Clevo makes the worst laptop keyboard EVER!

My solution to this was simply just buy a Lenovo Compact USB keyboard with Trackpoint and damn, it is SO much better than the Clevo one even the steelseries, sure no fancy lights and the wristpad could been bigger but it is so thin that it makes no sense to have one.
All the Lenovo keyboards have different screw points so sadly all hope and dreams for this is gone, the only other option that could maybe work is switching out every key with different ones and remove the plastic scissor holders and replace them with steel ones, I have a friend of mine who actually did it on a laptop and it does kind of feel sort of nice to type on, the biggest problem with the Clevo ones is that the keys are too small and the design of them is square so you often end up typing wrong and also the issue of keys not responding after a while, Lenovo ones have bigger keys which is way better even for my small hands and really eliminated the typos for me, I rarely have typos anymore the only downside is that the FN key is to the left of the CTRL key so you have to bend your thumb to get to it, so I just reconfigure the CTRL to FN key in games so I can use my pink finger for it.

This was my solution to the problem, not ideal but really, the only solution that worked, the Lenovo keyboard is so thin that you can almost place it on top of the Clevo keyboard, had it only been a little longer.
The Lenovo Compact Keyboard can also be replaced, you can mod in one with backlighting if you want, I have not seen anyone do it but it should not be too hard, it is USB fed so some simple rewiring with the replacement keyboard from eBay and there you have it.

 

I sent the URL to our company CEO, who does Persian cat rescue and arranges adoptions on a fairly large scale.

 

What for? I don't wanna rescue no one. This is my cat

 

It looks like a stuffed cat and the taxidermist put the wrong sized eyes in it lol

 

Oh, I know. Just a cute cat picture shared with a cat lover.

(My wife and I have three here, so I totally understand.)

 

Clevo should learn from MSI how to make a keyboard

this is the keyboard of the MSI GS73VR:

 

Hi Phoenix! I presume you tried to say this is the "GS"73

Anyways, quick question with your new GT73VR notebook keyboard. How does travel key press feels compared to, let's say an Alienware (If you ever have one) models, and does offer some sort of "resistance" when you type? I mean at the bottom of the keyboard?

I love that MSI/SteeelSeries keyboard layout and only hope type is as pleasant as in the Alienware/Dell models.

 

I am considering both GT and GS 73, and was at a store yesterday trying out both. As far as I can tell, although the bezels differ, the keyboards of the two systems are identical. I had them side-by-side and could not tell any difference, but YMMV. IMO this is a pretty good keyboard, although (naturally, given its low profile) not competing with a Cherry mechanical.

 

yes sorry, typoe fixed

I didn't receive my laptop yet man, the build hasn't even started, it will start on Tuesday s9o until then, I cannot give you any answer

 

They are basically the same keyboard between those models. You don't really see any changes to the keyboard until you get to some smaller 14" models, or lower tier models like GP or GL models, and those changes are usually just related to backlighting, or not having a keypad on the right side.

 

Which laptop does the kitten use ?

 

The kitten(s) [I have 9 Persian cats] are not a fan of laptops bro. They are addicted to the ASUs RT-AC5300 Router that I have. One of them called Winky, thinks that if he stays there long enough, he would lay eggs ........ I can't convince him otherwise......



@bloodhawk @Mr. Fox @Papusan @hmscott

 

Hehe, they love mildly warm places. My cat back in India , used to sit on top of my workstation , right here the top exhaust fan was.

 

Oh'well, THIS is the main reason you have all the problems with the wifi signal strength home. The reason is obvious The BGA processor (Yeah, the main goal for all use of BGA ) in your router is muddy and overheat. Drain and clean up your router, it's full of cat urine and dust. Rep me when you have cleaned up

 

Aww... "If I fits, I sits."

But where are his boots?

 

Yup, that's your problem, Cat's are not RF transparent

You could try mounting upside down like that from the ceiling.

But, be on the lookout for Ceiling Cat!!

 

Ours sit on top of the DVR, which has warm air vents on the top. Maybe we'll get lucky and they'll overheat that clunker, and our TV provider will have to give us one of the new ones.

 

You guys made me miss my cat... I used to own a cat named Winter - not any kind of breed or anything, just a stray I picked up. Really miss him since he disappeared. Given his age - probably died peacefully, still miss him.

At any rate, my cat would never get near electronics - he would always sit on comfy clothes - but I would had expected @Phoenix 's cats to sit as close as possible to an AC since the weather in Dubai is really hot

 

This is @Phoenix's home.

 

Dubai is hot, inside the house, ........ummmmmm....there is an invention called Air Conditioner?

 

That is exactly me! they are overclocking their PCs and running CatMark to benchmark the performance

 

Yeah, my tame Iguana lived on top of an always on Mitsubishi HS-U80 S-VHS deck.

When he was outside his tank he would climb up there, on top of the soft pad I put there for him (after I noticed him hanging out there), and if I played a tape, he would climb down and join me on the couch, to hiss at me for disturbing him on *his* perch.

Good times.

 

Well, that explains "Catzilla"
http://www.catzilla.com/

 

So even tho it's really hot outside - it is cold enough inside to make your cats seek warm places? That must be a unique kinda cool!

 

It has been pretty cold around here, I am looking forward to some warmer weather, even if it hits the temps

 

I really wish Romania would stay somewhere in 0-10-max 15C range.

Sadly, Romania either goes at -10 or it jumps at 40C - both of which are unhealthy for any sane human being. At least in Bucharest, this is much worse - in the mountain side we will get a much healthier temperature.

 

@Georgel, where I live in the northern U.S., it is similar. We get temps in winter down to -15C, occasionally as low as -20C, and in the summer our temps can exceed 40C. We have an expression here, "If you don't like the weather, wait an hour."

 

This kinda weather is not easy to live with, my friend!

At least if it were always cold, like it is for Brother @Papusan , we would be enjoying a somewhat stable temperature - but the summer is worse than the winter in Romania. I have seen street signs melting away. Just melting in full broad daylight. That is traumatising to see - even more to be there...

With the thread topic - Clevo still makes some of the worst keyboards ever seen - I can't really type on mine to save my life.

All because of a single mis-shaped key - shift key.

 

I'm interested in a P775DM3, but hesitant about the keyboard. It looks like the P670 has a different style keyboard that I don't see in any of the other Clevos. Any thoughts on how they compare, and could the P670 keyboard be swapped into the P775? Thanks.

 

The keyboard is amazing, layout is broken on either if my understanding is correct...

 

Thank you, Georgel! Can I ask what you mean about the layout being broken? Which keys are in odd places?

 

err, I think it's the other way around. At least in the P7 and P8 models. The keyboard it self is poor, but the layout is pretty standard.

IF @Phoenix was complaining about the layout, the MSI keyboard would be the worst choice ever. I think is complaint is only about keyboard quality and typing experience for the P7 and P8 models.

 

While the MSI SteelSeries keyboard's layout is a bit weird and needs some time getting used to, like that awkwardly placed Delete key and needing to press the FN keys to press the Home/End buttons above the numpad.. the main thing is, the keys have excellent travel distance between them. I can type forever and very fast without making a single mistake. The Clevo Keyboard on the P7 and P8 series is too cramped and the buttons are literally glued next to each other so I make 10s of mistakes in each sentence mistyping different keys. The keys on the P6xxx series are chiclet keys and have a better travel distance so they're not as bad.

 

Thanks for clarification. For me layout is only the placement of the keys, and the MSI keyboard just makes my layout ocd go nuts as nothing is standard in there

But yes, the typing experience and key travel are quite good. Not much better than the keyboard of the P6xxx series, but sure is way better than the P7 and P8 series.

 

BGA cat-warmer. BRB going to the patent office.

 

It is awful for me. Because I get used quite fast to keyboards, only one thing kills me. That Shift and Up Key. Every single line I try to hit a shift key, I hit an Up key and it erases most of my lines.

Worst layout ever created. I owned an Acer, Dell, Asus, through time. Asus uses the same layout while Acer and Dell used a much better layouts just in that area. Lenovo also uses this up key in the wrong spot design if I remember well - I owned one as well.

 

Lemme find some images for you

This is a normal keyboard:



And this is a P775 Keyboard




Please notice the whole Enter, Up Key, Shift, and that whole area. The whole block is messed up, results in the keyboard being unusable. Worst keyboard I ever tried - almost as bad as most phone keyboards. I'm using a 6..44" phone because I got big fingers and can't type on small keyboards so please take my advice with a grain of salt - but I can't type with Cevo keyboards.

They do make some of the best low profile keyboards - from all laptop keyboards I tested, the P775 one felt the best!

 

You basically have the whole qwertyuiop[] row messed up with one space and this won't let you well and to add inkury to insult, you have this key \| messed up as well and Shft key messed up.

No idea who came up with the idea that this keyboard would ever be okay since there is a standard and a fast typer is used to a standard one - most probably.

Asus and Lenovo use the same design in most of their models - I buy Acer or Dell cause of that.

In fact, the only reason I ever got a Clevo was due to it's CPU, GPU and Price. Most important factor was price - it is cheaper than any other alternative for the same configuration. But man... the keyboard... Also the CPU overheats and can't be used much above 4.0 GHz by default but I'm working my way towards a solution.

 

Try alienware pascal keyboard, typing is subjectively better than msi.

 

Haven't tried that one, why is that? Just layout, or does it have good travel distance etc.?

 

both

also typing feel

 

Thank you! I see what you mean now. We have one laptop at home with a similar layout (tiny right shift key etc.) and so far I haven't had much trouble with it, but I don't use it very often. I'll have to try it for a day or so for my usual tasks and see if I can get used to it.

 

Are they interchangeable? That is, would the keyboard from the P6xx series work on the P7xx series?

 

Nope

 

Too bad but thanks!

 

If it was, you wouldn't have seen this thread bro, and you wouldn't have seen me sell my P870DM3 and get a BGA MSI laptop

 

Interesting, I'll probably be able to check one out this weekend for myself.

 

I do honestly think that the MSi kb or the Alienware KB is the best for a non-mechanical gaming keyboard.


I still prefer the AW more since the layout is more standard compared to the MSi.

 

I do definitely like the feel of the MSI keyboards.

 

They were smart to partner with Steelseries. The Dynaudio speakers have done well, too.