A backlit keyboard in Sony's future?

after using a borrowed macbook pro, i gotta say the backlit keyboard is a very important feature for me.

does anyone have any insight as to whether this feature is even on the radar screen for sony?

the screen on the higher rez Z laptop is a major advantage over the new 13" MacBooks, but i want my backlit keyboard!!

 

Of all the gimmicks that can be added to a laptop, backlit keys is probably my least favourite one, right along with LEDs that can't be turned off through software. (If someone knows of a program that turns off all the LEDs on Sony Vaio laptops, please let me know!)

IMO, a keyboard backlight isn't needed, and the precense of it prevents proper keyboard use. There's a ridge on the F and J keys so you can place your hands correctly, even in the dark. Learn to touch type, preferably on a keyboard without markings at all, or with a towel covering your hands. Most people will learn to touch type decently within two weeks, and proficiently within a month. It really isn't hard at all, and you'll get much more use out of the computer when you no longer have to look at the keyboard.

 

No one can tell you if Sony will ever make a backlit keyboard. They did make a backlit kb on the UX series so you never know.

Having owned a mbp for a month I did not find the backlit kb all that important or even needed. As arth1 pointed out once you find your f and j you are all set, unless you don't type properly.

 

On the UX series, it was more useful -- the keys were not suited for touch typing, so you would have to hunt and peck a fair bit, even if you were a skilled typist.

I also can see the use for backlit keys on a gaming keyboard, like the Microsoft Sidewinder one. When your left hand is doing WASD, and you have several rows of extra programmable function keys, it might be useful.

 

Yes a backlit keyboard in coming. The new Dell Studio XPS M1340 has one, so maybe when the Z gets refreshed with Nehalem it will get one.

 

Yea, just like some dude up here who has a friend work for Sony development team in California made a bet with me that there will be one coming this January.... lol. Backlit keyboard is a cosmetic thing. If you need to look at the keyboard to type then you have issue! I can understand if it becomes available in desktop replacement type, others like the TT or Z should not get this figure since that's just as good as killing your battery life. People here come to extreme of cutting running process to minimum, I don't think they would appreciate sony making a mobile laptop with backlight keyboard that much.

 

Have you ever actually used a backlit keyboard? I, too, talked a lot of smack about it as an excuse not to get one. I was given the upgrade free in my laptop order and have not looked back since. It's really nice to have, and I wont be purchasing any systems in the future that do not have one. Even my newest desktop keyboard is the Logitech Illuminated. The point is not whether you can or cannot type in the dark, it just makes it so much easier to. Once you have it though, it's different. Nothing to regret, everyone I know loves it and helps in dark situations of any level.

 

Anyway..working in a total darkness is not for good your eyes!

So if you cant see on keyboard, you are probably in too dark area, turn on the light, your eyes will be happy.

 

There is an awful amount of presumption, arrogance and holier-than-thou attitude in this thread. Who suggested that you would be typing out War and Peace in pitch black? A backlit keyboard comes into it's own when you simply need to hit one single key for a reply to a prompt, to kick in a stored browser search or a media shortcut, as well as being able to tap out a few words without getting out of bed and turning on the light. A white screen will throw light on the keyboard, but many people prefer dark skins and pages as they are more restful.

Far from being trivial, backlit keyboards are a huge deal, especially if implemented correctly:

1. White led
2. Zero bleed (Z scrabble keys should help)
3. Easy-find hardware on/off switch
4. Fully configurable optional ambient sensing

I would love to see a Z get this, but my feeling is it will be the Z successor that gets it - could be 2010 before we see it.

 

Maybe the P will have one? Seems likely as it is sort of succeeding the UX.

 

Thanks Zendar. Even though I started this thread, I didn't read the replies until now....and started feeling the way you did.

What does typing have to do with a backlit keyboard? Yes I mean that! Navigation is more important to me. and i know i can carry around a $2 led on a gooseneck that plugs into usb.

In order to not be a totally anti-social husband, I usually spend an hour or more in bed with my laptop. Mainly hunting and pecking to fill in passwords, google terms, page up, delete, etc. I often need to tilt down the screen to throw some light on the keyboard. Which is the function key? oops that's the Windows key. oops i hit number lock instead of delete. backwards slash 5 times instead of backspace 5 times. out of the blue--i mean black--how can even a touch typist hit the correct key? the reason you are working in darkness probably means you're laying down, etc...

besides, i said it was important to ME.

 

Man, if you "work" in darkness that often you need to consider getting some reader light up. Its really bad for your eyes to work in total darkness.

 

Um, yes, I have a Microsoft Sidewinder keyboard on my main computer. Thankfully, the light can be dimmed to zero, because quite frankly, it's useless at best, and distracting at worst. I don't look down at the keyboard while I use it -- I look at the screen.

I got this keyboard despite and not because of the light. The selling feature was the ability to place the keypad on the left, and thus be able to have the keyboard centered in front of me, and the mouse within easy reach.

 

I have owned a MBP in the past so i have experienced having a backlight keyboard on a laptop.
It is a nice feature and it does look nice when it is on. I cannot say that it increased productivity for me though or prevented me from putting the light on if i really felt that i needed the light on in a room.

I can touch type and i often work in very low lit rooms and i have no problems typing on any of my current notebook keyboards. Having a very bright display does help as well.

I don't want to sound like an apologist for Sony and i do realise that some people would benefit from this feature so Sony should consider implementing it. You can always turn it of if you don't need it. It shouldn't be that expensive to add on.

 

I find it occasionally useful on the Air and on the new Macbook Pro, but I have to say the backlit keyboard was a bit of a disaster on the all-silver Macbook Pros. And even then there's a lot of key bleed with the Apples. I do use the Sony's in ultimate battery life mode often, which means a screen not bright enough to light the keyboard in total darkness... but the downside is that a backlit keyboard would also reduce battery life.

Since it is only truly useful in pitch black (where, ironically, the typically Apple sensor on a Rev.A Air for example keeps the backlight switched off until you fumble for the right keys ), I can think of alternatives to LED backlighting which don't use any power.

I dunno how Luminova would stand up to finger wear in terms of printed letters. If it can't, key construction could be like a backlit keyboard, but instead of an LED layer underneath Luminova would be applied under each key... or maybe there's a way of moulding Luminova into the chicklet keys and revealing the glow just for the letters (glowy keys would be tacky). Knowing the Sony/Apple penchant for BS marketing, Sony could say... "If it's good enough for Rolex, it's good enough for us"

 

I won't buy a new laptop now unless I have for SURE a backlit keyboard. Finding number is much much easier and when using a USB plug in light.

If you close the lid and you haven't moved the USB light out of the way your screen when you shut it, it then WILL crack as it happened to a friend of mine because it just caught the corner of the screen and then he heard crack.

In fact it almost happened to me to but I managed to avoid it. We are so used and accustomed to shutting our laptop lids quickly it doesn't take much for some damage.

But I won't purchase a new laptop now without a backlit keyboard as it is way too useful....and it looks pretty cool too.

 

How often one uses a computer in the dark ? I bet less than 5./.
If in an airplane there are overhead lights >>
If in a car I get dizzy typing
Any other dark place one uses a computer ??
Anyway just in case I need extra light >> I spent $5 and bought a mini blue light with has a clip and also a magnet (bought at a auto store).

 

You're right - especially when I see a lot of user views which come from clearly not actually being that mobile. However in marginal light it can improve legibility of the keys. Still, personally I think the Thinklight - style spproach is more useful, if not as 'cool'. As I pointed out above, a zero-energy way to do it would be through a luminous material, although with a phosphorescent base it would have to be exposed to daylight on a fairly regular basis in order for it to be useful.