Do you have the Z keyboard double type problem?

It was suggested that a poll be put up regarding the VAIO Z's keyboard problem, where keys double type letters with a single press. If you are unaware of what this problem looks like, this YouTube video shows an extreme version of this problem:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWv1AXnNLl8

Full thread here:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=306453

 

Never had it, but I think it only happens to fast 10 finger typers. I'm not one of them.

 

phil, it seems to me you didn't have the Z for that long.

 

is this issue affecting people who bought their VAIO Z CTO or Pre-Configed or Both?? Just interested to know.

 

Mine is Z590CTO, assembled in San Diego, no problems at all.

 

True, just 5 days. but never noticed any problem.

 

Never had it, I own the Z for quite some time now. btw, european Z11WN.

 

nope, doesn't bother me

 

What is the likely cause of double type problem?

 

Nope, never had it..

 

I suspect bad hardware. I want to arrange to have my keyboard replaced soon to verify this, but I've been so busy with work that I can't do without my computer for that long.

 

nope, never had it..
had my z for around 2 weeks maybe

 

For those that have this issue, is your unit a preconfigured model or a CTO model?

 

CTO on mine, though it apparently happens regardless of CTO or preconfig status.

 

My Z540 is made in USA. No double key so far.

 

any updates?

 

I have a Z590 CTO... didn't seem to have this issue at all... I hope it doesn't develop.

 

Do you do heavy typing on it?

 

It looks like most people don't have that problem so it could be one of two things:

- Early batch of problem units
- User typing patterns

 

Well... I did just type up a 1500 word essay on it... so I'm going to say that was a pretty decent test if double type was there or not. I actually thought it was more precise and accurate than any keyboard I've used before.

 

I notice that whenever I type my password, I have to type slow and wait 2 sec before hitting enter.

I think the keyboard is just not catching up to my speed?

 

Perhaps an early batch of keyboards, maybe. I had mine on order pretty early. Weird thing is it comes and goes. Sometimes it happens a lot, sometimes not at all. Right now, oddly enough, it hardly happens, where as about a month ago it was happening fairly frequently.

 

really wish some more people would vote on this! I know there are more than 45 people on here with Z's, but the results look pretty good so far. Obviously not perfect, but at least there are more without it than with it!

 

I wish more people would vote as well. It's not too hard to just click a dot and press vote is it?

 

I haven't experienced any mentioned keyboard problem on my Z. I've only been using it for about 3weeks however. Manufacture date is 2008 08.

 

I don't own a Z, but just to satisfy my own curiosity, I tested out the keyboard on the floor model Z at the SonyStyle here in Northern Virginia. I repeatedly got the double keystroke error.

The Z was at a comfortable position for typing, so it was not as if my hands were contorted or otherwise awkwardly positioned as I typed. FWIW, I am a touch-typist with a fairly fast typing speed.

I added my vote to the "around day one" slot...

 

i also tested a very worn out Z at my local best buy this weekend...i did two keys as fast as i could, using my pointer finger from each hand. I went through the whole keyboard, and did not get a single double type. I also played around on the net for awhile and typed a few sentences in notepad to try and get it to do it with normal typing, but i could not get it to do it. I hope to own a Z very soon, and hope i don't get the ones that double type!

 

I've not had a problem with the double typing (I've voted) but I've only had my Z a few weeks. It sounds to me like maybe there's a cable that's not quite seated correctly.
If Sony aren't being helpful maybe one of the more adventurous folks with the problem could try opening up the z and re-seating the keyboard connector?

 

Someone in the other keyboard problem thread mentioned he'd tried one of the connectors to no avail. I'm curious as to the other connectors mentioned though:

 

I got my z590 (SSD) in mid october and have not been able to use it yet due to the double type issue. I contacted sony online-support on day-1. They suggested irrelevant solutions (canned replies) and only made me waste time. I scheduled an on site repair, they came in and replaced something on the keyboard (unfortunately I could not be present that day) and they left it worse. I had to send it away to SONY in San Diego, CA, the supposedly tested the unit for several days and could not reproduce the double type issue. They sent it back to me and right out of the box I cannot type 1 sentence without double the double type issue occurring.
Now they say I have to send the unit to them again! They told me several times this issue had never come up. I was so frustrated today that I looked up the issue on the web and found this forum.
I was even insulted and humiliated by a Sony engineer when calling for service again. He said they had not changed any parts because the could not reproduce the error, but if I send it again they would change parts "blindly" until I was satisfied. Meanwhile I cannot use it (I'm using my old SZ now).
Has Sony solved the problem for anyone? Does anyone know what we can do? I really believe Sony should solve the probelm and we should not go through this hassle.

 

My FW keyboard had double typing issue until I removed the keyboard protector. I guess the keyboard protector dampen the key somewhat and hence the double typing problem.

 

Try going to a retail store and see if you have the problem there?

It might be something to do with typing styles, going from the comments on this thread.

 

To those of you that have the problem: Does it occur right after a reboot, but not after the machine has been on for quite a while?

When the machine is really busy, especially with I/O, both the keyboard and touchpad suffer.

I am fairly certain that this problem is software and not hardware, and made worse by the OS being busy, both with normal maintenance and with user-installed applications.
This is not unique to this machine or Sony, but it is perhaps worse than average on the VGN-Z.

I can well see Sony support booting from an external drive that's clean, and wait until the machine has settled down before testing it. In which case they won't see the problems you have on your user account (which they won't have access to anyhow).

Try removing as many auto-startup programs as possible, and also give the machine time to finish its indexing and other housekeeping before starting other apps that you type in. Look at the drive light. And if you only have 1 GB of RAM, get more ASAP.

 

I'm fairly convinced it's not typing styles that has anything to do with it. Check the video posted earlier, which is a very, very good example of what happens. I have never had this problem on any other keyboard (ever), so once I got the Z and it started happening, you can imagine mmy surprise.

Over the weekend I actually managed four "m"s in a row. Yes, four. I can't type that fast, let alone on one key.

As for it being software, I'm willing to believe anything as long as it's fixed. I don't think it has anything to do with how busy the machine is, since it's occurred at very random times (and sometimes not at all).

 

Here you will find a solution to the problem.