessories, long-term software support, long-term parts availability. All the way from durability to functionality to look-and-feel, it must meet the ThinkPad standard.

Which, of course, means that everything is a little (or a lot) more difficult to engineer on a ThinkPad. For example, it would be a lot simpler to achieve high LCD pressure resistance if the LCD top cover does not have to be perfectly flat. However, the bento box is one of the ThinkPad traditions -- so the engineers worked at it and kept this "feature" alive while achieving class-leading LCD pressure resistance. You have to hand it to the Japanese and their dedication: Lenov.o inherited a great engineering team from IBM, and this is the reason why I am such a dedicated ThinkPad user. I have confidence that they will not compromise core ThinkPad values for a gimmick.

Back to topic. When the time comes, I am sure the engineers will make it happen. Instead of a lousy backlit keyboard, maybe they will come up with a new idea. How about phosphor compound on key surfaces energized by Tritium tubes embedded in the screen bezel? Creativity, people.

 

They will never add backlighting to the classic thinkpad. One of the major reason Thinkpad fan are so loyal is because of the feel of the keyboard. If you change the keyboard you alienate all you fanbase. It's like apple get rid of OSX in favor of linux or window.

 

is thinklight or backlit really necessary? I don't understand why people find so hard to memorize their keyboard layout if they use it everyday.

 

it is necessary for people whom are not too familiar with all the keys on the keyboard. Obviously you could be different, since you live by your keyboards...

 

I much prefer the think light over a backlit keyboard. It illuminates the keyboard just fine and also allows for illuminating documents, etc. You keep your new-fangled illuminated keyboard off my lawn!

 

I might type on 3 different keyboards in a day. My workstation has a Microsoft ergonomic keyboard with the big gap down the middle and my thinkpad X20 is the other end of the spectrum.

I have used a computer for approx 8-12 hours of most working days for 20 years... and I still need to keep one eye on the keyboard.

Personally I love the thinklight (though on my X20 its a bit dim... hoping they are brighter now). In fact ....I'd like a really bright LED and use multiple presses of the think-light key to cycle through brightness levels.

 

I've been typing since middle school and never need to look at the keyboard (except when to find the F keys or other non alphanumeric keys ). Once I find homerow I'm fine.

 

I'd suggest you get rid of your microsoft ergonomic keyboard and buy a real keyboard

 

Reading this thread reminded me I have a ThinkLight...Fancy. I see the merits of a ThinkLight over a backlight -- the biggest would definitely be peripheral illumination so you can look at a piece of paper under light as well as work on your computer. I don't generally work in the dark though.

 

A backlit keyboard would certainly look cooler. However, the reason I like the thinklight is that it illuminates my fingers as well as the keyboard. In total darkness, seeing where the keys are doesn't help much when you can't see your fingers. I'm not talking about typing papers, just operating the computer.

 

I think they should just relocate the ThinkLight somewhere else to improve lighting, what about just putting it in the middle of the top keyboard bezel strip? Locating it so it's just above the keyboard so there is no annoyance from the light, and it would improve light up of just the keys, also i think a triangular beam of lighting emitting from the keyboard area could be a big marketting thing, it would look better in pictures too.

 

I think putting it there is way too close for any triangle to be able to cover the width of the keyboard, especially the function keys (if I understand what you're saying).

 

You know, I like the thinklight better than my backlit Lycosa keyboard or the lighted Apple Mac Book keyboards. Those blue lights give me a headache after a short while. They also get warm, and my laptop is already warm enough without yet another heat source.

 

this will do

 

I agree with your characterization... which is why the Swiss cheese keyboards on the T/W/R #00 series flew like lead balloons

 

It would be great if they offered a backlit keyboard but I personally like the Thinklight better. I would prefer the thinklight to be about twice as strong though.

Sometimes turning up the screen brightness shows the keyboard better than the thinklight and if the thinklight is intended to light up areas around the thinkpad and help you read documents or something that you're holding up, it really does need to be a bit stronger.

I doubt we'll see backlit keyboards anytime soon though. I wouldn't want the tactile response to change anyway.

 

The thinklight is a good design, I don't think backlit keyboard is the answer.

I find the positioning of it is slightly off. I get some glare from the light itself. They should be able to make it so that the light going towards the user's face is blocked more completely.

Also, I'm sure there are newer, brighter LED technologies out there. What about that hunting flashlight that lasts for 100,000 hours on a AAA battery? Put a long horizontal LED up there....

 

What about a solution for the tablets? The bezel does not allow for a thinklight. My initial thought was offering the backlit keyboard as an option in addition to the thinklight.

 

I could not disagree with you more.

Backlit keyboard might look nice and be useful for in the dark typing, but that is about it when it comes to functionality. The "antiquated" ThinkLight may be a thing from the past, but still holds its own when it comes to lighting up the keyboard and even more importantly for me, adds further functionality in the form of ambient light, which a backlit keyboard will never be able to provide.

Even HP has adopted a ThinkLight type of solution on their Elitebook: http://www.notebookcheck.net/typo3temp/pics/efd7626676.jpg

If you frequently take red eye night flights or generally need to work in dark conditions, the ThinkLight is the best integrated solution today - reducing eye strain, lighting up the keyboard and enabling you to read documents and see things in the vicinity.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/lenovo-ibm/196888-thinkpad-appreciation-thread.html#post2758036

 

besides the ThinkLight, HP also copied the TrackPoint.   if HP copies something rather than reinventing it, it's probably a darn good idea.

that door on their light only got them around the patent.   the ThinkLight is still the caveman-simple design.

 

Spot on

And I still much prefer the caveman simple design as there are no moving part, meaning less risk of failing.

 

I sure hope Lenovo never takes the glamour route over the functional route, and a thinklight is plain more functional (honestly, for anybody under 30, i.e. grew up with computers such that he doesn't look at the keys to type, you need the ambient lighting a lot more than you need the lit keyboard).

They can experiment with whatever they want with the Edge and all those, just leave me the T and X.

 

I agree ^^^

 

Yeah it'd be unfortunate if you closed the lid while you have the light compartment open in the Elitebook.

 

^^ second that!
After using extensively both backlight and ThinkLight, the later is the best way - Less eyestrain and can be used for reading in the dark.
I'd also keep the 16:10 format, but that's not for Lenovo to decide, alas...

 

In my experience, the folks who think the ThinkLight is antiquated fall into two categories:

1) Folks who only use an Apple computer.

2) Folks who have never needed to do some paper work and office work on a trans-Atlantic flight.

 

But airplanes have those overhead lights you can turn on.

 

After having a backlit keyboard with my XPS M1730 and using ThinkLights with all of my ThinkPads from my old T21 on up, I'd have to say I'd greatly prefer the ThinkLight. It's just about a necessity for me.